Chelsea Manalo, a Filipino American, made history as the first Black woman crowned Miss Universe Philippines on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old, with a Filipino mother and African American father, was widely celebrated on social media for challenging traditional beauty norms in the Philippines.
“Chelsea’s win challenges our ingrained preference for Eurocentric beauty (features) and lighter complexions in our nation,” a user commented on an Instagram post by Miss Universe Philippines. Another user declared, “Filipino beauty standard shattered into pieces.”
Representing Bulacan, a province north of Manila, Manalo triumphed over 52 other contestants in the competition held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
In the final round, Manalo spoke about using her beauty and confidence to inspire others, noting, “As a woman of color, I have always faced challenges… I was told that beauty has standards,” and emphasized the importance of self-belief instilled by her mother.
Manalo will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico this September.
Her win highlights a broader movement towards diversifying beauty ideals in the Philippines, where Western standards have been prominent, influenced by the country’s colonial history. Lighter-skinned individuals often dominate media and advertising, and skin lightening products are common.
Manalo, who started modeling at 14, shared in a YouTube video on Empire Philippines her struggles with insecurities due to bullying about her skin and hair, crediting her friends and family for helping her embrace her unique beauty.
She aims to secure the fifth Miss Universe title for the Philippines, following the victories of Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).
The upcoming Miss Universe 2024 will feature contestants from over 100 countries and will no longer have an upper age limit, previously set at 28.
Recently, the Miss Universe organization has faced criticism, with resignations from Miss USA and Miss Teen USA amid allegations of mismanagement and a toxic work environment.
