This is one parade that took decades in the making.
It will certainly trigger traffic gridlocks, but since the country has not produced a Miss Universe for more than four decades, motorists and commuters should perhaps just bear the inconvenience.
A grand parade from Makati City to Quezon City will be the highlight of the homecoming of Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the reigning Miss Universe.
Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI) confirmed that Wurtzbach will arrive today.
She will hold a brief news conference at the airport and will attend to several personal appearances the following day.
Airport officials said Wurtzbach will be treated like a queen upon her arrival because she has been allowed to use the Presidential Lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 that can only be used by presidents. On Monday (Jan 25), Wurtzbach will make a courtesy call in Malacanang and the Senate.
After her Senate visit, she will ride a carosa for her grand homecoming parade that will start at 2pm at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.The parade will pass through major streets of Manila, Makati City and Quezon City.
The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) advised motorists to brace for heavy traffic in areas where the parade will pass, include V Sotto, Jalandoni and Bukaneg streets; Roxas Boulevard; Padre Burgos; N Lopez; A Villegas to Taft Avenue; Quirino, Buendia, Ayala avenues and Edsa.
The MMDA said it will release alternate routes later for motorists. On Tuesday, Wurtzbach will again make courtesy calls to the offices of city mayors and to the House of Representatives in Quezon City. Makati City has prepared a huge assembly for the beauty queen.Makati Mayor Kid Peña said residents and employees are eager to see Wurtzbach in the flesh.
“Makati is very proud of Miss Wurtzbach for reclaiming the Miss Universe crown for the Philippines after 42 long years. She has inspired millions of people around the world, including the people of Makati, with her indomitable spirit and extraordinary determination to realise her dream,” Peña added.
On January 27, Wurtzbach will attend to other official duties.
To cap the beauty queen’s schedule of activities, the BPCI will stage the Miss Universe Homecoming Special at Smart Araneta Coliseum where Wurtzbach is expected to make the victory walk, which many believed was taken from her because of pageant host Steve Harvey’s infamous blunder. This event will be open to the public.

PhilPost set to launch commemorative stamp
The Philippine Postal (PhilPost) Office hopes to launch a commemorative stamp in honour of 2015 Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach by April. The announcement was made recently by Enrique Tagle, the agency’s Office Marketing Management and Support Services head, who said the PhilPost board agreed to issue the special edition stamp soon after Wurtzbach won the crown in Las Vegas in December 2015.
Tagle added that no one in the eight-member board objected to the proposal for a Pia stamp and are all eager to honour the 26-year-old beauty who had brought the country its most recent victory.
According to Tagle, the process of securing permission from Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc for the selection and printing of the Wurtzbach stamp is ongoing. Once issued, Wurtzbach will soon join the PhilPost roster of “living legends” given the rare privilege of being featured in a postage stamp.She will also be the third Miss Universe Filipina titleholder next to Gloria Diaz and Maria Margarita Moran to appear in what is sure to be a collector’s item among philatelists in the country.


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