Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo on Reigning in Her Own Terms
Ms. Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo presents a new way of defining what is beautiful in more ways than one
This is an excerpt from MEGA July 2024 Cover story.
Manalo is the only child of a Filipino mother and an African-American father. Her parents divorced when she was at a very young age and she grew up with her mother and stepfather in Meycauayan, Bulacan. “I’m a 90s baby so I still got to explore and play on the streets,” she shares, “I got to play all the games: Pogs, taguan (hide and seek), Chinese garter…”
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However, growing up in a provincial town was tough for a biracial kid, Manalo admits. “Only because of my skin tone, my race, my hair… I think they’re just not used to seeing a unique girl so I got picked on a lot.” They pulled her curly hair and called her names, “Oh my God! They said really hurtful names.”
Of course, this made her cry. Whenever she came out to play, she was always the last one to be picked. Her parents told her that she could just play at home and invite her real friends over, but Manalo still went and put herself out there.
Though the bullying continued—even up to now, Manalo adds—her parents never taught her to fight back, rather to just ignore the haters. Instead, they bolstered her confidence. “Don’t let it get to your heart,” Manalo quotes her mom and dad. “You’re beautiful as yourself.” She should never look at herself the way they saw her.
“My mom would always tell me, ‘You’re beautiful.’ ‘You’re beautiful as your own.’ ‘You’re unique. You have beautiful curly hair.’ It took me a while to always believe in that.” Eventually Manalo grew to let their voices overcome all the others telling her otherwise.
Reigning in her own terms
“I really didn’t have a strategy on how to win the pageant,” Manalo confesses. “I just wanted to compete as an independent.” As an independent contestant, she had to manage her own creative team that includes her own photographer, stylist, and makeup artist. Unlike other beauty queens who have their camps that support them whenever they compete, Manolo had to shoulder everything on her own.
Not that she is saying that she is better than those who had support from their camps, she explains, “In my case, I think becoming independent this time is what made me stronger because I can work with the people who are close to me.” It was difficult, especially the financial part, but it worked for her.
When Manalo won the Miss Universe Philippines 2024, besting 53 beauty queens from other provinces, so much has been made about her ethnicity because she is the first Filipino African-American to win the crown. Does her reign signal the end of colorism in the skin-whitener-obsessed beauty standards of the Philippines?
Perhaps this is the start of a more inclusive definition of beauty, especially for Filipino beauty queens. “My purpose in joining Miss Universe is really to be a woman of representation and to chase that dream,” Manolo says and adds in all honesty, “Through this, I was able to influence many women that they can chase the dream too.”
But even now, the bullying that hounded her in her childhood followed her as a beauty queen, but they don’t affect her anymore. “So, the mean comments… I don’t really get to see much of them anymore. I don’t give attention to these negative comments because they don’t know any better.” She shrugs. “I’ve already learned from when I was kid to not let their hate get into my heart.”
Ultimately, the legacy Manalo would like to leave as Miss Universe Philippines 2024 boils down to her response to all the hate and bullying she received since childhood: “I want people to understand that your kindness can really go a long way. And it did for me. So, I hope that through my reign, through my victory, people would understand that their kindness towards other people can make an impact. I know mine did.”
Read more about how Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo is choosing purpose over strategy for winning the coveted title in MEGA’s July 2024 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by KARL KING AGUÑA. Creative direction by PATRICK TY. Styled by RYUJI SHIOMITSU. Makeup by ANGELINE DELA CRUZ. Hair by BRYAN EUSEBIO. Written by STEF JUAN. Art direction BRIE VENTURA. Beauty Direction AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON. Production JONES PALTENG. Sittings Editor PEEWEE REYES-ISIDRO. Fashion Assistant BITHIA REYES. Editorial Assistant JONNIE NGO. Styling Assistants RICH FORTU, KIRK LUCAS, AARON DE CHAVEZ, ARIANNE VALDEZ, NICHOLE ANNE PURA, and PATRICIA NAOMI CRUZ. Nails NIKA PASCUA OF LOCAL BEBOT. Photography Assistants JYLLAN BITALAC, SHERIE BOLO, LIGHT RENTALS PH. Makeup Artist’s Assistant ALJON CELIS. Hairstylist’s Assistant KURT ANDREI ROSALES. Shot on Location SPACE AND TIME CUBE+ MUSEUM. Special thanks to MS. UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES, MAU DE LEON, EL JOHN MENDOZA, and NIKKA CHANG OF SPACE AND TIME CUBE+.
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Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo on Reigning in Her Own Terms
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