TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) – Candidates of the Miss Universe Philippines arrived on Monday, May 1, in this city for the national costume competition slated on May 4 at the HRDC hall, Leyte Normal University.
 
Upon arrival, the candidates were warmly  welcomed by the Office of the Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez through Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada, Tingog Party-list President Glenn Capucion, and officials and personnel of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Eastern Visayas led by Regional Director Karen Tiopes.
 
During the final briefing of the organizer of the Miss Universe Philippines and the Office of the House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, together with concerned government agencies at the Tingog Community Center in Tacloban a day before their arrival, it was learned that everything has been set including the itinerary of the candidates during the five-day tour in Eastern Visayas.
 
On their first day, the candidates will ride on a “Flores de Mayo”-themed floats for the motorcade along the main streets of the city followed by a cruise to San Juanico Bridge for the lights and sounds show.
 
The 38 candidates, three of whom are from Eastern Visayas, will join the tourism destination tours in Leyte and Samar on May 2 and 3.

The candidates will also visit some of the cultural and heritage sites in Tacloban and Palo, Leyte to include Sto.Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum, Astrodome Yolanda Memorial Park, Holy Cross Cemetery for the wreath-laying and flower offering for the Yolanda victims, MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park and Leyte Provincial Government Complex.
 
In addition, the candidates will also join in a charity activity at the SOS children’s Village this city before going back to Manila on May 5.
 
In a short press conference, Sam Sombiro, event director of Miss Universe Philippines underscored the reasons for bringing the candidates to the region for their National Costume Competition.
 
“Eastern Visayas is a complete package of the heritage that we have -- the natural heritage is very rich; second, the cultural heritage is very rich; third, the historical events, sites etc. are here, combined with the people who are resilient with all the happenings, kaya really ang Eastern Visayas is a perfect place especially that we are promoting the national costume competition,” Sombiro said.
 
The staging of the Miss Universe Philippines national costume competition in the region was made possible through the efforts of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog Partylist representative Yedda Marie Romualdez to promote the region as a tourism destination. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)