Muling pinatunayan ng 20-year-old na si Maria Ahtisa Manalo na nangingibabaw ang gandang Pinay sa katatapos lang na Miss International beauty pageant na ginanap sa Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Japan.
Si Ahtisa ang kinatawan ng Pilipinas na sumubok sungkitin ang ika-pitong korona ng bansa mula sa isa sa mga prestihiyosong beauty pageant.
Bukod sa ipinakitang ganda, ipinamalas din ng Pinay beauty ang kanyang talino sa speech deliberation round ng Miss International.
“Miss International is a celebration of youth and empowerment. I’d always believe that age is not a barrier to reach our dreams or to have an impact on others.
At 15, I started to to help programs in my community for street children. At 19, I graduated college. At 20, I realized that I can speak for good causes to a wider audience-that’s why I joined our national pageant.
If I become Miss International, I would countinue to be the voice of the youth, in showing that nothing is impossible with hard work and determination. And with these beautiful ladies with me tonight, a family of beauty queens, all beautiful young dreamers and achievers.
"We will show the world that it is love, peace and beauty that we truly care about and together, we shall make a difference,” pagbabahagi ni Athisa sa kanyang speech.
Sa huli, itinanghal na first runner-up ang Pinay habang 2018 Miss International naman si Mariem Velazco ng Venezuela.
Samantala, itinanghal naman na second runner-up si Reabetswe Sechoaro ng South Africa, third runner-up si Bianca Tirsin ng Romania at fourth runner-up si Annabella Castro Sierra.