It’s confirmed: The grand coronation of the 65th Miss Universe beauty pageant will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on January 30, 2017, at 8 a.m.
This was announced by Shawn McClain, vice president for business development, Miss Universe Organization (MUO), who flew in from New York City for the press launch of the Miss Universe competition in Makati City Wednesday night.
“The energy and the passion of the Filipino people is really powerful. This is a special place for the Miss Universe Organization because it’s so popular here,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier to announce that the next Miss Universe pageant is gonna happen here in Mania in January,” McClain said.
“It’s a three-hour telecast. So for three hours, the entire world will see everything that the Philippines has to offer,” the MUO official said.
“We’re going to have a team, about 400 people here, and we will be visiting a lot of your places and we’re going to show what the Philippines has to offer. We will put a positive focus on everything about the Philippines,” added McClain, who visited the Philippines eight times this year.
Governor Chavit Singson thanked the MUO for holding the the most prestigious beauty contest for the third time in the Philippines. “This is a rare opportunity and the perfect time to share the good news that our country has one of the fastest growing economies in Asia,” Singson said.
“Not only will this event bring joy to the Filipinos with its pageantry, but it is also expected to deliver incredible economic benefits through tourism, as we are given a platform to showcase our local attractions before half a billion Miss Universe fans worldwide,” he added.
Asked if controversial television host Steve Harvey would also come and be part of the show, McClain said they will soon announce the hosts and judges for the beauty pageant.
It may be recalled that there was a mix-up in the announcement of the winner in the Miss Universe 2015 contest in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December last year when Harvey mistakenly announced that Miss Colombia had won, when in fact it was Miss Philippines.
The staging of the Miss Universe contest in Manila was sealed with the signing of the agreement among the major partners of the pageant. Those who signed were Takahiro Usui, COO, Okada Manila; Wilson Tieng, CEO and president, Solar Entertainment; Edgar Tejerero, president, SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc.; Terry Alan Farris, managing director, Pass It Forward, official philanthropy platform; and Singson, president and chairman, LCS Holdings.
Funds for the staging of the Miss Universe contest were raised by the private sector. The government has not spend any single centavo for the show.
Tourism Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre said that the Department of Tourism has expressed its full support to the staging of the Miss Universe 2016 contest in Manila.
The pre-pageant activities for the Miss Universe pageant will be held in several tourist spots nationwide, including Vigan, Ilocos Sur; Cebu, Baguio City, and Davao. Other places would be announced later.
More than 80 candidates who will compete in the annual contest are expected to arrive in Manila on the second week of January. Reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines will crown her successor at the end of the pageant.
The first time the Philippines hosted the Miss Universe contest was in 1974, when Amparo Muñoz of Spain won. In 1994, the country played host to the beauty pageant a second time with India’s Sushmita Sen winning the title.
The Philippines has already produced three Miss Universe queens – Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margarita Moran in 1973, and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach in 2015.
Meanwhile, the SM Mall of Asia (SM-MOA) will be a virtual “Miss Universe village” this January as it will be hosting a number of activities for the pageant.
“SM Mall of Asia will showcase an array of activities geared to bringing the whole Miss Universe experience to the Filipino people and the world,” SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. (SMLEI) said yesterday. It will host several activities including the Governor’s Ball, the National Gift Auction, National Costume, the Fashion Show, the Designer Showcase, and After Party.
The post Miss Universe Pageant Confirmed; Agreement Signed appeared first on Manila Bulletin.
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