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(From left) Chelsea Manalo and Beatrice Luigi Gomez. Images: Facebook/Miss Universe Philippines, Instagram/@pioneerxstudios When Chelsea Manalo ‘s name was called as the winner of the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, she made history as the first woman of African descent to win the prestigious national pageant. But her victory came as a surprise to many.

The dusky beauty from Bulacan was who pageant observers would call a “silent killer,” or a “dark horse,” owing to her quiet but lethal approach, as against the fanfare that is attached to the performance of frontrunners and veterans. Now this doesn’t mean Manalo didn’t have a shot at winning the crown before the national tilt. She was ranked 10th and fourth in the final hot picks of pageant analysts Missosology and Sash Factor, respectively.



Many fans, however, banked on the frontrunners Ahtisa Manalo, Stacey Gabriel, Christi McGarry, Victoria Velasquez Vincent, Kris Tiffany Janson, and Alexie Brooks to win the title. With her quiet poise, Manalo provided the “plot twist” to become the unexpected winner in the pageant. Her victory is a reminder that the results of the pageant will not always sway toward the heavy favorites or frontrunners’ favor.

After all, no one can predict a queen’s destiny because there are always the “silent killers” or “dark horses” who would change the game — and bring home the crown. Check out below Manalo’s back story, as well as other so-called “dark horses.

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