Davao to host Miss Tourism International pageant another time, not this year
Miss Tourism International 2024 Lianna Barrido (left) and Miss Tourism International owner Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi (second from left) with Mutya ng Pilipinas President Cory Quirino (center), Miss Global 2025 4th runner-up Xena Ramos (second from right), and Mutya ng Pilipinas Chair Fred Yuson. Image: INQUIRER.net/Armin P. Adina
The Miss Tourism International pageant was supposed to hold its 2025 world final in Davao City. But the global tilt’s staging in Mindanao will not push through as planned.
Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi, owner of the Malaysia-based international pageant, made the announcement at an event hosted by the Mutya ng Pilipinas Organization in Makati City on Thursday night, May 22.
The Malaysian pageant owner flew to Manila upon the invitation of Mutya ng Pilipinas Chair Fred Yuson, who brought him to Davao where the 2025 competition was originally planned to be held.
“We’re supposed to have the world final in Davao. I went to see the place, Fred personally invited me to. I’d love to do the world final in the Philippines, in Manila, this year. We’ll probably bring it next year, as a host,” Ooi said.
Also at the event with Ooi and Yuson were reigning Miss Tourism International Lianna Barrido and Mutya ng Pilipinas President Cory Quirino.
The national pageant organization gathered members of the media to celebrate Mutya ng Pilipinas-Charity 2024 Xena Ramos’ fourth runner-up placement in the 2025 Miss Global pageant.
Several other Mutya ng Pilipinas titleholders and winners from other national pageants also came to fete Ramos for her accomplishment.
In January, the Mutya ng Pilipinas Organization also flew Ooi to Manila for the announcement of what was supposedly the first time for Davao to host an international pageant.
Yuson said they had spoken to Ooi during the 2024 Miss Tourism International pageant in Malaysia to explore possible partnerships between the two organizations.
“So this year we will make an announcement on where the world final will be held. In the meantime, there are a lot of plans, I will let him (Fred) announce,” Ooi said.
The Philippines is the best-performing country in the Miss Tourism International pageant with six Mutya ng Pilipinas queens bringing home the crown — Peachy Manzano (2000), the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez (2012), Angeli Dione Gomez (2013), Jannie Alipo-on (2017), Cyrille Payumo (2019) and Barrido. /ra
