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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
“
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| 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 |
“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.
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| .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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