Through Vogue Spotlight , Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo sheds light on her perspectives on pageantry, beauty, faith, and her advocacies. Every year before her birthday, Chelsea Manalo prays that it won’t rain. And every year, it never does.
“Are you familiar with dilang anghel ?” she says with a giggle. Dilang anghel translates to “angel’s tongue”; it’s a Filipino term for when one’s spoken wishes come true, and it seems that she has a gift for it. On the night of the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines competition, only one thing was running through her mind: “Lord, ako na lang [Lord, let it be me],” she says.
To others, it may seem like a long shot for Chelsea to take the crown home. The 24-year-old model and pageant queen faced several challenges while preparing for the competition, namely, getting enough financial support to pursue the pageant. Still, she was dubbed a dark horse in the competition and praised for her walk, beauty, and advocacy against discrimination and bullying.
“The journey was really tough,” she says. Nevertheless, she persisted. Dilang anghel , indeed.
Against all odds, Chelsea was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2024 . “It was a dream that I always had to fight for,” she says. There’s more to her victory than the title; she is also the first Afro-Filipina to win it, a historical feat in a country where beauty standards have been long defined by Eurocentric features.
Her confidence was also hard-won. “Growi.