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Ahtisa Manalo on finishing 1st runner-up in Miss International: 'Maybe I have a different destiny'
Miss International 1st runner-up Ahtisa Manalo said she thinks she didn't win the main crown because she may have a "different destiny."
At her homecoming press conference in Novotel, Quezon City on Monday, Ahtisa told reporters she believes it is Miss Venenzuela Mariem Velazco's destiny to be crowned as the new Miss International queen.
"I think it's really her destiny. Everyone of us, all of us 77 girls, we worked hard for it, we prepared for it. Of course she worked hard for it also and we also wanted the crown but it's her destiny. Maybe I have a different destiny," Ahtisa said.
She said meeting other women from all over the country is a life-changing experience.
"I think every day is a moment I really treasure. It's really a life-changing experience — you get to meet 76 other girls from different countries with different cultures, different norms, different beliefs. It's a very interesting experience," she said.
But as someone who dreams of starting a business one day, Ahtisa considers meeting the 10 ministers of Japan to be her most memorable moment.
"The most memorable for me is the day after we won cause we got to visit the ministers of Japan. I think we visited 10 ministers of Japan I think that's one of the most memorable for someone like me, who wants to become a businesswoman. I got to connect with these powerful people," Ahtisa said.
Ahtisa said all of the five Miss International queens have been invited to go back to Japan next year, not just for a project but to attend the Snow Festival in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Miss Colombia Anabella Castro Sierra was named 4th runner-up, while Miss Romania Bianca Tirsin was named 3rd runner-up. The 2nd runner-up is Reabetswe Sechoaro of South Africa. — LA, GMA News
