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Miss Universe Batanes bet had to board a cargo vessel to get to the pageant in Baguio
How far would you go to be the next Miss Universe Philippines?
Well, Batanes bet Jan Alexis Elcano boarded a cargo vessel just to get to the pageant held in Baguio City.
During her preliminary Q&A streamed on Empire.ph Wednesday night, the beauty queen shared that her flight out of Batanes was cancelled after the province recorded its first-ever case of COVID-19.
"I was actually frightened because there was no other way out of the province than air transportation," Elcano said.
Thankfully, with permission from the Coast Guard and assistance from the local government, the beauty queen was able to board a cargo vessel and made it to the competition held in Baguio City.
"It's not really allowed for a passenger to board a cargo vessel for security and safety purposes, but that was the only choice I had, and it was a risk that I was willing to take," Elcano told the panel.
"I was actually scared of deep waters, but I had to disregard all fears just so I can get here to where I am right now, standing in front of all of you," she added.
When asked why it was so important for her to make it to the competition, Elcano said she did it not only to represent her province, but also to embody that resilience that Ivatans are known for.
"We rarely get to represent Batanes in the national pageant scene, and I would like to promote not just Batanes as a place, but the Ivatans," Elcano said.
Jan Alexis Elcano is one of more than 40 candidates vying for the title of Miss Universe Philippines 2020.
All contestants must through a preliminary interview before the grand finale at the Baguio Country Club, to be aired on GMA-7 at 9am on October 25, Sunday.
The Miss Universe Philippines 2020 preliminary Q&As were streamed on Empire.ph on Wednesday evening, but the site temporarily collapsed due to a suspected online attack.
According to an official statement the site was up and running as of 11pm Wednesday. — LA, GMA News
