Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray has been declared the new champion of Laguna heritage products after she visited the province over the weekend.
The Filipino-Australian beauty queen, who was named the “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) Philippines ambassador in July, was in Laguna on August 29, 2020, to showcase the province’s products.
Gray was declared an “Adopted Illustrious Daughter of Laguna” by the provincial government.
“Raise Your Flag LAGUNA!!” Catriona excitedly shared with her followers on social media.
The fourth Miss Universe titleholder from the Philippines revealed that, because of the coronavirus disease pandemic, she and her team had to change their initial plan of making rounds to different regions to promote local products and culture.
The home province of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal is first on their list.
“Back at the beginning of the year, my team and I had planned trips to the regions of Philippines to further highlight and showcase our Filipino culture,” the Filipino-Australian beauty recounted.
“The first half of this year unfolded, that was just not possible,” she went on. “Now, with so much of the community feeling the effects of the pandemic, I feel that my #RaiseYourFlag series has an even bigger purpose.”
The Filipino pride and beauty icon who is also the Arts Ambassador of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, also shared photos of her visit to Laguna, the time she marveled and tried the traditional embroidery, and local native delicacies.
She said: “As @otop.philippines Ambassador, I am lending my platform to our Filipino small businesses, MSMEs and entrepreneurs to give them a hand up, to showcase their talent, creativity and ingenuity along with their stories in hopes that we can overcome the challenges, together.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdADO8g7xS/
Catriona said she and her team underwent COVID-19 swab testing prior to their Laguna cultural adventure.
She also reminded everyone to still follow the safety precautions to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus by washing hands, wearing a mask, and observing physical distancing.
Burdang Lumban from Laguna had earlier created heritage face masks inspired by Jose Rizal’s novels.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to Catriona Gray, the new champion of Laguna heritage products!
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