Stormy weather fails to dampen warm welcome for Megan Young
Miss World Megan Young motorcades through Makati and the Mall of Asia in Pasay to warm cheers from an appreciative crowd who dismissed the rain-spawned by typhoon “Santi” Friday, Oct. 11, 2013. Video by INQUIRER.net
Rather than fret about the inclement weather, Miss World 2013 Megan Young “worried” about the people who cheered on and welcomed her during her victory parade in Makati City on Friday, according to Cory Quirino, chair of Miss World Philippines.
“She was worried they might get sick,” Quirino said. “But then she realized that they merely wanted to show how much they loved her,” the pageant official added.
So touched was the country’s first Miss World by the crowd’s adulation that she decided to stand from her comfortable perch on the flower-bedecked float to wave at the crowd and blow them kisses, Quirino said.
Clad in a modern red terno that provided a cheerful contrast to the gray skies, Young was stunned “speechless” by the “warm welcome” that defied the rains, Quirino added.
“She was surprised (to see) people standing on top of buildings (along Ayala) and showering her with confetti,” the local franchisee of Miss World recounted.
COME RAIN OR HIGH WATER Gray skies and bad weather couldn’t stop the crowd from coming out to cheer on Miss World Megan Young, who gamely blows a kiss to fans and supporters during her victory parade along Ayala Avenue on Friday. RAFFY LERMA
Young, who bested 126 beauty queens from around the world to win the coveted crown in Bali, Indonesia, on Sept. 28, arrived on Thursday afternoon from London, where she will reside until the end of her reign.
The festive parade was escorted by a marching band, motorcycle cops and vintage cars, but had to be cut short because of the rains and the buildup of traffic, according to Quirino.
“We took a car and went straight to SM Mall of Asia (in Pasay City), because Megan wanted to greet the fans who had gathered at the Atrium,” Quirino said. “She apologized for causing traffic jams, but realized it was a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
After spending half an hour at the Mall of Asia where Young profusely thanked her supporters in Filipino, the 23-year-old beauty queen headed back to the hotel and called it a night.
“Our baby’s sleeping now,” Quirino told the Inquirer.
Young definitely needed the shut-eye because of her full schedule this weekend, according to the pageant official.
She will be feted in a grand homecoming in her hometown, Olongapo City, on Saturday, and will be guesting on a GMA 7 show, “Sunday All Stars.” A visit to the Tulay Streetchildren Foundation tomorrow has also been scheduled.
On Monday, the beauty queen is set to visit the Philippine General Hospital pediatrics ward, one of the pet charities of Miss World.
A planned courtesy call on President Aquino this Monday has not been confirmed at presstime.
“We haven’t received word from Malacañang yet,” Quirino said.
On Tuesday, Young will be flying to Jakarta. With a report from Julliane Love de Jesus, Inquirer.net
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