Miss Universe mix-up worked in PH’s favor

Miss Universe mix-up worked in PH’s favor

By Aileen Ormoc

When I first watched Miss Colombia dethroned on national television, I, like many of you, watched this train wreck unfold in a mix between sheer horror and amusement (You had one job, Steve). And after reading several narratives about Poor Miss Philippines, I began to think, ‘Why should we feel sorry for her at all?’ Besides being one of the most highly publicized beauty pageants across the world, Miss Philippines (Pia Wurtzbach) has now become a household name and a topic of conversation in countries everywhere.

Staged or not, this mishap was a gift from above for Pia Wurtzbach’s PR team. Huge television networks including ABC and CNN fought for the chance to interview her on their next show. She was featured on Kelly and Michael, Good Morning America, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon and Entertainment Tonight which are all heavy hitters in the realm of American television. But that wasn’t all—radio stations, newspapers and magazines could not get enough of this story with headlines including ‘Why Pia Wurtzback Won’t Share Her Crown,’ ‘Miss Universe Defends Steve Harvey,’ ‘Miss Universe Excited to go Home to PH’ and so on.

Wurtzbach also helped spark conversation about pressing issues in the Philippines. During the live show, she was asked “Do you think the United States should have a military presence in the Philippines?” She said she saw no issue in bringing the U.S. military to the Philippines which brought on a fury of debate via Twitter. Both the U.S. and the Philippines recently signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which calls for an increased U.S. military presence in the Philippines. Others deemed the question unfair with Wurtzbach surrounded by a predominantly American crowd and pressured to give a likeable answer. While her answer may not have been favorable to many Filipinos, it has started the conversation and definitely shed some light on the topic.

Wurtzbach also expressed her dedication to her homeland shortly after her victory. According to rappler.com, Wurtzbach understands that being crowned Miss Universe 2015 is a huge triumph for her country as well. She plans to help promote tourism in the Philippines in addition to the number of other humanitarian causes she also believes in. This will surely give the Philippines a much needed economic boost, especially in the tourism department.
It’s also worth noting that Wurtzbach is the third Miss Philippines contestant to claim a Miss Universe crown since the likes of Margarita Moran (Miss Universe 1973) and Gloria Diaz (Miss Universe 1969). This was certainly a huge feat for the Philippines as Wurtzbach’s victory put an end to the country’s 42-year draught in the Miss Universe pageants.

There is a lot to be said about the Miss Philippines, or should I say Miss Universe 2015, but pitiful should not be one of them. Despite the mix- up, both Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines dealt with the situation in stride, and have even wished each other well via social media. After wrapping up her media tour in New York City, Wurtzbach is back in the Philippines to complete the media tour back home. As is promised with every Miss Universe victory, Wurtzbach is the new face of the Miss Universe Organization dedicated to empowering women everywhere and affecting positive change in the world by working with several international charity organizations.