LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap wants the reigning Miss Universe–Philippines, Rabiya Mateo of Iloilo City, to be an inspiration to the Filipino youth for them to be resilient amidst the prevailing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to be one of the province’s tourism ambassadress as the country tries to rise up from the devastation of the health pandemic.
Yap, who chairs the House Committee on Appropriations, and who served as one of the members of the board of Judges during the grand coronation of the country’s premier beauty pageant, said that during these difficult times caused by the pandemic, someone must rise up to the occasion to serve as the country’s inspiration towards recovery and Miss Mateo should take up the difficult role to bring back the resilience among Filipinos to strive to recover from the effects of the crisis triggered by the COVID outbreak.
The lawmaker disclosed the provincial government, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Benguet chapter and the Benguet congressional district office agreed to identify a scenic tourist destination in the province’s 13 towns to be aggressively promoted by the tourism ambassadress, one of which is the winner of this year’s Miss Universe–Philippines beauty pageant held in Baguio City, and will be included in the promotional billboards that will be installed in strategic areas in Metro Manila to showcase Benguet’s rich tourism potentials that must be visited by nature and culture lovers.
Initially, Congressman Yap said that the tourism ambassadress who will be commissioned will be visiting the different tourist destinations in the province for promotional activities anytime so that there will be an aggressive promotion of Benguet as a premier tourist destination in the country.
Congressman Yap reported that the inclusion of Benguet in the itinerary of the Miss Universe–Philippines candidates involved an investment on the part of the Benguet congressional district office for the organizers to showcase the beautiful tourist spots in the province as part of their promotional video and photo shoots.
According to him, the inclusion of Benguet in the itinerary of the beauty contestants was timely because the province needs to be independently promoted as one of the must-see areas in the country to guide travelers which areas to first visit after the prevailing community quarantine will be relaxed.
The Benguet Caretaker Congressman claimed it is unfair for some quarters to insinuate that Benguet forced its way to be part of the itinerary of the candidates because they are not aware of the agreements the organizers and his office had reached just for Benguet to be included as part of the areas to be visited by the beauty contestants before the Grand Coronation that was held at the Baguio Country Club Cordillera Convention Hall last Sunday. By HENT
