Miss U event in Boracay?

April 14, 2018 Written by Efren Montano

DON’T look now but the prestigious Miss Universe could be staged anew here this year -- with the swimsuit event taking place on Boracay.

President Rodrigo Duterte himself has floated the idea of holding the prestigious Miss Universe competition on Boracay Island as an effort to boost tourist arrivals after its six-month rehabilitation.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo spoke of Duterte’s idea yesterday at a press conference in Quezon City.

Teo said that during the Cabinet meeting last April 4, the President brought up the idea when the matter of how to promote the island after its temporary closure was raised.

“There was one Cabinet Secretary asking me na, ‘This is for you, Secretary. Will you be able to promote Boracay once you close it? Mahirap i-promote ang isang island ‘pag sinara mo’,” Teo said.

She did not identify the Cabinet official.

She said her response to the question was: “Boracay is Boracay... hindi na ‘yan kailangan i-promote.”

She added that the President then said: “O sige kung gusto ninyo ilagay natin ang Miss Universe dun, papuntahin natin ang Miss Universe para pag nag-open ‘yan lahat magsipuntahan.”

The Tourism chief said the government is now working with the Miss Universe Organization to once again hold the pageant in the Philippines, with the swimsuit competition to be held in Boracay.

“Hindi pa sigurado, but I’m working on Miss Universe. I want the Miss Universe to be here,” Teo said.

The Tourism chief said that she understands that the organization is also eyeing China to host the pageant this year.

“We’re working on it if not this year, next year,” Teo added.

She recalled that the organization wanted the Philippines to host the Miss Universe 2017 but the government refused since the country was then the host and chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

“Malaki maitutulong ng Miss Universe kaya sana matuloy,” she said.

According to Teo, the Philippines’ hosting of the 2016 Miss Universe in January 2017 -- where Pia Wurtzbach transferred the crown to Iris Mittenaere -- resulted in a 10-11 percent increase in tourist arrivals last year despite the tumultuous events that happened in the country such as the Marawi siege and the Resorts World arson attack.

Teo also said yesterday that Duterte did not make any comment on the proposal of Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group and its local partner to build a casino on Boracay island when the firm presented their plans in Malacañang in December last year.

Teo confirmed that she was present when officials of Galaxy Entertaiment and Leisure and Resorts World Corp. paid a courtesy call on the President on December 6, 2017.

“We were there last December, they (Galaxy) made a presentation and they told the President, ‘We want to build a casino in Boracay...’,” Teo said.

“But the President did not make any comment. It was just a presentation so we ended that and we don’t know what happened already,” Teo said.

On Monday, Duterte clarified that there is no plan so far for the government to entertain a casino project on Boracay island, which will undergo a six-month rehabilitation.

“Wala akong plano diyan [na] casino-casino. Tama na ‘yan kasi sobra na. Casino dito, casino doon. Give it to the people who need it most,” he said.

http://www.journal.com.ph/news/top-stories/miss-u-event-in-boracay