Lawmaker wants Miss Universe coronation declared a holiday

A lawmaker on Tuesday urged Malacañang to declare as a non-working holiday the coronation of the new Miss Universe on January 30.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said this is to allow Filipinos, including children, to witness the “once-in-a-year spectacle” hosted by the Philippines this year.

The coronation will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, where Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach—the third Filipina to win the title—will pass the crown to her successor.

“It would be a pity if our countrymen miss the opportunity to witness in their own backyard a contest where Filipinas have proven to excel and become certified champions on beauty and brains,” he said in a statement.

Castelo, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Metro Manila Development, also noted that the holiday would lessen traffic in the area.

“Remember, Manila would be on the eye of the world during the Miss Universe. The city should be at its best when the curtain rises,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte had expressed his support for the staging of the pageant in the country, but maintained that the event should not “disrupt” the people’s daily routine.

Duterte had ordered concerned agencies, notably the Department of Tourism, that there should be no road closures and “hiding of poverty” during the day of the event.

The DOT said activities related to the coronation day will be limited inside and around the Mall of Asia to avoid adding traffic along EDSA.

Some of the activities for the candidates were also held outside Manila, including Siargao, Cebu, Davao, and Vigan in Ilocos Sur. —ALG, GMA News