Hometown sets hero’s welcom to Ms. Eco-International 2018

LEYTE, Philippines — Residents of Macrohon town in Southern Leyte are overwhelmed themselves with excitement, and are now preparing for a grand hero's welcome for their townmate, 23-year-old Cynthia Magpatoc Thomallia, who was crowned Miss Eco-International 2018 in Cairo, Egypt, on April 28 (Philippine time).

Macrohon Mayor Alan Aroy said he would be coordinating with the provincial government to give Thomallia the best hero's welcome they could come up with. He will also look into the possibility of giving the local lass a handsome incentive from the LGU coffers.

Aroy said Thomallia's mother will immediately inform them when her daughter will come home, though he surmises it would be for a while yet, considering that she would be busy to attend to many events related to her victory.

Thomallia is half-German, half-Filipina but grew up in Macrohon, her home from Germany when she was still 10 years old. She also went to college at STI-Maasin in the capital city of Maasin.

Aroy narrated that, together with Macrohon residents, they watched the pageant over livestreaming at the municipal gym. They only went home by 8 a.m., after Thomallia was announced the winner.

The mayor said he and the Macrohonons are happy that Thomallia has brought Macrohon into the world stage. She was Miss Eco-Tourism of the Miss World Philippines pageant, and her advocacy has been to promote sustainable tourism. Her video portfolio, presented at the event, was shot in Ormoc City and Macrohon, which she said were already practicing sustainable eco-tourism.

Robert Castañares, a resident of Macrohon and former governor of the Eastern Visayas Chamber of Commerce, said he is happy with Thomallia's win. "Cynthia has gone a long way from a pretty local lass to an international queen," he said, adding that she was his model for his Kuting Reef Resort, which was featured in the regional Eight Magazine.

Macrohon is a 4th class municipality in Southern Leyte, with a population of around 28,000.