MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to get Catriona Gray as tourism ambassador after her reign as Miss Universe.
This was revealed by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Monday during the launch of the refreshed tourism campaign.
Puyat said the president expressed intent to tap the 25-year-old beauty as tourism envoy during Gray’s courtesy call with Duterte last December.
“He actually said that after her (Gray's) term, [he] wants her to be like an envoy for tourism—tourism ambassador because she's really been…even before she won as Miss Universe she was already promoting our country and so it's but fitting,” she said.
The Department of Tourism is set to meet with Gray next week for a possible tourism promotion collaboration.
READ: DOT to meet with Catriona Gray for tourism promotion collaboration
Puyat said the agency has worked with Gray before when she visited tourist destinations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and featured it in her tourism videos prior to the Miss Universe pageant.
Gray, the fourth Filipina Miss Universe, is in the country for her grand homecoming events.