Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Residents and tourists enjoyed a flower festival-like experience as the Miss Universe candidates paraded around Baguio City on Wednesday.
They boarded three large floats decorated with flowers. The floats stood for the main island groups of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
A fourth float was reserved for Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach.
Twenty-four of the 86 contestants participated in the event. Among them — Misses Australia, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Haiti, Kenya, Korea, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and Japan.
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Classes in all levels were suspended to give way for the much-awaited parade. It began in Upper Session Road and ended at the Baguio Country Club.
The contestants also enjoyed tree-planting and strawberry-picking.
They viewed a culture and arts exhibit featuring the works of filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik and Jordan Mang-osan.
Mang-osan said he is grateful for the chance to show his art as his way of promoting the culture of Cordillera.
The candidates also attended a gala dinner at the Baguio Country Club.
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CNN Philippines’ Nicolette Henson-Hizon contributed to this report
