A Living Barbie with a Purpose: What You Don't Know About Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Anne Manalo
Chelsea Anne Manalo of Bulacan made herstory when she became the first Filipino-Black American to have been crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2024.
The 24-year-old beauty queen, dubbed the “dark horse” in the pageant, caught the attention of Filipinos for her consistency from the preliminaries to the grand coronation night. Not only did her striking beauty as a woman of color made her stand out, but her wit and character ultimately led her to winning the highly coveted title.
“As a woman of color, I have always faced challenges in my life,” Manalo started when asked how she would empower others with her beauty and confidence during the final question-and-answer portion.
“I was told that beauty has standards, actually," she continued. "But for me, I have listened to...my mother — to always believe in yourself, uphold the vows that you have. Because of these, I am already influencing a lot of women who are facing me right now. As a transformational woman, I have here 52 other delegates with me, who have helped me to become the woman I am. Thank you.”
This answer, which led to her beating all other hopefuls from across the country, is why many believe she would best represent the Philippines in this year's global edition of Miss Universe.
Let’s get to know more about this new queen—who succeeded Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee—set to raise the flag in the international pageant scene.
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‘Bulacan Barbie’
A proud Bulakenya, Chelsea Anne Manalo hails from Meycauayan City in Bulacan. She was born on October 14, 1999 to a black American father and a Filipino mother, who divorced in 2000. Manalo's mother later remarried a Filipino man.
All her life, Manalo has been striving to bring glory and pride to her home province through pageantry. She took up a tourism degree in college, but has continued joining multiple beauty pageants. She has also modeled for various magazine brands and advertisements—including Preview, published by Summit Media—since she was 14 years old.
In 2017, Manalo made her mark in the industry by finishing in the top 15 of Miss World Philippines. This was her big break before she eventually became Miss Universe Bulacan 2024, earning the title “Bulacan Barbie.”
Someone who once dreamt of becoming a car racer
What many people might not know is that Manalo actually never thought about entering the modeling scene. Rather, she saw herself more as a car racer. Modeling just grew on her over time; and Manalo was lucky enough to have very supportive parents throughout her journey of finding what she wants to do.
“They have supported me in everything I want. They never told me not to chase my dreams," she said in one of her interviews. "They [are] with me ever since the beginning.”
Outside pageantry, Manalo wears many other hats, sharing her love for music and dancing. She is a fur-mom to her several dogs and love birds, too.
When Manalo is neither of those two, she's most likely channeling the "island girl" in her. She likes spending time at the beach, and scuba diving is among other things she wants to tick off her bucket list someday.
Fun (and food) loving
Diet is apparently not included in Manalo's vocabulary. The Gen Z beauty queen is a foodie who doesn't care much about whether she is sticking to any specific meal plan. For her, what's important is to drink lots of water to stay healthy.
And if there's one more thing Manalo wants people to know about her, it's her outgoing personality. She points out how a lot of people tend to see her—a Libra—as an introvert "because of how she looks physically," when, in reality, she likes to "have fun and dance around."
An advocate for youth empowerment, body positivity
Perhaps another thing that makes the Filipino-American beauty shine is her dedication to creating safe spaces for people who share the same experiences as her: her fellow youth, as well as those who fall victim to bullying for their physical appearances.
Manalo, who works closely with youth-led organization Kids for Kids, is passionate about bringing education closer to children, especially those in indigenous communities, and inspiring them to become “catalysts of change” in their own little ways. She also advocates for the welfare of the Dumagat people of Norzagaray, Bulacan.
The half-black Filipina also promotes body positivity, as she herself was a victim of bullying, mainly because of her skin color. In her Her Story video for Miss Universe Philippines, she shared how her family and friends were her "backbone" through those difficult times, making her realize how beautiful she is "in her own extraordinary way." She also opened up about how she draws strength from her mother.
"[She] inspired me to believe in myself; that no one will know who you are if you yourself don't know what you want and aspire to be," she said.
Rising from what used to be her insecurities, Manalo hopes she can inspire others to do the same — go up against society’s beauty standards and learn to appreciate themselves as they are. And her winning answer was clear proof of this.
Miss Universe 2024, where the new Philippines' bet will be vying for the crown, happens later this year in Mexico.
If Manalo gets to bring home the title, she will become the fifth Filipina Miss Universe after Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).
