Miss Cosmo exec reacts after Ahtisa Manalo recalls ‘worst’ pageant experience

The communication director of Miss Cosmo pageant appeared to respond to Ahtisa Manalo‘s recent interview, in which the beauty queen spoke about a stage accident during a competition she joined in 2024, describing it as her “worst” pageant experience. 

Although he did not specifically name Manalo or mention the interview, Jay Luu, head of marketing and communications of the Miss Cosmo International organization, took to his Instagram Story to reflect on the way the incident was seemingly discussed.

“Turning an accident into a joke doesn’t make you brave. It only proves how small your perspective is. Yes, there was an accident during the stage construction last year. That is a fact! But here is the full fact you conveniently ignore: within 48 hours, a second stage was built, and a completely new, large-scale stage was delivered for the Grand Finale,” he wrote. 

Luu emphasized that the “mockery” is not the way to recall the incident, as the organization does not deny failure but takes responsibility and moves forward from it. 

“If you want to speak the truth, speak all of it, not the part that feeds your mockery, while erasing your own failures from the conversation. Mocking someone else’s setback is easy when you’ve never built anything that carries real risk, real pressure, or real responsibility,” expressed the executive. 

“Failure is not something we deny; we carry it, fix it, and move forward. But clinging to the past, replaying it as a joke, only proves one thing: you stopped growing the moment it happened. We accept failure to rise, and we let go to become better. So laugh if you want. We will keep building, and results, as always, speak louder than noise,” he concluded the post. 

The statement came after Manalo, in an interview with Vice Ganda that aired on YouTube on Dec. 21, shared details of what she called her “worst” pageant experience. Although she did not directly name the pageant, the comedian identified it as Miss Cosmo, the inaugural edition of which was held in Vietnam on Oct. 5, 2024. 

Manalo represented the Philippines in the first edition of Miss Cosmo in 2024 and finished in the Top 10. Without mentioning the name of the pageant organization, she recalled that the stage collapsed during rehearsals, causing her to suffer a sprained ankle. 

“Biglang gumuho ‘yung stage. Na-sprain ako. Nagkaroon ng fluid ‘yung bone marrow or something. Di ako nakalakad. Tas nag-wheelchair ako for a while. Tas lumaban ako ng prelims tsaka finals na masakit yung ankles ko. As in halos di ako makalakad,” the beauty queen recalled. 

(The stage suddenly collapsed. I sprained my ankle. There was fluid in my bone marrow or something. I couldn’t walk. Then I was in a wheelchair for a while. After competing in the prelims and finals, my ankles hurt. As it turned out, I could barely walk.) 

“Para siyang ‘Final Destination’ kasi basta na lang bumabagsak yung scaffolding, ganun. As in. I don’t know why no one… Pero may mga pictures. Tas sabi ng mga tao, nag-iinarte daw ako,” she added. 

(It’s like ‘Final Destination’ because the scaffolding just falls down, like that. As in. I don’t know why no one… But there are pictures. And people say I’m just acting.) 

Manalo recently represented the Philippines in the controversial Miss Universe 2025, where she finished third runner-up. /edv