The Hesitant Beauty Queen

When asked if she had always wanted to be a beauty queen, she confessed that she initially wanted to be a police officer. Admittedly, she joked that it’s hard to imagine herself clad in a blue uniform with a gun on her hip.

“I just wanted to become one of Charlie’s Angels, to be honest,” she said, adding that she applied for the Philippine National Police Academy, but backed out when her family disapproved.

So how did her dream switch from being a police officer to a beauty queen? Ahtisa states that she was actually just “heavily encouraged” by her friends and family to participate in a university pageant. Looking at her distinct mestiza features, it’s not hard to miss why.

It turns out, Swedish, Finnish, and Filipino genes mix very well together. The 5’9” beauty queen found herself joining her province’s local pageant, where she was crowned Queen of Niyogniyogan. She then participated in national pageants including Reyna ng Aliwan (Queen of Festivals.)

Since her pageant career started, there’s absolutely no denying that her doll-like features fit perfectly with Japanese-based pageant Miss International, where she ultimately placed 1st runner up.

In this interview, the shy beauty queen shares her celebrated journey to the pageant world.

Just like other Southeast Asian nations, the Philippines love beauty pageants. Why do you think Filipinos love pageants very much?

“I think it’s because of our culture. We were colonized by Spain for 333 years, and Spain used to hold pageants before to see who looked like saints and the Virgin Mary. That’s where it all began. Although that element has been removed, there’s no denying that beauty competitions have become ingrained to our culture.

Do you think it’s also because Filipinos love entertainment so much?

“Oh, yes. That’s true. In a third world country like ours where life is hard, people always love to look at ways to be entertained. Let’s not forget that beauty pageants are also lively shows filled with lights, music, and a lot of fun.”

While there are people who love pageantry, there are also ones who think it’s only based on appearance. What’s your take on that?

“People who say those things actually don’t know what goes behind the scenes. All they see is the glamorous night where a girl in a beautiful gown goes home with a crown on her head. Pageants are actually hard work. We have to make a lot of effort to get to the stage. In my case, I trained with Aces & Queens (a pageant camp) for two years. During that time, I learned how to do my own makeup, make an impression on stage, and style myself.”

Let’s also not forget that beauty queens have now gone way beyond the usual stereotype where they simply act as mannequins and poster girls. Now, the queens are becoming more focused and advocacy-driven.”