Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach arrived in the country yesterday to crown her successor at the 2016 Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City on Sunday.
This is the third homecoming for Wurtzbach after she was crowned Miss Universe in Las Vegas, Nevada last December 20. The first time she came home was in January and then in March during Holy Week.
The Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. said that there were no activities scheduled for Wurtzbach on the day of her arrival.
“She (Pia) will just rest,” sources said. But the Filipino-German beauty queen will meet the press at the Novotel in Cubao at 12 noon today.
It was also reported that Wurtzbach will also serve as one of the judges in this year’s edition of the Binibining Pilipinas.
Forty bright and beautiful candidates will compete for six titles in this year’s Binibining Pilipinas, including the coveted Binibining Pilipinas Universe, whose winner will represent the country in the 2016 Miss Universe contest.
Other titles at stake are Binibining Pilipinas-International, Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational, Binibining Pilipinas-Intercontinental, Binibining Pilipinas-Grand International, and Binibining Pilipinas-Globe. There will also be two runners-up.
The coronation night, to be telecast over ABS-CBN, will be hosted by Xian Lim and KC Concepcion with Laura Lehmann.
Earlier, Wurtzbach gave an advice to the 40 official candidates of the pageant.
“Some of you are first timers. I will never forget the first time I joined Binibining Pilipinas. That definitely changed me for the better. Even though I won first runner up, not exactly a title holder, I still learned a lot from it,” she said.
“Please don’t forget the essence of the beauty pageant. Why do girls join pageants? And the answer would because it is a platform for you to open doors for other opportunities in your life. Don’t forget that. That’s not only a Q and A answer to ask you not to win the crown. Actually that’s something you have to believe in, that all of these are temporary.”
“You have to think what you want in the future – plan ahead and for now enjoy your moment while you’re here you’ll never get back this moment,” Wurtzbach said.