Ahtisa Manalo concludes Miss Cosmo 2024 journey in the Top 10
Ahtisa Manalo made the Philippines proud as she finished in the Top 10 at the Miss Cosmo 2024 competition.
The beauty queen concluded her journey to the highly covered crown as a finalist at the pageant held on Saturday, Oct. 5 (Philippine time).
The country's Miss Cosmo bet this year is no stranger to the world of pageantry.
She previously represented the country at the Miss International pageant in 2018, where she won first runner-up. She also emerged as second runner-up at the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 in May earlier this year.
When she's not competing in pageants, Ahtisa busies herself in several business ventures such as natural drinking yogurt store Koomi, two cafés in Australia—Cafe Noun and Call Me Harris, and more.
Throughout her journey, she won the hearts of many with her advocacies toward the LGBTQ+ community, gender equality, youth empowerment, and more, showing she's beautiful not just on the outside but also on the inside.
During the swimsuit competition at the finals, Ahtisa turned heads in a metallic red two-piece and a sheer black cape. She completed her look with dangling earrings and pointed metallic silver heels as well as smokey makeup and wavy hairstyle.
She then wowed the audience in a nude-hued gown with violet touches during the evening gown portion of the pageant.
Ahtisa sported two eye-catching outfits that paid tribute to the Philippines' vibrant culture in the national costume round at the jury session days prior.
Her first costume features a sultry and fiery brown two-piece garment accentuated with a sword and pot. It symbolizes Lalahon, a protector and a force of destruction of the Visayan ancient culture that "governs the harvest, blessing the land with abundance, while her volcanic power reminds us of nature’s duality."
For her second look, she brought out the Filipino mermaid character Dyesebel from Mars Ravelo’s comic book, where she wore a vibrant orange ensemble from Ehrran Montoya with fabrics mirroring the ocean, shimmering scales, beaded patterns, and hand- and head-pieces similar to a mermaid’s tail.
During the recently-concluded night gown segment on Oct. 4, Ahtisa dazzled in a flowy blue gown with a laurel-like gold design on the chest.
For the swimsuit segment, the beauty queen sashayed down the runway with her two-piece neon bikini, blue mesh cape, and silver heels.
She used her cape with much elegance, spreading and waving her arms even as she was twirling to highlight her curves. Her cape billowed as she left the stage, exuding much grace.
But Ahtisa has also strayed away from the usual outfits in pageantry to show off her beauty in other unique looks.
For instance, she paid tribute to Filipina-German film icon Paraluman, a fellow native of Quezon Province, for one of her shoots for Miss Cosmo 2024.
She radiated elegance in a tube gown by Anthony Ramirez, paired with a vintage-inspired updo featuring soft curls.
"I am proud to share a heritage with the legendary Paraluman, a name that has come to symbolize beauty, elegance, and grace," Ahtisa said in an Instagram post. "A true icon from our province, Paraluman continues to inspire artists, poets, and dreamers."
Because of her skill and charm, Ahtisa was blessed with several recognitions during her Miss Cosmo stint.
In the pre-pageant activities, she won the "First Station" of the People’s Choice Award because of her "beauty, grace, and intelligence," which granted her an automatic spot in the Top 10 finalists of the competition.
Not only that, but she was also among the frontrunners of the competition's "National Pride" challenge, placing at the third spot.
Miss Cosmo 2024 took place in Saigon Riverside Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Oct. 5. A total of 56 contestants vied to become the very first queen of the international beauty pageant.