By Alex S. Villanueva, Jr.
SIXTEEN CANDIDATES of the Miss Earth 2008, an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness, will be visiting the island town of Coron on October 22-24.
Board Member and Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL)-Palawan Chapter president Jim Gerald Pe said the pageant candidates’ visit to Coron is part of Miss Earth’s “Goodwill Tour” to promote environmental projects and to address issues concerning it.
The Miss Earth advocates for its candidates and winners to actively promote the welfare of the environment; and get involved in various activities that are designed and conceptualized to work for its sustainable preservation and Mother Earth.
For three days, the Miss Earth candidates are going to be engaged in numerous tourism activities, such as diving, island hopping, snorkeling, trekking, rock climbing, kayaking, horseback riding, motor and mountain biking, cave, and lake exploration, and many others.
Pe said that Coron is the “next big thing in the Philippines” because its various islands abound in natural wonders that serve as year-round attractions for visitors.
Coron is very popular as “Wreck Diving Capital of the Philippines” because of its 26 World War II vintage Japanese shipwrecks.
Miss Earth 2008, now on its 8th year, will culminate on November 9, 2008 at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Over 90 candidates are expected to participate in the event and all of them, will be toured in different places in Bali, Indonesia, Guam and in the country.
On the final night of the competition, outgoing titleholder Miss Earth 2007, Jessica Nicole Trisko of Canada, will crown her successor.
