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The Most Beautiful Places in the Philippines

In the worldwide news today, one of the most controversial countries includes the Philippines. It started last year when President Rodrigo Duterte won the election. During his campaign, he promised to clean the country from drugs because it is the ‘root of all crimes’. One month after his inauguration, the number of deaths in relation to the ‘War on Drugs’ campaign reached thousands. Therefore, it alarmed the whole world and even piqued the interest of the U.N. There are even reports from U.N. rapporteur regarding the extrajudicial killings. Furthermore, President Duterte became a controversial political figure due to his colorful worlds against previous President Obama and even Pope Francis.

Though the country was facing several issues, it didn’t stop Pia Wurtzbach – Miss Universe 2015 – from pursuing that the competition should be held in her own country in 2017. As a condition, President Duterte said that he is willing to approve the said event but the government will not pay for any expenses of the candidates. As a result, the private sector volunteered to fund the Miss Universe event. But before the decision was finalized, President Duterte was involved in another controversial statement regarding his Hitler comment. There were rumors that the current franchise holder Ari Emanuel, which is a Jewish, was offended by President Duterte’s controversial remarks. However, Wurtzbach assured everyone on her social media account that the Miss Universe will still happen in the Philippines.

With 85 contestants coming from different countries, the Department of Tourism is expecting that it will help the boost of the tourism sector. The Miss Universe candidates were able to get a tour around the Philippines. Some of the tourist destinations that they are able to visit are:

  • Davao City

Samal Islands

This is the hometown of President Duterte. The 28 candidates were able to wear dresses made by Davao-based designers together with Renee Salud, a famous Filipino designer. The dressed were made using the Mindanao textile and the fashion show was entitled “Mindanao Tapestry”. If you ever found yourself in Davao, you should try the famous fruit, durian. Moreover, this is also the place where you will be able to see the country’s national bird, the Philippine eagle. For those who love to go to the beach then visiting the Samal Islands is a must.

  • Baguio City

It is considered as the summer capital of the Philippines. Many Filipinos visit this city due to its cold climate and we all know that this is a tropical country. Thus, you can expect that there are thousands of tourists here during the summer. The city is also famous for their Panagbenga festival or the festival of flowers. This is usually celebrated during the month of February. In order to let the Miss Universe candidate experience this event, the city held a mini Panagbenga festival. There were four floats made of flowers where the candidates were carried. As a souvenir, they received woven ikat ponchos ‘sungkat’ from Narda’s Handwoven Arts and Crafts.

  • Cebu City

The pre-pageant competitions were held in this city. Though the weather that day was cold and gloomy, the Miss Universe contestants were still happily welcomed by the Cebuanos. The program was held together with a traditional Sinulog dance, a fashion show, and a barrio fiesta luncheon. The candidates paraded in the catwalk wearing their swimsuit attires, evening ball gown, and their national costumes (though this is not part of the criteria for choosing the Top 12). Aside from the Catholic churches in the city, you can also visit the iconic Magellan’s Cross. This place symbolizes the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan and the baptism of Rajah Humabon, Queen Juana, and some of their followers.

  • Vigan City

Ilocos Sur_Vigan

This place is where tourist can see the major influence of the Spanish era in the past. The houses built in the Calle Crisologo are one of the important parts of the Philippine history. The candidates were also able to visit former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson’s Baluarte Zoo. Some activities that they did were traditional jar making and loom weaving. Aside from Vigan, there are tons of places that you can explore. You can observe that the Spanish influence is strong in Ilocos due to the old churches that you can visit.

There are several other cities where the Miss Universe candidates visit including Cagayan de Oro (Wurtzbach’s hometown), Boracay, Palawan, and even a tour around the country’s capital – Manila. The country is made up of 7,107 islands so if you are planning to visit here then you should create an itinerary and file a work leave for at least a week.

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