The Bear and the Bow: The Story of the 2025 Ms. Tarlac City

Report by Chino Brendon Tangonan | Layout by Angilene Dableo | Photos by Ivy Studio x Expose Studio and other photos to the rightful owner.

In a world where beauty queens are often seen as symbols of poise and elegance, Leanna Kaylee T. Manuel redefines the title as a testament to bravery. Crowned Ms. Tarlac City 2025, she is more than a real-life princess—she is a daughter, a sister, and a woman poised to lead a generation that will not blindly follow society's expectations on women while respecting the traditions of her people.

Merida’s Reflection in Leanna

Leanna is a hardworking AB Communication student at Tarlac State University, where she also serves as a graphic artist for the college publication The Oracle. Known for her quirky, loving personality, creativity, and revolutionary spirit, she never saw herself as the epitome of conventional femininity. Instead, she identifies with her favorite princess, Merida, embracing courage and authenticity. As an artist, she celebrates the many colors within her, ensuring every one of them shines brightly. On the night of January 14, she let them all shine on stage, claiming the crown of Ms. Tarlac City, adorned with numerous special awards.

As a woman in the spotlight, Leanna strongly advocates for women's freedom from gender roles, especially when it comes to independence in shaping their own fate. Like Merida, she believes that women should not be limited to becoming wives and mothers for women can also pursue success in their own careers and choose their future on their own terms.

"Nothing is wrong with being a traditional housewife or an independent career woman. You can be either, or even both."

Leanna is the living testament of this advocacy. She has lived her live not as a beauty queen; but as a provider, a fighter, and a daughter who holds herself accountable and responsible. She entered the pageantry not only to fulfill her parents' dreams but also to gain financial independence. She has always been a persevering woman; using her talents in art and advertising to earn money and support her family.

To her, pageantry is more than a crown—it is a platform to stand up for the women in her family and her city. She sees it as an opportunity to widen her horizons as a woman who will not be limited by the society's standard for them. She is Merida at heart because she is a fighter for herself and for her family. She stands for women having the choice to be many things all at once and could explore those choices to not be limited by the society's standard for women.

"It's also about self-discovery, no path is certain. That's why you make your own stars align."

Mor’du: The Raging Bear in Leanna's Journey

Much like in every fairy tale where one must defeat their monster, Leanna found her own bear to conquer.

"It's me, I ate the enchanted cake!"

In Leanna's story, her nemesis was always her own doubts, fears, and insecurities lurking from within. She never competed with anyone else but herself. The weight of carrying not only her name but of her barangay, her trainers, mentors, and family weighed on her shoulders.

"When you stand on that stage, this isn't just about you—it's about everyone who loved and supported you."

Gladly, Leanna learned to harness that fear and transform it into hope, a hope that carried her as she conquered the pageant stage and kept her humble and grounded throughout her journey. That was the raging bear that she successfully battled to become the victor that she is today.

The Bow and the Arrow

While many credit Leanna’s wit and intelligence as her greatest weapons, she sees it differently. To her, it isn’t always just about standing tall—it’s about standing true. She believes that it is her authenticity is what brought her forward in pageantry. Although she may not embody the definition of traditional femininity in her everyday life which is what's demanded on stage, she refuses to mask her true self. Instead, she allows another side of her personality to shine.

"That’s why I often joke that Leanna is my normal persona, while Kaylee is my pageant persona. But Kaylee is just one of the many colors I have."

Leanna proves that a true queen that is not defined by the conventional expectations of women for she believes that a true feminine woman has autonomy over own body and embraces her genuine self. And that is what believes to be her greatest weapon as a woman on stage and in life.

Mending the Torn Tapestry

Merida’s journey did not end with the defeat of Mor'du; she found her happy ending after she patched up the torn tapestry that symbolized the healing of her relationship with her mother. For Leanna, the tapestry that she tore in her battle for Ms. Tarlac City was her relationship with her own emotions.

Throughout the pageant, she set aside her deepest fears and insecurities to compose herself and focus on the crown. But now, after she triumphed, she finally found herself looking at every moment of sadness, insecurities, fears, and exhaustion; reminiscing every step of her journey to becoming the newest Ms. Tarlac City. Every tear that she shed was full of emotions, bottled inside her, that she was finally able to release. In doing so, she mends the tapestry of her life, allowing herself to heal and be free.