Philippines won’t host Miss Universe 2018 — DOT chief

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will not host the Miss Universe pageant this year, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said yesterday.

Puyat revealed the Philippines will not push through with plans of hosting the high profile beauty pageant due to budget constraints.

Puyat said Department of Tourism (DOT) officials had decided not to host the beauty pageant following discussions about programs and projects of the DOT.

“Although we really thought about it but we decided that the budget lacks a bit,” Puyat said in Filipino over dzMM.

Apart from budget constraints, Puyat emphasized it might be too soon to host the pageant again since the Philippines was host of the 2016 pageant, held in early 2017.

“We’ll focus on other things first,” she said.

Asked if plans to host will push through if the private sector will sponsor the event, Puyat said it still won’t work out since the government will still have to shoulder some expenses like security.

The tourism chief said there also needs to be enough reason to host the pageant.

“It was nice before because Pia (Wurtzbach) was Miss Universe, and then it was held in the Philippines after. Maybe if the Philippines wins another Miss Universe, so that there’s a reason (to host),” Puyat said.

Former DOT secretary Wanda Teo had been pushing for the Philippines to host the pageant in Boracay after the rehabilitated island is opened.

In an interview before her resignation earlier this month, Teo said the Philippines had “90 percent” chance of hosting the Miss Universe pageant this year.

She added the DOT was already talking to potential sponsors for the event but acknowledged there might be a portion of the costs that needs to be shouldered by the government.