BAGUIO CITY—Some 50,000 people from all walks of life from various parts of Northern Luzon gathered along the three-kilometer parade route from Upper Session Road up to the Baguio Country Club to catch a glimpse of the visiting Miss Universe contestants who arrived in the city Wednesday morning.
As early as 7 a.m., residents and visitors started to converge along the designated parade route amid tight security by the organizers to see the 28 visiting beauty contestants from different countries and reigning Miss Universe titlist Pia Wurtzbach, who arrived in the city shortly after 8 a.m.
The contestants arrived in two batches and were greeted at the Loakan airport by the famous silent drill of the Philippine Military Academy cadets, who accorded them the drawn-swords welcome upon coming out of their chartered fights.
City officials led by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan and officials and members of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio welcomed the pageant contestants. Later, they were ferried by bus from Loakan to the start of the parade route at Upper Session Road, where people greeted them with cheers on their arrival at around 10:30 a.m.
The beauties boarded three flower-decorated floats prepared by HRAB with motifs representing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, while Wurtzbach boarded the float that depicted the Baguio Country Club, the only exclusive club in the Summer Capital.
The parading floats were escorted by visiting and local marching bands and street-dancing contingents led by the famous PMA band, and from Saint Louis University, Baguio City National High School, Tabuk City drum and lyre contingent, Baguio Central School, Mabini Elementary School, and other performers from the city.
The beauty contestants were obviously elated over the warm welcome and festive mood, as they were all smiles while they waved back to the people cheering them along the parade route.
Local organizers took time to ensure the availability of the different kinds of flowers and orchids used to decorate the floats the contestants rode, HRAB said.
Domogan expressed the local government’s gratitude to the residents and visitors who lined the parade route and patiently waited for the arrival of the beauties.
He also extended the city’s gratitude to HRAB and BCC management for taking the cudgels of making sure that Baguio City is one of the few places in the country that will be visited by the Miss Universe contestants.
“The time, effort and most especially their resources, used in the conduct of the once of a lifetime event in the city have helped in directly and indirectly promoting the city as a prime tourist destination in the different parts of the world, thus, the fruits of the consolidated efforts among all the involved sectors will hopefully be reaped in the future,” the mayor said.