Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo offers win to parents

Dyan Castillejo

ABS-CBN News

<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3042761"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><p>MANILA -- Chelsea Manalo shed tears of joy with her mother Contessa as they hugged onstage after the 24-year-old Filipino-American beauty won the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 crown.</p><p>&quot;I feel so happy. Thank you so much to all those who believed in me. I love you mom, I love you dad. This is not just for me but for you. And all the people who supported me, I will do great. We will do good. I&#x27;m so excited to go to Mexico,&quot; <span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Manalo said. </span></p><p>Manalo bested 52 other candidates in what was called one of the fiercest competitions of Miss Universe Philippines.  </p><p>&quot;The secret is to embrace yourself, to know who you are. You can really go far when it comes to beauty pageants, I know it was a tough battle for all of us. It&#x27;s been 4 months... When I was performing on that stage, I was looking at my younger self. This has been my dream since I was a child. And I did it for the people who supported me, like my parents,&quot; she said.</p><div><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/5/22/bulacan-s-chelsea-manalo-to-represent-ph-at-miss-universe-2024-2113" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bulacan&#x27;s Chelsea Manalo to represent PH at Miss Universe 2024</a></span></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7R5OMMy9jp/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=675&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A9557751.4%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="702" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Manalo</span> biological father is an American. </p><p>She grew up with her mom and stepdad in Bulacan, but she has met her father who recently passed away.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m half American, half Filipino. My biological dad I did see him when I was in the states before. My mom remarried. I grew up with my dad who treated me as his own. My biological dad passed away a few years ago,&quot; <span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Manalo</span> added.</p><p>Her mom told the beauty queen, &quot;You deserve it. [I am] so proud of you. You&#x27;ve achieved your longtime dream we love you so much.&quot; </p><p>Contessa had encouraged her daughter&#x27;s childhood dream of joining pageants.</p><p>&quot;When she was young, she was bullied. I encouraged her by telling her you are beautiful,&quot; <span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Contessa said. </span></p><div><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/5/22/transcript-how-miss-universe-ph-2024-top-5-battled-in-q-a-125">TRANSCRIPT: How Miss Universe PH 2024 Top 5 battled in Q&amp;A</a></span></div><p><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Manalo</span> shared her motivation to join Miss Universe Philippines, saying: &quot;I thought when I was younger I wanted to join Miss Philippines because I wanted to look my best. But when it comes to joining, you grow more. You become more empowered.&quot;</p><p>&quot;There is an advocacy to it. For me it&#x27;s to push indigenous education,&quot; she said. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/5/22/ahtisa-manalo-iloilo-s-alexie-brooks-get-crowns-too-157">Ahtisa Manalo is Miss Cosmo Philippines 2024; Iloilo&#x27;s Alexie Brooks is Miss Eco International PH 2025</a> <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/5/22/baguio-s-bet-is-miss-supranational-ph-2025-pampanga-candidate-gets-miss-charm-ph-2025-139"></a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/5/22/baguio-s-bet-is-miss-supranational-ph-2025-pampanga-candidate-gets-miss-charm-ph-2025-139">Baguio&#x27;s bet is Miss Supranational PH 2025; Pampanga candidate gets Miss Charm PH 2025</a><br/><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TujFgMYKHWs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vvgm0jyjHf8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2963829"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2964699"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><br/></div>

<p>Chelsea Manalo shed tears of joy with her mother Contessa as they hugged onstage after the 24-year-old Filipino-American beauty won the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 crown.</p>

Chelsea Manalo shed tears of joy with her mother Contessa as they hugged onstage after the 24-year-old Filipino-American beauty won the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 crown.

Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo offers win to parents | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

Lifestyle

Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo offers win to parents

Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo offers win to parents

Dyan Castillejo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 23, 2024 11:08 AM PHT

|

Updated May 23, 2024 11:41 AM PHT

Read More:

Miss Universe Philippines 2024

Chelsea Manalo

Contessa Manalo

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.