(ANN/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) – Chelsea Manalo received a flood of congratulatory messages in the initial hours following her crowning as Miss Universe Philippines 2024.
Prominent beauty queens such as MJ Lastimosa, Janine Tugonon, Rabiya Mateo, and Samantha Bernardo were quick to extend their greetings.
They took to their Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) accounts to celebrate Manalo’s victory and welcome her into her new role as a national titleholder.
“That was her winning glow tonight! Congratulations our new Mis Universe Philippines 2024, Bulacan,” Lastimosa said. “Iba talaga na ‘yung aura ni Bulacan pag-apak ng top 10! Well-deserved queen!”
“Congratulations to our new Miss Universe Philippines 2024! Such a pretty face and yes, she did perform [especially] in that evening gown performance,” Tugonon underscored.
Samantha Bernardo celebrated Chelsea Manalo’s victory by sharing a clip of her crowning moment on social media, accompanied by the quote: “Remember, it’s not about the crown. It’s about the woman who holds the crown and gives meaning to it.”
While reactions to the pageant results were mixed among fans, many fervently voiced their support for Manalo, who they felt had unexpectedly risen as the dark horse of the competition.
This enthusiastic endorsement from her supporters highlighted their belief in her potential to redefine the role of Miss Universe Philippines 2024.
“This is probably the most unexpected result in Philippine pageant history! Bulacan served and she ate the veterans alive!” X user @aliii_writes said. “What a breath of fresh air. A new face fit to represent an image of a Filipina. Congratulations, ladies! You gave us a show!”
Manalo, who also competed at the 2017 Miss World Philippines pageant and finished as part of the Top 15, bested 52 other aspirants at the Miss Universe Philippines coronation night held on May 22.
Joining her in the final round of competition were Stacey Gabriel of Cainta (1st runner-up), Ma. Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province (2nd runner-up), Tarah Valencia of Baguio (3rd runner-up), and Christi Lynn McGarry of Taguig (4th runner-up).
Ahtisa was also crowned Miss Cosmo Philippines, while Valencia inherited the Miss Supranational Philippines crown.
The additional titles that were also announced after the event were Miss Charm Philippines, which was crowned on Cyrille Payumo of Pampanga, and Miss Eco International Philippines, which was crowned on Alexie Mae Brooks from Iloilo City.
