German-Filipina Imelda Schweighart wins Miss Philippines-Earth crown

A German-Filipino student based in Puerto Princesa City bagged the 2016 Miss Philippines-Earth crown in ceremonies held at the UP Theater in Quezon City Saturday night.

Imelda Bautista Schweighart, 21, bested 45 other aspirants from all over the country and from overseas Filipino communities to inherit the national crown.

She will try to secure a “three-peat” for the Philippines in the global Miss Earth pageant later this year.

Kiara Giel Gregorio from the Filipino community in London placed second and was proclaimed Miss Philippines-Air. She was also named Miss Hana Shampoo and Miss Oasis Dental.

Loren Artejos from Laoag was crowned Miss Philippines-Water while Shannon Rebecca Bridgman from Rosales, Pangasinan, was hailed as Miss Philippines-Fire.

Melanie Mader from the Filipino community in Vienna was proclaimed Miss Philippines-Ecotourism.

Schweighart is a veteran of beauty contests. She joined the Binibinibing Pilipinas in 2013, the same year 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach joined the said national tilt. She is the reigning Miss Puerto Princesa and placed second in the Miss Palawan pageant.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Cops probe blast at wharf near Palawan Underground River

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines—An explosion rocked the wharf near the Underground River on Monday while a flock of tourists were waiting for their turn to be transferred into motorized boats.

Inspector Freddie Taliman of the Puerto Princesa police told reporters the explosion occurred at 10:30 a.m. near the parking area of vans carrying tourists.

Nobody was reported injured in the blast but several vans were damaged by the explosion, he said.

Taliman said they were waiting for the arrival of investigators to conduct a deeper investigation into the incident.

He said they were still determining the type of explosive used in the blast.

Over a thousand tourists visit the Underground River on a daily basis, with applications for permits constantly increasing since the attraction was recently designated by a Swiss-based group as one of the world’s 7 new natural wonders.

The 8.2-kilometer navigable underground river, which is located around 50 kilometers north of this city features a limestone karst mountain landscape.

source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/163993/cops-probe-blast-at-wharf-near-palawan-underground-river