House to honor Wurtzbach

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will honor Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, who is returning to the country today.

Wurtzbach will visit the House on Jan. 26 to receive the Congressional Medal of Distinction from Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and other leaders of the chamber.

She will get a copy of the approved resolution conferring the medal.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and his brother Maximo, who represents party-list group Abante Mindanao, are the resolution’s principal authors.

Wurtzbach grew up in Cagayan de Oro City, which she will visit on Jan. 29 as part of her homecoming.

Officials of the city and Misamis Oriental, including the Rodriguez brothers and Mayor Oscar Moreno, will roll out the red carpet for Wurtzbach.

It was Rep. Rufus Rodriguez who proposed the Cagayan de Oro visit after noticing that it was not part of Wurtzbach’s homecoming itinerary.

“It will be a good time to showcase the Kagayanon hospitality and show the whole world that Cagayan de Oro is a peaceful, friendly, and a clean and highly developed city,” he said.

Wurtzbach was born in Germany to a German father and a Filipino mother. They later moved to Cagayan de Oro City, where she attended kindergarten and primary school. Her parents separated when she was just 11 years old.

She finished her secondary education at the ABS-CBN Distance Learning School in Quezon City and took up culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan.