HOTEL and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) and Baguio Country Club (BCC) general manager Anthony De Leon confirmed earlier pronouncements of Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Kat de Castro on the January 2017 visit of Miss Universe candidates.
De Leon in a press conference said talks with the DOT as well as the Miss Universe pageant organizers have secured the city of a spot in hosting the international beauties.
Reigning Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach will lead the contingent of at least 30 Miss Universe candidates at the end of January for a visit.
The visit is excepted give the candidates a glimpse of highland culture, historical sites as well as hospitality and give international exposure to the highlands.
De Leon said private tourism stakeholders will contribute to the P15 million needed to host the international contingent.
To date, De Leon emphasized there is no support from the local government unit but said organizers are willing to coordinate with them.
The DOT estimates cost for hosting the pageant to reach $11 million, none of which will be shouldered by government but is undertaken by private sector led by Japanese billionaire and Tiger Resort chief Kazuo Okada and the country's richest, Henry Sy.
De Leon said over and above the million peso cost, there will be transportation, food and other necessities to be sourced from sponsors and stakeholders while assuring the BCC has agreed to host the entire contingent’s accommodations as well as the needed facilitate of the guests.
“There were a lot of local government units lobbying to host the pageant, we are lucky to be part of this,” said de Leon.
Last month, De Castro gave feelers leading to the official announcement making the Summer Capital as part of the itinerary of the international tilt.
The pageant was held in Manila for the first time in 1974, when Miss Universe 1973 Margarita Moran crowned Amparo Muñoz of Spain and in 1994, when India's Sushmita Sen was crowned by Dayanara Torres.
De Leon said the international beauties will be flown in and out of the city via the Loakan airport and will be toured at the Philippine Military Academy, the Mansion and other key areas in the Summer Capital.