MANILA, Dec. 14 – The Department of the Interior and Local Government assured the public that security plans for the forthcoming Miss Universe pageant which will be held in Manila in January 2017 are already in place.
DILG Undersecretary for Legislative Liaison and Special Concerns Emily Padilla, also the designated point person for the security preparation of Miss Universe 2017, said the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the cooperation of the Department of Tourism, as well as the representatives of the Miss Universe pageant, have conducted several meetings and ocular visit on the venue.
“We have presented to them [DOT and representatives of Miss Universe pageant]the security plans. And we have conducted ocular inspections on the big venue, and we will do ocular inspections in other areas that will be visited by the candidates,”Padilla said during the media briefing held in Malacanang.
The contestants from over 90 countries worldwide vying for the Miss Universe crown will be flown to places like Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Bohol to see the beauty of the country.
Padilla reiterated the PNP’s assurance that the government’s physical, material and human resources will be mobilized to the hilt to provide security and collective measures in order to ensure and secure the organizers, participants, contestants, families and relatives who will be flying to the Philippines in January next year to witness one of the most popular big events in the world. (DILG)
“Strict and elaborate security protocols will be in place to prevent lawless elements from doing something malevolent considering the pageant’s global attraction. The DILG and the PNP will prevent any untoward incident to happen before, during or close to and after the pageant,”she said.
Padilla, speaking on behalf of DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno added, “We need it not just to further boost our tourism industry, as we expect a big number of foreign tourists including international media to be here, but more than that, it is about our beautiful country for tourism, (and) it’s (also) actually about the Filipino people.”
She likewise explained that the Philippine government and the entire nation have proven to the world several times that the country is capable of providing security to high profile personalities noting the successful visit of Pope Francis on January 15-19,?2015, followed by the APEC Ministerial Meeting earlier this year.
Padilla said the January’s Miss Universe event is already the country’s third time. The first was in 1974 and then two decades later (1994), the Philippines played host to the pageant again.
The PNP likewise assured that no one will be displaced or relocated in the light of the ongoing preparation for the Miss Universe event next year.
“As of now wala pa po tayong plano na i-close ang ilang mga streets dahil ayaw po ng ating President na madi-disrupt ang daily routine ng ating mga kababayan,”said PS/Supt. Ronaldo Ylagan,who was also present during the briefing and part of the committee in-charge of the preparation for the Miss Universe contest. (DILG) – PIA
