After Philippine bet Ahtisa Manalo finished as third runner-up in Miss Universe 2025, many Filipinos turned to a familiar source of comfort: Catriona Gray’s iconic 2018 win.
READ: Ahtisa Manalo finishes as 3rd runner-up at Miss Universe 2025
On social media and in pageant fan circles, the replay of Catriona’s “lava walk” and her crowning moment has become a kind of collective therapy.
Many netizens jokingly called the replay of Catriona’s performance their “coping mechanism” to deal with the disappointment of Ahtisa not winning the crown.
“GAGAWIN NA NAMAN NATING COPING MECHANISM SI CATRIONA,” an X user wrote.
“Renewed na naman for another year yung title ni Catriona Gray as National Coping Mechanism,” another commented.
“Catriona, pasensya ka magiging coping mechanism ka na naman..” one commented.
This isn’t the first time fans turned to Catriona for comfort. After last year’s Top 12 finish of Chelsea Manalo, Filipinos similarly rewatched Catriona’s Miss Universe 2018 performance as a source of inspiration and pride.
READ: Pinoy pageant fans rewatch Catriona Gray’s Miss Universe 2018 performance after Top 12 result
Fast-forward to 2025: when Ahtisa placed third runner-up, that same replay ritual picked up steam again, with social media feeds across X, Facebook, and Reddit were flooded with clips of Catriona’s iconic lava walk, her national costume performance, and her emotional crowning moment, reminders of a time when the Philippines celebrated a global victory.
CATRIONA GO NA. RARAMPA KA NA. MAG MADALI KA MHIE #AhtisaManalo #MissUniverse2025 #MissUniverse #Philippines pic.twitter.com/hGe9fQKo0g
— Aries (@_buenosaries) November 21, 2025
Miss Universe Philippines Ahtisa and Cote d’Ivoire Olivia deserve better. 🇵🇭🇨🇮
And for that, here’s Catriona our coping mechanism since 2018👑🔥#MissUniverse2025 pic.twitter.com/AV5qNvqvyu
— jayjuyeon 🎸 (@jayjuyeon) November 21, 2025
Catriona our coping mechanism 😭😭😭💔💔💔 https://t.co/O1iZafK1za
— tini 𓂃 𓈒𓏸 (@0PALITEPALACES) November 21, 2025
Congrats, Catriona Gray!
(Coping mechanism) pic.twitter.com/aliqIySAgs— February, March, April, May, June, July, August (@mingyucupcake) November 21, 2025
On Thursday, November 20, Catriona said she might “take a rest” this year, expressing confidence in her pageant sister Ahtisa’s chances of winning.
READ: ‘Baka magpahinga ako’: Catriona Gray backs ‘bunso’ Ahtisa Manalo at Miss Universe 2025
However, Ahtisa was ultimately bested by Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025.
READ: Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández crowned Miss Universe 2025
Several Filipinos who were rooting for Ahtisa, as well as Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yacé, were baffled by the final results.
READ: ‘Miss Nireverse?’: Miss Universe 2025 results baffle Pinoys
Olivia finished as fourth runner-up, followed by Ahtisa as third runner-up, Venezuela’s Stephany Adriana Abasali Nasser as second runner-up, and Thailand’s Praveenar Singh as first runner-up.
