PH handang-handa na para sa Miss Universe; pagse-selfie sa mga kandidata malaking hamon

TINIYAK ng pamahalaan na handang-handa na ang Pilipinas para sa pagdaraos ng Miss Universe sa bansa sa Enero matapos naman magsimulang magdatingan ang mga kandidata kung saan dumating na sa bansa sina Miss USA at Miss New Zealand.

Sa isang press briefing sa Palasyo, sinabi ni Tourism Undersecretary Katherine Chloe de Castro na kabilang sa mga dumating ay sina Miss USA Deshauna Barber at Miss New Zealand Tania Pauline Dawson.

 “At least 10 more of the most beautiful women in the world are scheduled to arrive today and tomorrow. Tomorrow, December 10, we will have a kick-off party at the Conrad Hotel,” sabi ni de Castro.

Idinagdag ni de Castro na bukas para sa lahat ang isasagawang kick-off party.

“The girls will be here for a week and as we have announced, we will soon be travelling to the different islands of the country, so these girls can get a glimpse of how awesome our country is. We will, for this week, we’ll be bringing them to Siargao, where they will be trying surfing. Also to Cebu, Vigan, and Manila,” ayon pa kay de Castro.

 Kasabay nito, ipinagmalaki ni de Castro na nagsimula nang tumaas ang mga bilang ng mga turistang dumarating sa bansa dahil sa Miss Universe.

“Just today, I received the report on our visitor arrivals for the month of September and we have more than 400,000 recorded arrivals to be exact,” ayon pa kay de Castro.

Sinabi pa ni de Castro na sa Enero, tinatayang 90 kandidata para sa Miss Universe ang darating sa bansa.

“So keep your seatbelts on, the Miss Universe spectacle begins on January 13 until January 30,” sabi pa ni de Castro.

Samantala, inamin naman ni Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre na malaking hamon para sa seguridad ng mga candidate ang pagnanais ng marami na makipa-selfie sa mga candidate.

“I think the difference we have from 22 years ago is social media. Can you imagine everybody wanting to have a selfie with a Miss Universe candidate? Having a picture? So I believe that’s where the challenge is, you cannot stop the excitement when we don’t intend to stop that excitement,” ayon pa kay Alegre.

Idinagdag niya na maglalabas ng panuntunan kaugnay ng pagse-selfie sa mga kandidata.

“We just have to find ways to control the selfies and the group shots and the group selfies because that’s gonna be all over the place and that’s going be the big difference because in this day and age, when that goes viral, can you imagine the promotion for the Philippines?” ayon pa kay Alegre.

Sinabi naman ni de Castro na payag na si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na mating host si Steve Harvey ng Miss Universe.

“Kami ni (Communications) Secretary Martin Andanar, meron kaming gagawing pakulo between the President and Steve Harvey. So medyo abangan niyo po ‘yan. And Miss Universe Organization was very much open to that — to that, whatever it is that we are planning to do with the President and Steve Harvey,” ayon pa kay de Castro.

Ayon pa kay de Castro, magsisilbi naman si Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach bilang tour guide para sa mga candidate.

“So far, the plans would be to bring them on January, would be to bring them to Baguio City, Cebu, Palawan, Davao and a whole a lot of other places,” aniya.

Sinabi pa ni de Castro na hindi pa tiyak kung dadalo si Duterte sa pageant, kung saan inalok pa siyang maging isa sa mga judge.

“Well, I think his, his men are aware that we would like him to be part of you know, to judge it or just even to watch it. But he has not yet given us a concrete answer altogether. But we have reserved, you know, a VIP section just for the President and to everybody else in Malacañang. So abangan na lang po natin,” ayon pa kay de Castro.