AHTISA MANALO 'FALLS THEN RISES'

SHE'S "OK." NEWLY CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES (MUPH) 2025 MARIA AHTISA MANALO ASSURED EVERYONE SHE WAS UNHARMED — AT LEAST, AS OF THE POST-EVENT INTERVIEW — AFTER STUMBLING ON STAGE DURING THE EVENING GOWN SEGMENT AT THE JUST-CONCLUDED PAGEANT HELD FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE SM MALL OF ASIA ARENA.

- By CHARMIE JOY PAGULONG

Looking truly sophisticated in a pink gown by Val Taguba, the titleholder representing Quezon Province was asked if she was hurt following the fall. "I don't think so. Not right now," she told the press in an interview, shortly after the coronation event.

She was also queried if she's injured and she said, "I don't know. I think I still have that adrenaline. I don't know kung kamusta yung paa ko but laban lang. Haha!"

Ahtisa, a heavy crowd favorite from the start, furthered, "I got caught in my dress and then after I fell down, all I wanted was to get back up." She added that she didn't entertain the thought that the fall would affect the results and all she wanted was to immediately recover from the incident and move on.

And she did, slaying and nailing down the competition all the way to the question-and-answer portion where she even mentioned the fall.

She was asked, "They say that a good leader leads by example. Tell us about one event in your life when you led by example and the impact it made?"

The 27-year-old delivered a very personal response, drawing something positive from what happened to her earlier. "I fell a while ago on stage. The thing with me is, whenever I fall in life, I always make sure I come back stronger," she said.