SEVEN years ago, when the UAAP crowd first heard of the University of Santo Tomas' battlecry 'Ibalik ang Korona sa España', the voice behind the mic was none other than its Season 79 courtside reporter, Angelique Manto.
From then to now, that spiel continued to fuel movation to the collegiate scene's biggest sea of yellow. For Manto the battlecry takes on a whole new meaning as she enters a new chapter in her life, making waves in the pageant scene.
The 26-year-old host and content creator has emerged as one of the dark horses in the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) 2023 - thanks to her eloquence and confidence built from her days as a UAAP courtside reporter.
"As a courtside reporter, you have to be very flexible and adaptable to certain situations that you really don't plan," the Pampanga representative shared during MUPH's official press presentation in Taguig.
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"You don't know if you're gonna get hit by a ball or if a player from your team is injured and you have to run back to the dugout and make a report out of it. I feel like that value, I was able to translate it here in MUPH."
Manto served as UST's courtside correspondent in UAAP Seasons 78 and 79, covering basketball, volleyball, and cheerdance. She was also included in the NCAA Season 94 roster of courtside reporters.
Since graduating from her courtside duties, she has worked as a host, model and content creator before joining Miss Universe Philippines.
"As candidates, we don't only represent ourselves but also show the way we adapt to situations that we are faced with because the schedules could be erratic. Tomorrow might be a different thing from what we planned and so I have to [adapt and be flexible] and become relatable as well," she shared.
Her journey to the MUPH crown has been receiving a boost from sports fans who have been rallying behind Manto on social media.
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Manto is grateful for the support.
"I'm really honored because I feel like I am able to show them my heart while I was a courtside reporter the way I was rooting for the teams I reported for especially my babies, the Tigresses," said Manto, who earned her Communication Arts degree in UST.
"I feel like the support is stemming from [my courtside days]. In whatever I do, I pour my heart into it so I'm really flattered that they're seeing that in me as well in my MUPH journey."
Many pageant fans and enthusiasts believe Manto has what it takes to bring the crown back to the Philippines, after previous winner Celeste Cortesi failed to make it to the Top 16 in 2022, ending the 12-year placement streak of Pinay beauties in the most prestigious beauty pageant in the world.
Aside from her wit and intelligence, Manto has been serving looks as well.
She was included in the Top 5 of the Photoshoot Challenge - the first of the few challenges enroute to the MUPH crown. Her entry for the swimsuit challenge has also gained over 24,000 reactions as of this writing - the fourth most liked on Facebook out of 38 candidates.
But more than the glamour, Manto has been actively advocating for mental health. She has been working with non-government organizations since the pandemic to raise awareness.
The next Miss Universe Philippines who will represent the country in El Salvador will be named in the coronation night on May 13 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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