Miss Universe Philippines titleholder Ahtisa Manalo is using her voice to raise awareness on women’s health and inspire others, as she recently opened up about her personal journey with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
In an interview with Jonah Sison-Ramos, founder and CEO of New Moon PH, Ahtisa shared that she was diagnosed with PCOS at 21 years old where at the time the topic of hormonal imbalance and menstruation was still considered taboo.
“I think I found out I had PCOS mga siguro 21 na ’ko because it’s not a topic that people usually talk about, and honestly, I think for a while it was taboo to even speak about your period or your menstruation, especially with the things that come with it. For me, I always had painful periods and I thought it was normal,” Ahtisa said.
Just like other women, Ahtisa initially dismissed her condition, thinking that her symptoms were part of the usual experience.
“For a very long time, I didn’t do anything about it because I didn’t know what to do because there were no medications or supplements available yet back then. You’re just stuck with warm compress and everything. You’re just stuck suffering every month really,” she added.
Beyond experiencing physical discomfort, the beauty queen also spoke about how PCOS affected her weight and emotional well-being which also impacted her line of work.
“Apart from the pain, it’s for me the weight fluctuation. That’s one thing that I struggle with because for my job, I have to maintain a certain kind of physique and sometimes hormonal changes. Sometimes when you try to say lose a little bit of weight ’cause you think you’re gaining weight, it’s hard. It’s not as calculated and easy to do because your hormones fluctuate, you just cannot do anything about it,” she said.
Fortunately, Ahtisa was able to share her experiences and encourage other Filipinas to open up more about their health during her Miss Universe Philippines journey last year.
“Honestly, it was when (New Moon PH) became a sponsor in Miss Universe (that made me open up about PCOS). Because it was the perfect opportunity for anyone to talk about it. Because no one goes in, like a lunch or a coffee date that ‘Do you have PCOS?’ Wala namang gano’n normally,” she said.
Credits: New Moon PH
Just before she is set to crown the next Miss Universe Philippines 2026, Ahtisa was announced as the ambassador of the wellness brand New Moon PH campaign for their Power Duo+ products.
In a press release, the beauty queen said that the partnership enables her to utilize her platform to “start conversations about women’s hormonal health,” encouraging more Filipinas to be open and informative when it comes to their health and well-being.