Albayanos welcome 2013 Miss International

LEGAZPI CITY -- Amid a sunny last day of 2013 and with the majestic Mayon volcano providing the background, hundreds of Albayanos swarmed in the Legazpi Domestic airport to warmly welcome newly crowned 2013 Miss International Bea Rose Santiago, a Bicolana from Cataingan, Masbate.

Santiago, wearing a maroon sleeveless shirt and slacks with a signature native necklace, smilingly waved at the cheering crowd as she stepped down from a commercial plane and walked through the terminal ramp of the airport.

The international beauty titlist, on her first out-of-town non-charity engagement after winning the prestigious crown, arrived with Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda on board a Cebu Pacific plane at about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday.

She was met at the airport terminal arrival area by Department of Tourism, provincial government and various local government units’ officials.

Elated by the warm reception, Santiago, carrying a big a smile, thanked the hundreds of Albayanos who displayed welcoming streamers and excitedly awaited her arrival.

“Sobrang pasasalamat ko sa inyo for the warm welcome na binigay nyo sa akin (I am very thankful for your warm welcome),” she exclaimed.

When asked if she can still speak Bicol, she snappily answered “yes” and jokingly said, “Basta Bikolana, Magayon (If one is a Bicolana, she’s surely beautiful).”

Santiago displayed her winning beauty to other Albayano fans in a motorcade that passed through the main streets of this city and the neighboring town of Daraga.

She held a luncheon press conference at the Oriental Hotel Legazpi and in the afternoon she was scheduled to visit an evacuation shelter Fernandez where hundreds of “Yolanda” victims from Eastern Visayas adopted by the province are being housed.

Santiago will also visit the children ward at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital here.

At night, she will be the special guest of the Albayanos’ New Year countdown and celebration to culminate the province’s yearly Green Christmas and Karangahan Festival activities.

Albay is one of the three provinces that make up AlMaSor, which is now the fastest tourism area of the Philippines.

An Albayana beauty, as literally represented by the world-renowned Mayon volcano, has found personification in Miss International Precious Lara Quicagaman and other beauty titlists Miriam Quiambao, Gina Ritter, Melody Gersbach and Dianne Recio and has become a brand for Albay positioning as the land of beauty, laughter and song – the land of beauty and beautiful, Salceda said.

“Thus, it is an honor for Albay to host the Bicol homecoming of 2013 Miss International Bea Rose Santiago who was, until 15 years old, a resident of Cataingan, Masbate,” the Albay chief executive added. -PNA