Ben Madilynn
Miss Cosmo Philippines 2024 Ahtisa Manalo spread “kilig vibes” as she introduced her longtime boyfriend, Marco Suarez, to the press.
The “boyfriend reveal” took place during her Miss Cosmo International 2024 send-off event on September 7, 2024, held at The Vault in Bonifacio Global City.
When asked to share a message for Ahtisa, Marco expressed his admiration for his girlfriend, saying, “I think you’re beautiful. I’ve seen you prepare. I’ve never seen you work so hard.
“And I love you. I think you’ll do great.”
Members of the press seized the opportunity to ask him questions, with Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN News inquiring about what people should know about Ahtisa.
Marco replied, “I think the first thing that comes to mind is her heart. How strong it is.
“She’s fought through a lot adversity and I think it’s gonna show in the pageant for sure.”
Photo/s: Jonathan Santos for The Qrown Philippines
It’s worth noting that Ahtisa first introduced her boyfriend to the public through an Instagram post on January 10, 2022. The reveal sparked a range of funny reactions from pageant aficionados.
AHTISA MANALO ON FIRST MISS COSMO PAGEANT
Ahtisa answered questions from the press during her send-off party.
One journalist inquired why she believes she should be the first Miss Cosmo winner.
The Filipino beauty queen confidently answered, “I think I should be the first Miss Cosmo International because I want to be a trailblazer.
“I want to set the tone of what it takes to be a Miss Cosmo.
“And I want to set the tone of what it takes for this pageant in the future.
“And I want to be a pioneer. I want to be the leader.
“I want to be a part of the pioneering organization that is Miss Cosmo in achieving, changing the landscape of pageantry forever.”
With this as her main goal, Ahtisa aims to stay authentic and give her best in representing the organization, should she win the crown.
Ahtisa said, “I think I’ll just do my best. And I know that they are looking for a woman who can make an impact.
“And I hope that they deem me to be one and worthy of the first round. But I’ll be myself.
“I know it’s so cliché. Everyone says that. But I really believe that if people will like you, they will like you even for your flaws.”
SETTING THE STANDARD
Regarding her preparations, Ahtisa expressed that she views joining Miss Cosmo as an opportunity to set a standard and tone for the new era of pageantry.
This is especially significant given that it’s the inaugural Miss Cosmo pageant, leaving her without previous editions to guide her preparations.
Ahtisa expressed, “I actually saw it as an opportunity. I thought that having no history, it’s a great thing for me to be a trailblazer.
“I can set the standard. So I didn’t see it as a challenge, I saw it as an opportunity.”
She added, “I want to set the standard that they need—Ahtisa, hopefully—for them to be a Miss Cosmo.
“Someone who has a heart to affect long-lasting positive change. Not just about for herself, but for the community that she lives in and the people around her.”
When asked to rate her physical and mental preparedness on a scale of 1 to 10, Ahtisa confidently responded, “It’s a 10!”
She expounded, “I prepared for it. I made sure that there is no stones left unturned and with that, it’s just an easy 10.”
Ahtisa is especially thrilled for pageant fans to watch her pasarela, perfected under the tutelage of beauty queen trainer Ian Mendajar.
“You should watch out for my pasarela. I think that’s one of the things I always prepare for and that’s one of the segments where I really feel, like, myself.
“So, yeah, you should watch out for that.”
Ahtisa mentioned that she is collaborating closely with her stylist, Patty Yap, on her outfits but has yet to disclose any specifics or designers for key segments like the national costume and evening gown portions.
However, she did confirm that she is working with fashion designers Ehrran Montoya and Mak Tumang for her evening gown looks.
“We are still in the process of choosing because we have a few designers who gave us evening gowns.
“So we wanted to make sure, me and Patty, we wanted to make sure that we choose the best before we announce anything.
“But there are a few designers that I’m working with. I’m working with Ehrran Montoya and Mak Tumang.”
Ahtisa also expressed her excitement for the national costume segment of the competition.
She told the press, “I’m really excited for the national costume. You know, they built a stage on a lake. Well, in an island near a lake.
“For us to be able to showcase our culture, different cultures all over the world and I’m really excited to see that because one aspect of pageants I really enjoy is getting to know people from all over the world, getting to know their culture, getting to know how different or how similar they are with us.
“So that’s the part I’m very excited.”
AHTISA MANALO: HANDLING THE PRESSURE
At this point, Ahtisa is more excited than pressured to experience the Miss Cosmo pageant, which will be held in just a few days.
Ahtisa said, “I think I’ve given that [pressure] up. I think during my previous competition, I had in my head a lot to live up to people’s expectations.
“But you know what? Now, I’m confident that I can be flawed. And if people love me, they’ll still love me even then.”
Ahtisa has also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Filipinos for their continuous support and for making her a leading contender for the People’s Choice award, which is based on photo likes on the pageant’s official Facebook page.
“It’s unbelievable, really. You really see the Bayanihan spirit of the Filipinos and you see the power of the pageant powerhouse that is Philippines…
“I was the third batch that they put the photos for, for the voting. And yet, we were number one at one point.
“And it just shows how Filipinos really support our beauty queens and how much we love pageants and how much we’re willing to work for us to get the first Miss Cosmo crown.”
Ahtisa continued, “Thank you very much. I know that it takes effort and time to vote. And I really appreciate it.
“And we know that Miss Cosmo pageant is a new pageant and they really care about our reach. They care about the impact that we can make.
“And if all of us Filipinos, we can work hard, we can work together to show them the impact of the Philippines, I think it will not go unnoticed and it will help us in getting the crown for the Miss Cosmo International.”
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