SABLAYAN, Occidental Mindoro—Five former candidates of the recently held Miss Earth 2016 pageant were conferred “honorary residency status” in recognition of their contribution to this municipality as a “next big thing in Philippine tourism.”
The honorary residency status were conferred on Miss Bahamas Candisha Rolle, Miss Belgium Fenne Verrecas, Miss Bolivia Eliana Villegas, Miss Guam Gloria Nelson and Miss Australia Lyndl Kean who can now enjoy the “privileges and benefits as regular Sablayan residents.”
The Sangguniang Bayan resolution, authored by Councilors Walther B. Marquez and Felipe B. Urieta, was unanimously passed and approved by Vice Mayor Andres D. Dangeros and Mayor Eduardo B. Gadiano.
Gadiano, along with local officials, formally presented the resolution to the five former Miss Earth 2016 candidates in the Siburan Hall of the municipal building where they were feted.
The resolution said the foreign contestants’ three-day visit to several tourist destinations in Sablayan “give these undiscovered places they visited a chance to be known to the world.”
“Although they didn’t bag the Miss Earth 2016 crown, our people are very grateful to them for their efforts and sacrifices in promoting the unknown municipality of Sablayan,” Marquez said .
Out of the five Miss Earth 2016 candidates who visited this municipality, only Miss Australia, Lyndl Kean, landed as one of 16 finalists. The crown was won by Miss Colombia.
The foreign beauties were unanimous in expressing their thanks for the hospitality of the islanders as if “we were real residents of this beautiful place.”
Organizers of Miss Earth 2016 chose Sablayan, the only municipality among 12 eco-tourism destinations located in several Philippine cities, visited by the contestants because “this newly discovered ecotourism spot is well-protected by the local government in partnership with its people.”
Their visit coincided with the local celebration of the Tamaraw Month and the Indigenous Peoples’ Month last October, Mayor Gadiano said.
Sablayan hosts the 23,000-hectare Mount Iglit-Mount Baco Tamaraw Reservation, the natural habitat of the fierce and wild buffalo, which is now reported to be growing in number, from only 150 heads in year 2000 to 423 bulls this 2016, according to the latest population count conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resoures.