Ahtisa Manalo. Image: Belg Belgica via Instagram/@ahtisa
The Top 10 finish of Ahtisa Manalo in the inaugural edition of Miss Cosmo 2024 was a heartbreaking loss to pageant fans, including fellow beauty queens, who witnessed Manalo’s strong performance despite her ankle injury.
Manalo ended her Miss Cosmo 2024 stint at the Top 10. Despite her loss, she bagged the People’s Choice Award and was named the Miss Cosmo Tourism Ambassador at the pageant, which was held at the Saigon Riverside Park in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ketut Permata Juliastrid of Indonesia was crowned as the first Miss Cosmo, while Thailand’s Karnruethai Tassabut was the first runner-up.
Despite Manalo’s loss, Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa congratulated the Quezon-based beauty queen for representing the country, via her X (formerly Twitter) page.
“Haaaay!!!! Congratulations Ahtisa!!!! Inilaban mo (You fought for it), injured and all!!!! We love you,” she wrote.
Haaaay!!!! 🥺 congratulations Ahtisa!!!! Inilaban mo, injured and all!!!! We love you ✨
— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) October 5, 2024
Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2024 Raven Doctor said the Philippines is “proud” of Manalo, as seen in the comments of The Miss Philippines’ Instagram post and on her Instagram Story.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@the_missphilippines
Mutya ng Pilipinas International 2011 Vickie Rushton reshared a clip of Manalo during the pageant’s evening gown competition on her Instagram Story, describing her as a “queen.”
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@vimrushton
Ilongga beauty queen and Miss Eco International Philippines 2025 Alexie Brooks is likewise proud of Manalo on her Miss Cosmo 2024 stint, as seen on her Instagram Story.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@alexie_brooks.official
Miss Supranational Philippines 2025 Tarah Valencia shared a photo of Manalo which contained the caption: “the true winner” on her Instagram Story. She also expressed her love for her pageant sister in a follow-up post.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@tarah.valencia
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@tarah.valencia
Miss Charm Philippines 2025 Cyrille Payumo, on the other hand, reshared INQUIRER.net’s art card congratulating Manalo on her Instagram Story.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@payumocyrille
Meanwhile, netizens expressed their disappointment over the results of the Vietnam-based pageant, with some pointing out that Manalo “deserved better.”
Others stressed that the Quezon-based beauty queen and entrepreneur is the reason why Miss Cosmo caught the attention of pageant fans.
THESE TWO QUEENS DESERVE BETTER 😭
Ahtisa Manalo and Michelle Dee should have been in the top 5 for their respective pageants. #MissCosmo2024 #MissUniverse pic.twitter.com/M54Z7sFO3y— dawn🐣 (@_darkrein_) October 5, 2024
The way Miss Universe waited for so many years for Catriona to set thee standard, and then there’s Miss Cosmo, who in their first edition, can already find theirs – and it’s Ahtisa!!!🔥🤍
She’s bigger than this pageant!!#MissCosmo2024 #MissCosmo pic.twitter.com/dHa8kI4bB3
— H (@RoverUniversal) October 5, 2024
Love her positive outlook to everything.
Always graceful even in defeat.
Mahal ka namin Ahtisa. 💜ctto: FTP#AhtisaManalo #Cosmonalo #MissCosmo #MissCosmoPhilippines #MissCosmo2024 #1stMissCosmo #ImpactfulBeauty #COSMO+ #UniMedia pic.twitter.com/r7AlFC0a05
— Yashael 👑❣️📸 (@Dainsleif_10) October 5, 2024
The way #MissCosmo2024 used Ahtisa for marketing their pageant. PH is one of the strongest powerhouses, the reason why Cosmo was known because she joined.
Based on performance, Ahtisa DELIVERED. She had shown her best version and raised our flag despite of her injury. 👑🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/ueTdmrRyYP
— rae 🪽 (@RaeGunn) October 5, 2024
How come that Ahtisa Manalo didn’t make it on top 5?? Everyone knows that Ahtisa really nailed the competition despite breaking her leg and everything she went through.
At hindi kilala masyado ang Miss Cosmo kung hindi dahil kay mareng Ahtisa!! We all know that!!#Ahtisa #Top5 pic.twitter.com/VoC0BMknVL
— PhilTrendZ (@PinasTrendZ) October 5, 2024
YUNG LUNGKOT KO KAY MMD NOON, IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN WITH AHTISA!!! 🥺 #MissCosmo2024 pic.twitter.com/BbvzdAGI6M
— Just Jochard (@justjochard) October 5, 2024
This Miss Universe Caliber did not make the Top 5 of Miss Cosmo.
The Philippines cant win everything but Ahtisa ticked all the boxes for this competition
✔️ Face
✔️ Charisma
✔️ Performance
✔️ Gown
✔️ Advocacy pic.twitter.com/gXZOfbfXbd— VJ (@heyvjmendoza) October 5, 2024
It remains unknown if the Miss Cosmo 2024 tilt will be Manalo’s final foray into pageantry. Before the newly minted pageant, she was named the first runner-up of Miss International in 2018.