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The Philippines has found a new queen in Chelsea Anne Manalo of Bulacan, who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2024 during the grand coronation night on Wednesday, May 22, beating 52 other delegates and the first ever half-Black to win the title.
Dubbed “Bulacan Barbie,” the 24-year-old was born and raised in Meycauyan City to a Black American father and a Filipino mother, who divorced in 2000. After the divorce, her mother married a Filipino. She has been joining beauty pageants since high school and has also been modeling since she was 14 years old and has landed covers in magazines such as Mega.
In 2017, Manalo participated in Miss World Philippines, finishing in the top 15. She graduated with a tourism degree in college, and aside from pageantry, she developed a greater passion for music and dancing. In her journey as a pageant competitor, one of her advocacies is championing the cause of indigenous youth education.
According to her Miss Universe Philippines profile, she is a dedicated advocate of youth empowerment, focusing on children’s education, especially among indigenous communities. Her advocacy aims to provide educational opportunities for indigenous youth and unlock their full potential.
Manalo worked closely with Kids for Kids, a youth-led organization founded in 2015 that aims to create a safe space for children. This initiative intends to empower and educate the youth to be the catalysts of change in their respective communities. She also advocates the welfare of the Dumagat people of Norzagaray, Bulacan.
The Filipino-American beauty queen also promotes body positivity, as she openly communicated that she was bullied for her physical appearance, specifically her skin color, which took a great toll on her insecurity. As a beauty queen, she uses her experiences to uplift those who are suffering from cruel beauty standards and to inspire them to embrace themselves as they are.
Standing 5’7 tall, when Manalo is not channeling her beauty queen self, she is a loving fur parent to her shih tzu, a basset hound, pomchi dogs, and love birds. She also said that she has a huge fascination with food, which is why she doesn’t follow a diet but is a big advocate of consuming a lot of water.
The Bulakeña beauty also mentioned in one of her Instagram Q&As that she never imagined that she would be a model but rather dreamed of being a car racer instead. But over the years, she learned to love and thrive at what she does best: pageantry and modeling.
Manalo is set to represent the Philippines in the upcoming Miss Universe 2024, which will be held in Mexico sometime this year.