Miss Intercontinental Karen Gallman eager to promote Bohol

UBAY, Bohol- Miss Intercontinental 2018 Karen Juanita Gallman is ready to take on the task of promoting tourism in the country, with Bohol province as her launching ground.

The adoring crowd jammed Ubay’s streets
and snapped pictures of Karen Gallman,
the first Filipina to win the Miss Intercontinental
title during the homecoming parade in Ubay,
Bohol on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. Photos by Leo Udtohan

Gallman, back in her home-province after winning the country’s first Miss Intercontinental crown, said she wants to share with the world the beauty and wonder Bohol has to offer.

 Bohol, the 10th largest island, is the home of the world-famous Chocolate hills, the smallest primate tarsier and miles of white-sandy beaches.

“Of course, now that I have a platform and I have this voice that a lot of people will and can listen to, I can always showcase the beauty of Bohol. And I love that too to show everyone how beautiful Bohol is. Everyone should visit, it is such a beautiful island,” she told VRS.  

At the Bohol Dairy Farm in this town which was part of her homecoming on Tuesday afternoon, Gallman loves yogurt, a product made by local farmers. Since Bohol positioned as dairy hub in her hometown, she would like to promote including other local products and other sights and sounds of the province.

Her other advocacy is better education in the rural areas.

At past 1 p.m. on Tuesday (March 5, 2019) hundreds of thousands lined the streets as residents here welcomed home Gallman who won the first Miss Intercontinental for the country after 46 long years.

Gallman, 26, rode a float that snaked through streets in the town, at least 124 km from the capital city of Tagbilaran.

She basked in loud chants and cheers as she was welcomed by her fellowmen and pageant enthusiasts during the parade.

There was no parade for Gallman in the city.

Her two-day trip to Bohol province was sponsored and organized by the municipal government of Ubay headed byMayor Constantino Reyes and Bohol 2nd district Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, a relative of Gallman.

For Karen Gallman (of course, with your VRS),
the first Filipina who won the first Miss
Intercontinental title, home is where the heart is. 

People stepped out of their schools and offices to wait on both sides of the normally busy streets in Barangay Poblacion, snapped pictures of Gallman, the first native of Bohol to win an international title.

Some fans unfurled tarpaulins, carried cutouts of a pageant crown and face of her, congratulating her for bringing honor to the province while waving flaglets of the Philippines during the parade.

Gallman, however, had only sash during the parade since the original crown was in Panama.

As for Ubay native Leah Cutamora, she's happy to finally see Gallman in flesh but hopeful that the latter would be back soon.

 "I admire her and she's an inspiration to us. She deserves all what she has now as the first Filipina to win the crown," she said.

Police and traffic aides were deployed to keep order and secure a parade route of about 1 km that began at the town hall and would end at the gymnasium for the two-hour program a fitting welcome and recognition to the new queen.

Gallman received a plaque of appreciation and a cheque from the municipal government of Ubay through Mayor Constantino Reyes.

She elicited chants from the crowd when she seized the moment with her attention-grabber catwalk.

“

Miss Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman
with her relative Bohol 2nd district Rep. Erico
Aristotle Aumentado and wife Vanessa
during her homecoming. Photo by Leo Udtohan

It feels so good to be back home. This is my hometown and I always love to coming back to Ubay and Bohol. I just feel at home,” said Gallman, who was born and raised in Ubay town.

“I am also overwhelmed by all the supporters. Grabeh I have no words, I want to thank Congressman Aris Aumentado and his beautiful wife, and also the Ubay LGU and also si Mayor Constantino Reyes, for facilitating this homecoming, for letting me experience this and it is such a memorable experience that I will never forget,” she added.

Former Bohol beauty queen Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado, one of the organizers of the homecoming, said that Gallman brought pride and joy to the Boholanos.

She said Gallman is the epitome of beauty, determination and passion that Boholanos were really inspired by her.

“All the people are very happy, overwhelmed. I saw it she really served as an inspiration to all of us especially the young ones, grabeh jud ang impact nga gihatag ni Karen,” she said.

She said Gallman’s traits such as being loving; kind, sweet and God-fearing gave her the chance to be where she is now.

“Kahibaw nako nga (I knew) one day she would become a queen. Behind the pretty face, I always see she has a beautiful soul,” said Vanessa.

Gallman, who was crowned Miss Ubay 2007, was born to Gavin William Gallman, a retired Australian soldier, and Ubay native Editha Boyonas.

.Karen Gallman with Ubay Mayor Constantino Reyes.
Photo by Leo Udtohan

She first joined Binibining Pilipinas in 2012 at the age of 19 and made it to the top 12 of the beauty pageant and was also named Miss Photogenic of the batch. She worked as an operations analyst in a London company for two years before trying her luck again in 2018.

She speaks the Visayan language fluently with her thick Boholano accent.

Her mother, she said, trained her and her siblings to speak Visayan and embrace the Filipino way even if they lived in Brisbane, Australia.

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