It wasn’t the glitter that made the night unforgettable—it was the breath right after her name was called. Inside Manila’s Mall of Asia Arena on May 2, 2025, a brief hush fell before the cheers broke like a wave: Maria Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province had just been crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2025. The moment felt earned, not handed—years in the making, layered with almosts and one very public stumble that she turned into a lesson in poise.
Early life and roots
Ahtisa was born May 25, 1997, in Candelaria, Quezon—28 years old in 2025. Her family story threads several cultures: a Filipino-Spanish mother, a Finnish-Swedish father, and a childhood largely anchored by her grandmother’s care. Before the sashes, she took a practical path, studying accountancy at the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation. It’s the kind of detail that rarely trends but explains her grounded, methodical way of moving through a very loud world. Wikipedia
The long road to the crown
Her ascent wasn’t a straight line. In 2018, she won Binibining Pilipinas International and later finished 1st runner-up at Miss International—a global near-miss that put her on the map. In 2024, she came back for Miss Universe Philippines and took 2nd runner-up; a year later, with a calmer center and clearer voice, she took the national crown. The arc matters because it reveals an athlete’s mentality in evening gowns: refine, return, finish. Wikipedia
The viral stumble—and the recovery
About that 2025 finals night—yes, she slipped in the evening-gown segment. What people remember, though, is what happened next: she stood, steadied, and owned the rest of her walk. If pageantry is performance under pressure, that was the tell. And later that same night, the crown.
Where she is now
Born in 1997, she’s 28—old enough to have perspective, young enough to be hungry. The crown sends her to Miss Universe 2025 and into the familiar Philippine pageant spotlight that can feel like a team sport—fans dissecting walks, gowns, interviews in the same breath as sports commentary. She slots into that lineage with a story that’s more climb than fairytale.
Husband? Boyfriend? What’s true
There is no credible record that Ahtisa is married. After winning in 2025, she said in an interview that she is single—“I’m waiting; I don’t look for it.” That’s the on-the-record present. Before that, in September 2024, she publicly introduced her then-boyfriend Marco Suarez during her Miss Cosmo Philippines send-off. Local entertainment outlets covered the “boyfriend reveal” and quoted him cheering her on. It was sweet, very public—and, importantly, last year. The 2025 interviews indicate that chapter has since closed, which is why you’ll see headlines now stressing that she’s focused on work and not currently in a relationship. So, the accurate snapshot is: no husband; previously linked to Marco Suarez; currently single. PEP.ph Inquirer Entertainment GMA Network
Purpose beyond the pageant
Pageants were first a means, not a dream—she started very young, sometimes to help with school needs. That pragmatism never really left. The way she talks about her 2025 run cites a mindset shift: letting go of overthinking, staying present, and using that on-stage fall as a story of recovery rather than a mark against her. It’s why the win didn’t feel lucky; it felt like the natural end to a recalibrated plan.
The resume under the sparkle
Alongside crowns, there’s the quiet spreadsheet of her life: an accounting education, a calm interview cadence, and a measured view of fame as a visa—permission to enter rooms where she can lend her name to causes and communities. That framing is why her energy reads more “working queen” than “fairytale princess,” even in the afterglow of a national title. Wikipedia
At a glance
- Crown: Miss Universe Philippines 2025 (MOA Arena, May 2)
- Age: 28 (born May 25, 1997)
- Origins: Candelaria, Quezon; multicultural heritage; raised by grandmother
- Education: Accountancy, Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation
- Past titles: Bb. Pilipinas International 2018; Miss International 2018 1st runner-up; MUPH 2024 2nd runner-up
- Viral moment: Slipped, then recovered, at MUPH 2025 evening gown
- Love life (verified): Previously introduced Marco Suarez as boyfriend (Sept 2024); currently single (as of May 2025)
The human of it
If you’re reading for the human of it, not just the headlines, here’s the center: Ahtisa’s story feels honest because the edges aren’t sanded down. There’s a grandmother who made gentleness a rule. There’s an absent father whose name lives in hers. There’s a practical degree that doesn’t photograph well but keeps her grounded. There’s a fall in front of thousands that turned into a plot twist, not a period. And there’s a woman who can say, without flinching, that work comes first right now—that love will have to meet her where she is, not the other way around.
Bottom line people actually search for
- Husband’s name? None—she is not married.
- Boyfriend’s name? Marco Suarez (past relationship, revealed Sept 2024).
- Current status? Single (as of May 2025).
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