From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella on Ms. Universe Pageant and Ms. Philippines Maxine Medina, 28, Jan. 2017

We convey our most heartfelt felicitations for all the Miss Universe candidates, and especially cheer and throw our support for the Miss Philippines candidate Maxine Medina who deserves all the moral boost she can get for working very hard and giving her best in a competition that promotes good will and friendship among nations.

As the country’s representative, Maxine is able to show the beauty, warmth, hope, and dignity of the Filipino. We are truly proud of her.

We are grateful for this honor of hosting the pageant, assured and confident that the 2016 Miss Universe experience has been joyful and memorable for all the candidates and our foreign guests. We invite them to come back and bring more of their friends to explore the various islands of the Philippines, ready to be astonished at the unexhausted beauty of each one, willing to be moved in every way by the fervent spirit of the Filipino people. Mabuhay!