Beauty queen Ahtisa Manalo has clarified the issue regarding her alleged rejection of the Miss Universe Asia title. In an interview with Boy Abunda, she also shared who she considered her strongest opponent—Miss Venezuela Stephany Abasali.
According to Ahtisa, she often notices Venezuela because she also won Miss International when she participated. To her, she is “like a doll” and is so beautiful that she feels that she is a really strong contender.
At the same time, she responded to the rumors that she turned down the Miss Universe Asia title. Ahtisa clarified that “it was never offered to her.” She said that she just assumed at the time and that she and Jonas Gaffud even discussed that they would have turned it down if it was offered, but no offer actually happened.
Ahtisa also added that she was not disappointed in her Miss Universe journey. She is happy that she achieved her dream of representing the Philippines, and her focus is really on becoming Miss Universe 2025. For her, drama is normal in any part of life, so she is just focused on the goal.
After securing the 3rd runner-up placement, Ahtisa shared memories of her journey and pledged to continue her work at Alon Akademie, a non-profit that helps youth from low-income families gain equal opportunities.
