Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is home in Manila
Newly crowned Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray arrived home to a simple but rousing welcome from her supporters and members of media at a private hangar in Pasay City Wednesday afternoon.
Dressed in a white pant-suit, Gray waved to the crowd as she disembarked from a private plane from Bangkok, Thailand at 3:43 p.m.
Joining Gray on the plane were former Gov. Luis Chavit Singson and his daughter, Richelle
Singson-Michael, an architect and one of seven all-female judges at the 2018 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand last Dec. 17.
Gray did not wear her Mikimoto crown and sash because her visit to the country is not an official function of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO).
Richelle said Gray will fly to New York today to start her reign.
Early today, Gray is scheduled to attend a charity event in Makati City.
Richelle said there will be no press conference during her overnight stay in Manila.
“The press conference, the parade for Catriona will be held sometime in January 2019,” Richelle said.
Asked if she will be the new head of Miss Universe Philippines franchise, Richelle said: “Wala pang ganun usapan.”
New franchise holder?
The question on whether the Singsons are taking over Miss Universe Philippines franchise cropped up after the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) did not officially announce the arrival of Gray.
For the past 54 years, the BPCI had been sending delegates to the Miss Universe beauty contest. Aside from Gray, the BPCI has produced three other Miss Universe titleholders: Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973) and Pia Wurtzbach (2015).
There are reports that the new franchisee of Miss Universe Philippines would Singson-Michael, architect and vice chair of LCS Group of Companies. Her father former Gov. Luis "Chavit"
Singson was behind the successful staging of the 65th Miss Universe Pageant in Manila in January 2017.
If the Miss Universe pageant will be out of the BPCI, there will be four beauty pageants left under its wing –- Bb. Pilipinas International, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational, and Bb. Pilipinas Globe.
Officials of the BPCI were silent when sought to comment about the change in franchise ownership.
Yesterday, Catriona Gray flew home reportedly to spend Christmas with her family in the Philippines on board a private jet owned by the Singsons.
Gray’s schedule includes a private dinner with the Singsons where details of a welcome parade during her homecoming in Oas, Albay in Bicol are expected to be discussed, according to PEP. Catriona’s mother, Normita hails from Oas, Albay. Her father, Ian Gray is Scottish-Australian.