Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran excited that pageant is returning to PHL

Miss Universe 1973 Margarita Moran is excited that the prestigious international pageant is coming back to the Philippines next year, 23 years after the country last hosted it in 1994.

“In the 1994 Miss Universe, I brought a group of contestants to Davao. We hosted a few of the candidates in Davao. It was shown to the world. I'm sure we'll do it again,” the Filipina beauty queen said in an interview with GMA News' Nelson Canlas.

She stressed that it will be a good opportunity to showcase the Philippines' beauty to the world.

 

A video posted by Nelson Canlas (@nelsoncanlas) on

Aug 2, 2016 at 1:25am PDT

Department of Tourism secretary Wanda Teo confirmed last week that the Philippines is set to host the Miss Universe pageant next year.

"I would like to inform everybody that the Miss Universe pageant will be on January 30, 2017 in the Philippines," she said.

The news comes after titleholder Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach's courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte in which they discussed the possibility.

Teo said in a previous statement that the private sector will shoulder the expenses for the pageant, which is estimated to cost $11 million, and that “the government is not going to spend a single centavo.”

Among the places being considered as a location for the pageant are Palawan, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Boracay, and Manila.  — Bianca Rose Dabu/BM, GMA News