In recent days, the international beauty community has been abuzz with news that Miss Universe Organization President Raul Rocha is considering “selling” the Miss Universe contest.
According to the source, Mr. Rocha was “fed up” with a series of controversies, pressures and scandals surrounding the contest in recent times. This is a shocking move because Miss Universe is one of the most influential beauty brands in the world.
The reason Raul Rocha considered leaving the contest stemmed from a series of controversies. Some members who were invited to be judges accused Miss Universe of a lack of transparency, claiming that the results – especially the victory of the new Miss Fatima Bosc
Not only that, some contestants and members of the jury have also withdrawn or publicly expressed their dissatisfaction, further deepening doubts about the judging process. These opinions have severely affected the image of Miss Universe – which is considered serious and professional -. Facing the increasingly strong wave of protests, Raul Rocha is said to be increasingly tired of media pressure, criticism from the audience and internal turmoil.
The source said that the President of the Miss Universe Organization has said frankly that he is “tired of all this” and no longer wants to continue to be the owner. In the context of Miss Universe facing many storms, the news that the pageant is likely to change ownership immediately became the center of attention.
In particular, one name that is being mentioned a lot in the transfer deal is Filipino businessman Chavit Singson. Negotiations are said to be ongoing. Businessman Chavit Singson was the main sponsor of Miss Universe in 2016 and 2018, and has a lot of experience organizing large-scale events. Therefore, the possibility of him taking over Miss Universe has many Filipino fans hoping.
While the story of Miss Universe’s change of ownership is still controversial, another piece of information is stirring up the Philippine beauty community: Miss Universe 2025 ‘s third runner-up – Ahtisa Manalo – may participate in Miss World 2026. This rumor is even more noticeable when last year, Miss Universe Thailand’s runner-up Opal also gave up her title to compete in Miss World and then won the crown.
Ahtisa Manalo’s performance at Miss Universe 2025 was one of the most memorable moments of the season. As she walked onto the stage at the finale, millions of Filipinos held their breath watching her every move.
According to Ahtisa Manalo, in a developing country, the stories of beauty queens are always inspirational. That is why Filipinos always have special affection for beauty representatives. At Miss Universe 2025, Manalo excellently entered the top 5 and won the 3rd runner-up position out of 120 contestants.
Her road to the title was not smooth. At the Miss Universe Philippines pageant in May, Manalo tripped during her evening gown performance. “I swear the whole room went silent. I could feel the vibrations of the crowd,” she recalled. However, her calm recovery after the fall earned her an even bigger round of applause.
Since her coronation, Manalo’s schedule has been packed, lasting 12 to 16 hours a day. She shared that the pressure that comes with the title is inevitable, but that is what motivates her: “You have to make the Philippines proud. That pressure comes from the support, from the belief that people have in you.”
