Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Miss World team visits PGH “Beauty with a Purpose” ward

Miss World team visits PGH “Beauty with a Purpose” ward
By JAY PATAO
Photos by Melvin Sia & Bruce Casanova

THE reigning Miss World and Mr. World visited the Philippine General Hospital’s “Beauty with a Purpose” ward, a the newly-operating hematology and oncology pediatric isolation area yesterday.
Miss World 2015 Mireia Lalaguna from Spain and Mr. World 2015 Rohit Khandelwal from India, together with Miss World Organization (MWO) executive director Steve Douglas, are on the Asian leg of their “”Beauty with a Purpose” tour that included visits to China and Hong Kong, as well as to Korea (after their Manila visit).

Also present during the visit were: Miss World national director Cory Quirino, PGH Medical Foundation chairman Dr. Greg Alvior as well as other members of the board, and Miss World Philippines 2016 Catriona Gray who will vie for the 66th Miss World finals in Washington, DC on December 20.

Ms. Alice Eduardo, CEO of Sta. Elena Construction & Development Corporation, donated the P10 million ward for terminally-ill cancer-stricken children. It was inaugurated last year by Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Miss World 2014 Rolene Strauss from South Africa, MWO chairman Julia Morley and Ms. Quirino.

The new “Beauty with a Purpose” ward is now fully operational to attend to 30 immuno-compromised children. According to Dr. Alvior, the mortality rate of the patients has been reduced dramatically.

Ms. Quirino said that they have permanently adopted flagship projects through PGH Medical Foundation and the Tuloy Streetchildren Village Foundation led by Fr. Rocky Evangelista.

Lalaguna and Khandelwal expressed their sincerest thanks and gratitude for the warm welcome they have received from Filipinos during their 3-day stay in Manila. In unfaltering Tagalog, Lalaguna, a graduating Pharmacy student from Barcelona, surprised everyone and said: “Magandang umaga sa inyo, Masaya ako dito. Salamat sa inyo.” Khandelwal, who is from Hyderabad and his country’s first Mr. World noted that Filipinos are the happiest people on earth. “I am always amazed at the warmth and friendliness of Filipinos everywhere I go during my global tour as Mr. World.”

“MWO led by Ms. Julia Morley is always happy to be here in the Philippines, one of her favorite countries where its “Beauty with a Purpose” advocacy come into fruition with well-meaning and well-caring people like Ms. Alice Eduardo, Dr. Alvior, Fr. Evangelista, and Ms. Cory Quirino. You can be sure we will be back in Manila very soon,” Steve Douglas added.


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