Philippine bet Ahtisa Manalo captivated the Miss Universe crowd on Wednesday as Queen of Filipino festivals, resplendent for the national costume competition in an embroidered, bell-sleeved piña camisa and a vibrant saya bearing thousands of petals arranged in a star-lantern pattern.

“Representing the Philippines, she embodies the splendor of the nation’s grand celebrations—the festival queens who dazzle with beauty, grace, and cultural pride. Her costume is a living canvas of Filipino artistry and tradition,” Miss Universe Philippines said in a statement.

The pageant body said the silhouette of Ahtisa’s national costume evokes the “virtuous, modest, and dignified” Maria Clara of the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere.”

The camisa is hand-crafted piña, woven from the fibers of pineapple leaves—a testament to Filipino ingenuity and heritage and adored for its rarity and luster. It is embroidered with palay or rice, symbolizing abundance and bayanihan, said the pageant body.

“Complimenting it is a magnificent skirt, fashioned from dyed fabric adorned with hand-cut, die-cut, and heat-pressed petals, more than 65,000 petals—each meticulously sewn one by one,” the costume guide read.

The skirt’s pattern takes after the kaleidoscope star lanterns that light up the Giant Lantern Festival of Pampanga, while it borrows its brilliant green, yellow, orange, pink, and red hues from the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban. Its texture emulates the floats bedecked with blossoms in Baguio’s Panagbenga Festivals.

Ahtisa holds an abanico or fan, a must for a traje de mestiza ensemble (mixes Spanish and Filipino influences, also known as the Maria Clara gown), which was used in the social setting as a conveyor of a “secret social and courtship language.” The beauty queen is also crowned with a halo-like peineta, which sits above a lovely coiffure embellished with gold accessories.

“The Philippines is a nation of fiestas, where every town and barrio bursts with celebration—from bountiful harvests to the joyous Christmas season. This costume captures that spirit, turning history, tradition, and festivity into a single vision,” Miss Universe PH said.

The 74th Miss Universe coronation night will be held on November 21 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, Thailand.