Declare Miss U coronation day a holiday, Duterte urged

The Philippines can be a bet- ter host of the Miss Universe pageant if President Duterte will declare Jan. 30 – the coronation day – a non-working holiday, a lawmaker said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Postal Corp. (PHL-Post) will issue today a stamp featuring three Filipina Miss Universe winners – Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran and Pia Wurtzbach – as tribute to them for bringing glory and honor to the country.

Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo, chairman of the House committee on Metro Manila development, said declaring Jan. 30 a special holiday would give everyone, especially the youth, an opportunity to watch the pageant.

“It would be a pity if our countrymen will miss the opportunity to witness in their own backyard a contest wherein Filipinas have proven to excel and become certified champions on beauty and brains,” Castelo said.

This is not the first time the PHL Post has issued stamps in honor of the three Filipina Miss Universe.

The agency issued stamps featuring Diaz and Moran in 1994.

Wurtzbach’s stamp was issued in 2016 just months after she won the pageant in Las Vegas that became controversial after the host, Steve Harvey, mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner.

The PHL Post said they have been thinking of issuing a Miss Universe commemorative stamp today, in compliance with an order from Malacañang for all government offices to support the Miss Universe event.

Diaz, Moran and Wurtzbach are part of PHL Post’s Living Legends roster, along with the country’s first Miss World Meagan Young and world boxing champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

Castelo expressed hope that Malacañang shares his sentiments on the event, noting only the President can declare a holiday.

Declaring a Miss Universe holiday will give people respite from the political noise and corporate stress and spare Metro Manila from vehicular traffic, he said.

“Remember, all eyes will be on Manila during the Miss Universe. The city should be at its best when the curtain rises,” he added.

The women’s group Gabriela opposed Castelo’s proposal, saying it would rather push for the passage of bills that genuinely promote women’s rights and welfare than condone the twisted cultural appreciation of women as mere spectacles.

“The bills on the 100-day maternity leave and amendments to anti-sexual harassment law, among others, need to be passed immediately,” Gabriela said in a statement.

The stamps featuring Diaz, Moran and Wurtzbach can be individually purchased for P12, P17 and P55 a piece, respectively.

The Diaz stamp can be used to send ordinary mail within Luzon, the Moran stamp for the Visayas and Mindanao and the Wurtzbach stamp for mail within Asia.

A souvenir sheet containing all three designs can be bought for P100.

The PHL Post produced 103,500 pieces of the regular stamp and 6,000 of the souvenir sheet.

The stamps are available starting today at the Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila and at all post offices nationwide.

Interested parties may call 527-0108 or 527-0132. –