BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan issued Administrative Order No. 003, series of 2017 suspending classes in all levels, both private and public, in the city on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 to allow local residents and visitors alike to warmly welcome the visiting Miss Universe contestants who will be arriving in the city on the said date.
The local chief executive underscored there is a need to provide the students, local residents and visitors equal opportunity to be able to witness the visiting 32 Miss Universe contestants and reigning Miss Universe titlist Pia Wurtzbach for them to be able to treasure the said experience of the once in a lifetime event that will happen in the city.
“We want our constituents to have a glimpse of the visiting beauties from the different parts of the world and we want them to enjoy such experience of one of the historical events that will happen in the city. We have to take the chance of having been selected as one of the few areas in the country that will be visited by the beauty contestants so let us all go out and provide our cheers for the visiting beauties,” Domogan stressed.
He said local residents and visitors must value the efforts of the local organizers in lobbying for the inclusion of the city as one of the few areas to be visited by some of the Miss Universe contestants by coming out on January 18, 2017 and greet the visit beauties who will be on board several floats prepared by the organizers for the mini-streetdacing and mini-float parade on the said date.
The parade route of the visiting beauty contestants will be from Upper Session “road, particularly at the Session rotunda, passing through its junction with Military Cut-off and Loakan roads up to the premises of the Baguio Country Club compound via South Drive Road.
The upcoming visit of the Miss Universe contestants to the city was the initiative of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) and the Baguio Country Club (BCC) after paying to the international organizers some $500,000 or P25 million hosting fee.
However, the hosting fee does not cover the withholding and income taxes, the food and accommodation of the beauty contestants and their entourage, the chartered flights to and from the city, the floats to be used by the organizers for the mini-float parade among other incidental expenses.
Domogan said the suspension of classes in all levels will surely help in lessening the traffic congestions to be caused by the closure of some roads to vehicular traffic to pave the way for the parade along the 3-kilometer parade route and allowing the people to have a closer look at the visiting beauties which could be considered as one of their worthy experiences.
He appealed to local residents and visitors to patronize the upcoming visit of the Miss Universe beauty contestants to the city because it will be once in a lifetime for the present generations.
After the mini-streetdancing and mini-float parade along the parade route, the visiting Miss Universe beauty contestants will be confined at the Baguio Country Club where various activities such as tree planting and strawberry picking, mini-golf tournament, arts and cultural presentation and gala dinner will be undertaken.
By Dexter A. See