Gov. Tan defends tourism officer in Ahtisa Manalo controversy

By Sentinel Times Team Governor Angelina "Helen" Tan’s public defense of her tourism officer uncovers a multi-layered dispute inv...

By Sentinel Times Team



Governor Angelina "Helen" Tan’s public defense of her tourism officer uncovers a multi-layered dispute involving a beauty queen, alleged high demands, and past political friction. (Quezon PIO)




LUCENA CITY, QUEZON—Responding to widespread online criticism, Quezon Governor Helen Tan has officially addressed the recent viral dispute between her Provincial Tourism Officer, Nestler Almargo, and beauty queen Ahtisa Manalo, clarifying the provincial government's stance on the issue. The governor's strong statement comes as a direct defense of  Almargo, who has been at the center of the social media firestorm sparked by a post from Manalo.

The controversy ignited after Manalo, a native of Candelaria and a former "Queen of the Niyogyugan Festival," posted that she was not invited to this year's event. Her post, which stated, “Though I wasn't invited to join the festival this year, my love for Quezon remains unchanged. Representing us on the Miss Universe stage will always be my greatest honor,” led to a wave of criticism directed at festival organizers, with much of the backlash aimed at Almargo.



In a live statement, Provincial Tourism Officer Almagro directly countered Manalo’s claim, expressing disappointment over her post. "We really invited her for the homecoming, medyo nakakalungkot lang po na nagpost pa siya," Almargo stated. His remarks came in the midst of a heated social media exchange that had already started to go viral.

According to the Quezon Provincial Tourism Office, Ahtisa’s camp was invited as early as May for a formal meeting to discuss her return to the province. While a meeting did occur, Almargo clarified that Manalo’s camp never followed up with the provincial government's office. He also reiterated that the beauty queen could not have been included in the August 19 float parade, as the program was already finalized long before her camp made contact.

During the Niyogyugan Festival, Governor Tan took the opportunity to quell the online firestorm. "We thank our Provincial Tourism Officer, Sir Nestler Almargo. Don't bash him because what's posted is not true. That's all I can say," she said. The governor stressed that the accusations against her official were baseless, adding, "Not to bash him, don't spoil the Niyogyugan Festival because we know the truth. So there's no need to respond."

As the governor’s defense made headlines, unverified reports began to circulate, shedding light on a series of conflicts that may have led to the controversy. One report suggests the provincial government had allocated a generous budget for a homecoming event for Manalo. However, sources claimed negotiations stalled due to what were described as "heavy" demands from her team, which reportedly consisted of 30 people.

The requests allegedly included individual hotel rooms with a strict no-sharing policy, as well as separate provisions for meals, transportation, and talent fees for every team member. Beyond the budget, other reports point to a more complex issue involving scheduling and sponsorships. The governor reportedly wanted to host a separate, exclusive homecoming for Manalo to properly honor her.

However, this proved difficult to schedule during the Niyogyugan Festival, as the program was finalized long in advance. A deeper conflict was also rooted in sponsorship agreements; sources claim that the festival’s organizers were not permitted to feature sponsors associated with Ahtisa’s team—such as Pacific Mall—as this would conflict with the festival’s own brand partners.

Another layer of the dispute, according to sources, dates back to 2024. Reportedly, Governor Tan and Mrs. Emma Suayan, who had contributed to Ahtisa’s franchise fee that year, were disappointed that she did not use local Quezonian talent for her styling and makeup. The sentiment was that since the province had invested in her campaign, her "Pambansang Manika" team should have been composed of homegrown talent to give back to the community.

The provincial government's support in 2025 was said to be less enthusiastic after Manalo reportedly failed to inform Mrs. Suayan of her decision to join the pageant again. This decision came after Ahtisa had formally withdrawn her candidacy for a municipal councilor position, a move that surprised local officials. Had they known of her pageant plans in advance, sources claim, the officials would have once more secured the province’s franchise fee and rallied full support for her.

The alleged budget for Manalo alone also drew comparisons to the compensation of other artists, according to reports, this amount was equivalent to the total talent fees paid to all other performers at the Niyogyugan Festival. For instance, James Reid was reportedly paid only ₱1.2 million for his performance, which included his entire team's fees, while performers Shuvee Etrata and Anthony Constantino were compensated with a total of ₱500,000.

While the Quezon Provincial Tourism Office has yet to issue an official statement, the governor's public remarks have put an end to the speculation, providing a strong show of support for her staff amid the detailed and evolving controversy. Her definitive statement was widely seen as a firm response to the "hanash" or gossip that had captivated netizens, aiming to shift the focus back to the festival's success and the provincial government’s priorities.