The Philippines’ Miss Universe candidate Ahtisa Manalo arrived in Bangkok ahead of the 74th Miss Universe pageant, not for early training, but to host the 17th Mister International competition.
Manalo served as one of the presenters at the pageant’s final show on Sept. 25 at the MCC Hall Lifestore Ngamwongwan, where Kirk Bondad of the Philippines won the crown.
A day before her hosting duties, she visited the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) headquarters at the JKN Building, wearing a yellow gown by designer Fatima Beltran. She gave interviews and joined media sessions, a tradition observed by several delegates in past editions.
A former Miss International runner-up, Manalo is vying for the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown after Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).
The 74th Miss Universe coronation will be held on Nov. 21 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, Thailand, with over 130 delegates expected to compete.
