Pia
Wurtzbach celebrated along with pageant-crazy Filipinos on the Miss Universe
Organization’s confirmation of Manila’s hosting of the 65th Miss Universe pageant,
a realization of the reigning Miss Universe’s dream of crowning her successor
at home before her countrymen.
Wurtzbach
broke the good news on a taped video message from New York bringing an end to
numerous speculations from pageant fans around the world that the Miss Universe
in Manila is not going to happen. This is third-time lucky for the Asian country
to be playing host to the most talked-about and most popular prestigious beauty
pageant in the world.
“This is one proud moment for all Filipinos to bear witness
to our reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach as she takes her final walk
and passes on her crown to her successor in her home country,” exclaimed
tourism secretary Wanda Teo, herself a one-time Bb. Pilipinas 1972 candidate.
Teo has worked wonders to move heaven and earth to be able to see the event
materialized under her program to boost tourist arrivals in the country.
Miss Universe-mania is expected to usher the New Year in
the same enthusiastic outpouring of love and passion showered on the January
2015 visit of Pope Francis by the fun-loving Filipinos. The almost 100 hundred
candidates from the four corners of the world will set foot in Manila by
January 13, to stay at the newly completed grand $2.4-billion Y-shaped Okada
Manila hotel and Casino, rivaling the best hotels in Las Vegas and Dubai. The
final event, to be hosted by the controversial Steve Harvey, will start at 5 AM
of 30th January (in Manila), January 29 in the USA at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“For
years, I’ve talked about someday having the pageant in the Philippines. This is the right time to hold the pageant in the Philippines. It’s
a great opportunity and I would love to be able to make it work,”
MUO president Paula Shugart said.
Meanwhile, Wurtzbach continued
to attend to the MUO charity causes as ambassador of Smile Train during the
star-studded Charity Day for The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund in conjunction
with the commemoration of the 658 Cantor employees who perished on the 9/11
tragedy. Smile Train helps children with untreated clefts to receive their new
smile and a second chance at life.
Wurtzbach
also travelled to Panama in October attending a press conference and fashion
show wherein she donned the ‘La Pollera”, the national costume of Panama. She
was accompanied by Miss Panama Universe 2016 Keity Drennan.
Pia also joined local
activities such as building a traditional mud hut “junta de Embarra” with her
bare hands at the Hotel Cubita in Chitre, and learning how to cook “guacho de
mariscos.” She ended her itinerary with a visit at the historic Panama Canal,
her favorite part of the trip. WORDS BY
ETON CONCEPCION
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