MANILA – Newly-appointed Department of Tourism (DOT) secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the Philippines will not host the 2018 edition of the Miss Universe pageant, which is scheduled later in the year.
Romulo-Puyat said in a radio interview that the DOT has a meager budget to host the beauty pageant, which was earlier proposed by resigned DOT secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.
“Naisip kasi namin na kaka-Miss Universe lang. At saka maliit lang ang budget. Baka hindi muna,” Romulo-Puyat said. “Pinag-usapan namin ‘yan but na realize namin na medyo bitin ang budget.”
She added that instead, they will “focus on other things.”
“Anyway, we just held the Miss Universe (in the Philippines two years ago). Maybe we can do it next time, but not this year,” Romulo-Puyat stressed.
She also said even if the private sector offers to help to make the Miss Universe hosting possible, it is still not ideal since DOT will still be spending by providing security.
“If another Filipina Miss Universe is declared, then that would be time they might consider holding the next pageant in Manila,” said Romulo-Puyat.
Tulfo-Teo said months ago that the Philippines was reconsidered by the Miss Universe Organization to host this year’s pageant after talks with Beijing reportedly failed due to disagreement on the live airing.
The Philippines last hosted the event in January 2017 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. At the time, Filipina Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was the reigning Miss Universe./PN
