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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Thursday, January 5, 2017
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MANILA – The Jan. 19 visit of Miss Universe candidates in Iloilo City has been cancelled.
But Tourism secretary Wanda Teo did not give any reason when she announced the cancellation in a press conference yesterday.
The Philippines is hosting the 65th edition of Miss Universe this Jan. 30. The beauty pageant will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The reigning Miss Universe is Filipina Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. She was crowned on Dec. 20, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Teo said the candidates’ visit to Albay province was cancelled, too, but she gave no further details.
The Miss Universe candidates were supposed to hold a photoshoot at Iloilo’s Miag-ao Fortress Church (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Iloilo Esplanade, Iloilo Convention Center, and Molo Church.
The other itineraries of the candidates, however, will push through as scheduled:
* Boracay Island (Aklan) on Jan. 14
* Vigan City (Ilocos Sur) on Jan. 15
* Manila on Jan. 16
* Cebu on Jan. 17
* Baguio City on Jan. 18, and
* Davao and Batangas cities on Jan. 19.
Teo discussed with Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon the Miss Universe candidates’ Iloilo visit early last month.
“It would be a good time to share to the rest of the world the unique beauty of Iloilo and how she is steadily recovering her crown as the Queen City of the South,” said Drilon then.
Miss Universe Philippines 2016 Maria Mika Maxine Medina hopes to repeat Wurtzbach’s triumph in her home country.
The Philippines will be hosting the most prestigious beauty contest for the first time in 23 years.
The country hosted Miss Universe twice in the past – in 1974 and 1994. The 1974 winner was Miss Spain, Amparo Muñoz while the 1984 winner was Miss India, Sushmita Sen.
Only two other Filipinas have been crowned Miss Universe. The first was Gloria Diaz in 1969. The second was Margarita Moran in 1973.
The first Miss Universe pageant was held in Long Beach, California in 1952. It was won by Armi Kuusela from Finland. She married Filipino businessman Virgilio Hilario shortly before her one-year reign was completed.
The Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by Pacific Knitting Mills, a California-based clothing company./PN
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