The highs and lows of the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 pageant
Miss Universe Philippines 2025 is officially over—with Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province being hailed as the new queen.
On Friday, May 2, the coronation night became more than just a beauty pageant. It turned into a celebration of Filipino talent, featuring local singers, designers, and artists, highlighting both the beauty of Filipinas and the richness of local culture.
Let’s revisit some of the most talked-about moments from the night—the good, the surprising, and everything in between.
LOW: An hours-long delay
The finals night was supposed to begin at 6:00 p.m., but the program only started two hours later at around 8:00 p.m.
It can be noted that the livestream of the preliminaries also started later than its scheduled premiere, making pageant fans wait for hours.
HIGH: Opening number
It's no secret that national costumes take some time to put on because of their complex designs, which is why they're only usually showcased during the preliminaries and not on the coronation night itself.
But this year's pageant didn't let these gorgeous ensembles go unflaunted. The opening started with a bang as the candidates entered the stage wearing national costumes, with the 1994 theme song Mabuhay being played in the background.
But the excitement didn't stop there as the moment was made even more special with the appearance of the reigning Miss Universe, Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark.
Miss Universe Africa & Oceania Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Asia Chelsea Manalo, Miss Universe Europe & Middle East Matilda Wirtavuori, and Miss Universe Americas Tatiana Calmell also showed up onstage.
LOW: Technical difficulties with Xian Lim’s microphone
Despite a strong start with the national costume showcase, things went slightly downhill when the microphone of host Xian Lim had a brief malfunction just as he started to address the crowd.
While it only took a minute before his microphone was fixed, this still resulted in an awkward dead air and some confused looks from the crowd.
HIGH: Debut of new Miss Universe Philippines songs
Energetic and groovy songs have always been a key element in Miss Universe Philippines pageants, but this edition was made extra special with the introduction of a new anthem performed by none other than James Reid.
Titled Love the Chase, the song served as the perfect background during the swimsuit segment and undeniably elevated the runway walks of the candidates.
The song was co-written by Reid along with Kiko “KIKX” Salazar and ALAS. It was produced by Empire Philippines and the actor’s record label Careless Music.
But that's not all as actor and TV show host Marlo Mortel also debuted his song Bed Weather during the pageant.
The self-written track was used during the evening gown round and set the mood for the elegant walks of the remaining candidates.
HIGH: Nueva Ecija's powerful comment on ageism
Chanel Olive Thomas of Nueva Ecija, representing the Filipino society of Melbourne, made a powerful comment against ageism during a backstage interview with Tim Yap and Erika Kristensen-Lee.
When asked how she put an end to a painful moment in her life, she said, "During this pageant, there was a bit of comments, because I am the oldest contestant here at 34 years old, so I did get some backlash for that, saying that 'She looks old.'"
"However, for me, I want to really put a period to ageism, because if I'm 34 years old here pursuing my dream to become the next Miss Universe Philippines 2025, you can dream also. Kaya natin 'to," she added.
HIGH: Ahtisa Manalo gracefully recovers from onstage fall and mentions it in the Q&A
DAMN! That was a hard fall! But the come back was made a BANG! Lovely gown and elegant walk, Ahtisa!#MissUniversePhilippines2025 pic.twitter.com/nEECDOgNFT
— ricci (@ricci_richy) May 2, 2025
Once the pageant starts, things can be a little unpredictable. Manalo, for one, fell onstage during one of the pageant’s most important segments.
In the evening gown competition, she tripped and fell as she was walking down the stairs, earning gasps from the crowd.
Despite this setback, she managed to get back up on her feet and recovered with a stunning pose.
“DAMN! That was a hard fall! But the comeback made a BANG! Lovely gown and elegant walk, Ahtisa!” one user praised her on X.
Instead of regarding it as a weakness, Manalo used her fall to her advantage during the nerve-wracking question-and-answer portion.
In the segment, she was asked, "They say that a good leader leads by example. Tell us about one event in your life when you led by example and the impact it made."
The beauty queen from Quezon Province began her answer by reflecting on her fall.
"I fell a while ago on stage. The thing with me is, whenever I fall in life, I always make sure I come back stronger. Last year, I was here on this stage, and for the second time this year, I'm here putting everything on this stage to be Miss Universe Philippines," she said.
LOW: Late announcement of four other crowns
MUPh did not shine the spotlight on the runners-up of this year's edition even though they deserved to have their own winning moments on stage. Instead, they were announced after the conclusion of the livestream.
Winwyn Marquez was named first runner-up in the pageant, while Yllana Aduana was named second runner-up.
Sultan Kudarat's Chelsea Fernandez is the Miss Cosmo Philippines 2025, while Katrina Llegado of Taguig got the title of Miss Supranational Philippines 2025. Lastly, Gabriella Carballo of Cebu City is the new Miss Eco International Philippines.
Manalo is set to represent the Philippines at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand in November. Check out our full coverage of the MUPh 2025 competition here.
