THE Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB), Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), Department of Tourism (DOT), the city government and other line agencies are now ready for the coming of Miss Universe candidates on January 18.
DOT - Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR) director Venus Tan said the Miss Universe visit in Baguio City is a once in a life time experience and hopes to make it memorable as it will be among the biggest tourism boosters of the city.
“Malaking karangalan, totoong oportunidad na i-showcase ang mga magagandang tanawin at kultura ng buong Cordillera, makiisa tayo sa January 18 hanggang sa paglipad nila sa January 19,” Tan said.
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan also congratulated HRAB under the leadership of Anthony de Leon for their initiative in organizing the event.
Domogan also encouraged the public to watch the parade on January 18.
“Take advantage to watch this very special event in the City of Baguio,” the mayor said.
Andrew Pinero, media officer of HRAB said 32 Miss Universe contestants and reigning Miss Universe beauty titlist Pia Wurtzbach will be arriving in the city early morning of January 18 and will immediately participate in a three kilometer parade from the rotunda of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) along Upper Session road up to the Baguio Country Club (BCC) premises.
Wurtzbach and the 32 Miss Universe beauty contestants will be on board four beautifully decorated floats courtesy of the HRAB and will be accompanied by street dancing contingents from Tabuk City, Kalinga, La Union and some schools in the city during the mini-float and street dancing parade.
While in the city, the beauty contestants will join a mini-golf tournament at the BCC fairway and will be entertained by the performances of the Tam-awan artists who will showcase the rich culture and traditions of the Cordillera and representatives from Easter Weaving who will showcase the identity of the Igorots in terms of their attires.
BCPO acting director Ramil Saculles also said there would be a tight security before the arrival until the parade of candidates with 700 police officers to be deployed around the city.
At 6:00 in the evening, there will be a gala dinner for the candidates. Cordilleran culture and performances will be also showcased to the candidates.
u2028Pinero claimed despite the previous setback that the organizers and the local government suffered from the failed conduct of the Christmas bazaar, all is well in the final preparations for the holding of one of the historic events to happen in the city considering that this Baguio will be once in a lifetime.
“Baguio City will definitely gain from the this as the pre-pageant events and the main pageant itself will be aired in 160 countries in the different parts of the globe,” Pinero added.
Organizers will be commissioning two chartered planes who will be ferrying the contestants and Wurtzbach from Manila to Baguio and vice versa on January 19, 2017.
HRAB members pooled their resources to raise the hosting fee and other expenses of the visit after the supposed local government’s contribution in the hosting in the form of the conduct of the month-long Christmas bazaar was stopped by a local court upon the petition of a businesswoman. (With a report from Dexter See/PIO)