This question hasn’t been answered yet, but what’s definite though is that the next edition of the prestigious beauty pageant will be held in the country on Jan. 30, 2017.
In an official announcement,
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo on Thursday confirmed that the Philippines will host Miss Universe for the third time and it will be funded by the private sector. Among the sponsors are Henry Sy and Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada.
We know Henry Sy as the richest Filipino being the patriarch of SM Prime Holdings. But, who is Kazuo Okada and what will he get out of this partnership with Miss Universe Organization?
The Japanese billionaire is the chairman of Universal Entertainment Corportation, which operates Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the trade name of Okada Manila formerly known as Manila Bay Resorts.
The $2.4 billion integrated resort and gaming complex that sits on a 44-hectare land, is located three kilometers away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and is at the foreshore of Manila Bay. It will be the third complex of its kind to open in Entertainment City.
Scheduled to have a soft opening in December, the complex will feature a 993-room hotel and a two-hectare fountain that will be one of the world’s largest. Apart from those, it will have 21 self-operated restaurants, an 8,409 square meters of premium retail promenade featuring local and international brands, 500 table games and approximately 3,000 Electronic Game Machines, and a beach club enclosed in a glass dome housing a white sand beach that can accommodate 4,500 people.
These impressive amenities will instantly get the world’s attention once it plays host to Miss Universe contestants in January. Making it adhere to its timetable to recoup its investment in just 18 months.
HOOQ Hangouts debuts
Over the weekend, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, a spin-off from equally successful TV series Arrow and The Flash, and which further expands the Arrowverse, was screened outdoors at the BGC amphitheater.
The cinema event, which is the first leg of many other outdoor screenings scheduled to happen, is organized by HOOQ, Asia’s first and largest video-on-demand service, and powered by Globe LIVE, the telco’s new original productions arm
HOOQ Hangouts turns the BGC Amphitheater into a free outdoor cinema venue with massive LED screen, beanbags, blankets and cushions to fully enjoy the show.
“HOOQ Hangouts aims to build a stronger community by bringing them together so they can watch the best movies and hottest TV releases. This is the first of its kind for any video-on-demand service in the country,” says Jane Cruz-Walker, country manager of HOOQ Philippines adding that HOOQ Hangouts is going to be a monthly thereafter.
For Globe Senior Advisor for Consumer Business Dan Horan, events like HOOQ Hangouts achieve Globe LIVE’s commitment to produce quality on-ground events.
“Together with HOOQ, we are able to give everyone access to an extensive library of the best TV and movie titles making the Filipino digital lifestyle experience more wonderful,” he said.
Participants of HOOQ Hangouts can also enjoy on-ground entertainment, munch on free popcorn and check out on-ground activities and win raffle prizes.