Chelsea Manalo excited to come home after Miss Universe 2024 stint

Miss Universe Asia 2024 Chelsea Manalo. Image: Courtesy of Miss Universe Philippines Organization

Miss Universe-Asia Chelsea Manalo cannot wait to celebrate her victory with the Filipino people more than a month since she left for her fateful international pageant journey.

The tourism management graduate and model from Bulacan is set to return to the country on Monday, Dec. 9, from Los Angeles in the United States where she stayed briefly after the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico.

“I’m excited, and looking forward to being around the whole fans again, being with my friends, with my family in the Philippines, and to celebrate the victory, the history that we have, the title that we have for the Philippines as Miss Universe Asia,” Manalo said.

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She also said that she already misses Filipino food and the country’s weather, as well as the warmth of the people. “Our culture is really different, being Filipino. Now I can feel, and be more proud to say, how Filipinos are, what they always tell about us,” she said.

“In Miss Universe, a lot of girls told me they’ve been to the Philippines, they love the Filipino people, they love our culture. And now I understand why. That is why I miss our weather, our food, and of course, how hospitable we are towards people. I miss those,” Manalo continued.

The Miss Universe title may have gone to Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig, but Manalo posted history for the Philippines as the first-ever recipient of the Miss Universe Asia title. “It’s such an honor, not just for the country, but for me to represent the Philippines. I hope I did everybody proud,” she said.

“It’s always been about giving back to the people. It feels good because more doors have been opened to women who want to pursue pageantry in a different way, that it’s not all about how we look like, but rather our personality, our intentions, our advocacy,” Manalo said of her history-making feats, being the first black woman to represent the Philippines in Miss Universe and snagging the first continental title for Asia in the international pageant.

Manalo said that as Miss Universe-Asia, she will travel with Theilvig and the other continental queens to different countries for a year to promote the organization and its projects.

“If we have projects in different continents as well, we can travel with the other queens. I did hear that we will be traveling to Thailand next year, there’s no month yet, and also in Europe around May or June,” she shared.

Also crowned as continental queens alongside Manalo are Peru’s Tatiana Calmell as Miss Universe Americas, Nigeria’ Chidimma Adetshina as Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, and Finland’s Matilda Wirtavuori as Miss Universe Europe and Middle East.

Manalo also added that she is looking forward to more projects with the Miss Universe Philippines organization when she returns home. “With their advocacy, I’m pretty much excited to work with that as well,” she said.

The national organization will hold a homecoming parade for Manalo before Christmas. She is also expected to appear for a victory press conference, and a string of media guestings upon her arrrival.