How do you define beauty? For Chelsea Manalo, physical appearance is only the tip of the iceberg—true beauty is anchored on a sense of purpose and finding contentment in your own skin. For her first shoot with Vogue Philippines, Chelsea Manalo strides into the studio with an ease in her step, intentionally greeting each person in the room with a smile. What many loved about her on-screen were the same traits she brought into every interaction: poise, humility, and an effortless confidence.
When the 24-year-old beauty queen was crowned Miss Universe Philippines on May 22, she made history as the first Black Filipino woman to earn the title. Her win marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing shift of beauty standards in the Philippines , a statement against the country’s long-standing preference for Eurocentric features. Growing up amidst these rigid standards was particularly difficult for Manalo.
As a young girl, her Afro-Filipino features—a head full of curls and a dark complexion—stood out in a social landscape that then prized fair skin and pin-straight hair. In the early 2000s in particular, Filipino beauty saw a surge in skin-lightening products and hair rebonding services . Between this and the occasional name-calling from peers and adults alike, Manalo admits that it took time for her to believe when others called her beautiful.
Prior to pageantry, she struggled heavily with “thoughts of not being wanted because of my race and ethnicity.” A shift in mindset cam.