By NITZ ARANCON and SHIELA MAE BUTLIG, Correspondents,
with GUIA LOU VELEZ and JILLIAN BACARISAS, Staff members
NEWLY crowned Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach has a special connection with this city which she called her “hometown.”
At the Corpus Christi school in Barangay Macasandig where the Miss Universe spent four years as an elementary grader, work stopped--all eyes were glued to the TV screen that showed the pageant beamed live from Las Vegas.
When pageant host Steve Harvey announced that he made a “horrible mistake” by misreading the card and announcing that Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, the 1st runner up, won the Miss Universe crown, there was a moment of silence. When the realization that Wurtzbach was the real winner sank in, there where cheers throughout the campus.
Ma. Corazon del Fierro, Corpus Christi founder, said Wurtzbach has become source of pride of the school.
“Nag-eskuwela na siya dinhi sa Corpus Christi from Grade 1 to Grade 4 before siya mi-adto sa Manila,” said del Fierro.
She said Wurtzbach’s family lived in Barangay Kauswagan, this city, at the time the then elementary grader studied at Corpus Christi.
Del Fierro, who served as school president at that time, said Wurtzbach was industrious in her studies even as a child.
But Corpus Christi is not alone in celebrating Wurtzbach’s victory. Cagayan de Oro’s officialdom lauded the German-Filipino beauty queen for redeeming the city from a bungled international beauty pageant that put the city in a bad light.
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District said Wurtzbach “has given us great pride and joy by winning the most prestigious beauty contest of the world.”
Rodriguez said Wurtzbach’s victory countered the “false negative comments” of Miss New Zealand-Pancontinental Nicole Harding about the city.
Due to security concerns and shabby treatment by organizers, Harding quit the beauty pageant and quickly flew out of the city which she likened to Afghanistan in her social media posts that went viral.
Mayor Oscar Moreno, who exchanged pleasantries with Wurtzbach when she returned home in May after winning the Miss Philippines-Universe crown, said he “prayed” for the Filipina’s victory.
“We are so happy. We wish her all the best, and I pray for her continued success,” said Moreno.
Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano, who also met Wurtzbach when she visited Misamis Oriental, said he was proud of the beauty queen, and “congratulated all Filipinos for this victory.”
Councilor Lourdes Darimbang, chair of the city council’s tourism committee, said she would author a resolution for the city to give Wurtzbach a “hero’s welcome” in the city for bringing pride and honor not only to the city but the entire country that has not bagged the much coveted Miss Universe crown in 42 years.
“You can just imagine that for 42 years, ayha pa ang Pilipinas subli nganakakuha sa kada-ogan sa pagka Miss Universe, ug ang nakada-og taga Cagayan de Oro pa gayud,” said Darimbang.
Wurtzbach called Cagayan de Oro “my hometown” the last time she was in the city. When she was giving gifts to children at a local orphanage in September, she told reporters: “Napaka masaya kasi I feel like giving back to my hometown. Di lang naman ’to basta lang na probinsya na pinuntahan namin. I grew up here, nang ganitong edad, kasing edad ko sila (pointing to the children), nandito ako, nag-aaral ako sa Corpus Christi. Noon nahirapan din akong magkaroon ng school supplies, pahirapan din akong humingi sa mommy ko nun kaya it’s very close to my heart... Pero I think it’s not a coincidence that I’m here. I think it’s me really trying to give back to the community of Cagayan de Oro.”
Her friend, Jan Chadrick Gerigdig, said Wurtzbach was a pre-schooler at Kong Hua before being sent by her parents to Corpus Christi from Grade 1 to Grade 4.
According to Gerigdig, Wurtzbach’s mother Cheryl hails from Iligan, and settled and started a business in Cagayan de Oro when she married the beauty queen’s father Uwe, a German.
Wurtzbach bested 79 other contestants in the 64th Annual Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas yesterday morning.
BUNGLE. Comedian and Miss Universe pageant host Steve Harvey apologizes after botching the big announcement. - SCREENGRAB FROM VIDEO CLIP, MISS UNIVERSE TWITTER ACCOUNT
Harvey apologized for the embarrassing mix-up at around 7:55 pm in Las Vegas. “It was my mistake, and I would take responsibility for not reading the card correctly...”
Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Catalino Chan said Wurtzbach’s victory brought jubilation, and called it a “Christmas gift by God to us, Filipinos.”
Chan said Wurtzbach’s special connection with Cagayan de Oro would erase the bad publicity that the city suffered due to the recent Mr. and Ms. Pancontinental mess, and her victory could be used to boost efforts to promote the city. He said Wurtzbach’s victory also honored Filipino women.
Cagayan de Oro City Tourism Council chair Dorothy Jean Pabayo said she would ask Mayor Moreno to organize the “best reception” and “lay down the red carpet” when Wurtzbach returns to the city.
