Chelsea Manalo on "Dilang Anghel" and Manifesting MUPH 2024

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 askse 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. “Growing up, I really didn’t like it when people say, ‘Oh, you’re beautiful.’ Because I never even saw myself [as] beautiful,” she says. She credits her perception of beauty to her parents, who have always affirmed and supported her. “When I was a little girl, when I [would] go to school, I [didn’t] like combing my own hair. So it is my dad who would brush my hair,” she shares, smiling at the memory.

As a little girl, she also watched America’s Next Top Model, where she found inspiration in Tyra Banks. “Ms. Tyra Banks isn’t just a woman of beauty of her own, pero because she has a really beautiful energy, wisdom, that she imprints and tells other people,” she says. “As a very young girl who watches that only on TV, [she] had inspired me, or also [made me see] the beauty in myself.”

Beyond beauty, her compassion for others was also fostered at a young age. With her parents and godmother, she would visit orphanages in Bulacan and help support out-of-school children. As an only child, she felt right at home with other kids. “I like seeing them happy, celebrating special occasions such as birthdays with them,” she says. It is an advocacy that she carried throughout her life, and as she wears the crown, her advocacies have also extended to indigenous communities.

“I found out about the IPs in Norzagaray, Bulacan,” she says, sharing how she felt when she first encountered the community. “I hope that in just my influence and my advocacy, this biggest platform with Miss Universe Philippines, I can somehow help them in any way I can.”

A simple act is all that it takes to make a difference; she encourages others to take the time to visit, learn from communities, and support their dreams. “Just one person can just be there for one kid or for any person. If you believe in them, it will go a long way.”

For her, prayers go a long way, too. In aspects of life, advocacy, and career, she holds onto her faith. “No matter where you are in life, if challenges come to you, you just pray. There is nothing wrong in believing in miracles,” she says. As she prepares for the 2024 Miss Universe pageant, perhaps her prayers will be heard again.