AN organizer of the 2016 Miss Universe in the Philippines shared that the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has approached them again for a possible restaging of the beauty pageant’s 2018 edition in the country.
Requesting to be anonymous as he is representing a private company that helped stage Miss Universe 2016 in the country, the organizer confirmed that the MUO asked their company to be ready in helping to restage the pageant, should the Philippine government give it the green light.
Tourism Undersecretary Kat De Castro said that there is a good chance the country is hosting the pageant once again. “It’s just me and the Miss Universe Organization trying to iron out a few details,” she said.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo said in April that President Rodrigo Duterte talked about restaging the Miss Universe pageant in Boracay — which was closed for rehabilitation last April 26 — to attract tourists back to the popular tourist destination.
Teo said the DOT would be “very proud and happy” to showcase the island once it had recovered from the environmental damage it had suffered through the years.
The Philippines has been reconsidered after talks with China reportedly failed because of Beijing’s refusal to broadcast Miss Universe live.
PH gov’t to release P490-M for Boracay roads
According to the government, they will release more than P400 million for the rehabilitation of the world-famous Boracay, which has been closed down for a major clean up.
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday, May 2. He said that the department will shell out P490 million for the repair of the whole Boracay Circumferential Road in Aklan during the half-year closure of the island.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allotted P50 million for the improvement of Boracay Circumferential Road in the 2018 General Appropriations Act, while the additional P490 million is an augmentation to fast-track project completion.
The Boracay road rehabilitation project includes a 12-meter widening plan along the 5.2-kilometer road in the villages of Manoc-Manoc, Yapak, and Balabag. The island’s drainage and sewerage system will also be improved.
According to Diokno, the DBM has already released P448 million to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to cover financial assistance for the affected residents and workers in Boracay.
