President Rodrigo Duterte offered a
toast to the ‘beauty and brains’ of the world’s most beautiful women and asked
them to accept the Philippines’ enduring friendship and hospitality during the
formal presentation of the candidates to the 65th Miss Universe pageant
held at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace on Monday afternoon.
“I hope this day will never end,”
President Duterte said reading a prepared speech to welcome all but two of the
86 Miss Universe candidates. “I have to make an admission, that never in my
life, I will be in a room full of beautiful women. I usually do not read my
speeches, I am not really up to it, but they tell me that I must behave in my
language,” Duterte said, drawing laughter from the crowd that include some
Cabinet members led by Tourism secretary Wanda Teo and Miss Universe
Organization president Paula Schugart. The representatives from Finland and
Switzerland begged off from the event because they were indisposed.
“It is a privilege and honor for the
Philippines to host the 65th Miss Universe pageant and I thank the Miss
Universe Organization for giving us the opportunity to host the pageant.I must
say that God is really good. Aside from the worries of governance, with the
troubles in the world, when we look at you, we forget the universe,” the
president said even as he urged the candidates to use the pageant as an avenue
to push for their own advocacies especially on women empowerment.
Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky
Alegre said that the DOT appreciated it that the President took time out with
his busy schedule to meet and greet the Miss Universe candidates. “We pushed
for the meeting of the candidates with the President because, aside from the
candidates’ personal wishes to see the President, the meeting would help show
the world that the Philippines is happy to welcome all the candidates and also
to promote the country as a travel destination,” Alegre added.
Group by group, the delegates mostly
in corporate attires, posed for a photo with the President after his speech.As
a rule, selfies were not allowed but nevertheless, a fiesta atmosphere
prevailed at the affair amid the tight security imposed for the international
beauties.
Meanwhile,
tourism officials also reaffirmed earlier reports that President Duterte may be
sitting beside DOT secretary Teo if he decided to watch the Miss Universe
coronation at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on January 30. Report By Loreto B. Concepcion
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