Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach paid a courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacanang Palace on Monday, July 18, 2016.
Wurtzbach arrived in Manila to meet Duterte and discuss the possibility of holding the next Miss Universe Grand Coronation in the Philippines.
The 26-year-old beauty queen was joined by Miss Universe President Paula Shugart, Shawn McClain, vice president for Marketing and Business Development, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Teo and undersecretary Kat de Castro.
On Friday, Teo said that President Duterte agreed that sponsoring the event would be a tourism marketing coup with Philippines’ Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach at the helm.”
“Sponsoring Miss Universe is our focus right now, with the plan and sources of funding in tow. We are ready to seize the moment,” she said.
“Once Pia announces that Miss Universe is going to happen here, people abroad will start looking at the map and see where the Philippines is. And, we’re saying, we’d love to have you in Philippines,” she added.