...the beauty plus brain

Miss Universe bet urges urban planning to stem floods, disasters

By ROBERT R. REQUINTINA

July 20, 2011

Manila Bulletin

2011 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Shamcey Supsup poses during a pictorial for the 2011 Miss Universe website at the Gateway Suites, Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City. (BPCI)

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s bet for the 2011 Miss Universe contest, who is also a topnotch architect, pushed Wednesday for urban planning to prevent flooding in the future.

“What we need is urban planning. The problem is, in some areas, hindi pinag-aralan yung development ng isang lugar. Kahit na alam natin na hindi pwede gawing residential yung isang area, pinatayuan pa rin (The development of some areas has not been well planned. Even if we know that a certain area cannot be turned into a residential zone, houses are still being built),’’ said 2011 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Shamcey Supsup during press briefing at the Gateways Suites, Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.

Supsup, who topped the board exams for architecture, said no amount of development will do in areas which were not carefully planned or studied. “Kahit tambakan yan ng lupa or pataasan ang mga roads, wala pa rin mangyayari kasi pupunta pa rin ang tubig sa mga bahay (Even if the roads are elevated, water will still reach the houses). Its gonna take a lot of effort and money para maayos lahat.’’

She called on local government units (LGUs) to focus on urban planning and implement laws, policies and ordinances to prevent disasters in the future. “We have so many policies, ordinances and laws on that. The problem is execution. I just hope that these laws are properly executed.’’

Supsup, 25, met the press a month before she leaves for the pre-pageant activities of the 2011 Miss Universe pageant to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 12, 2011.

Mrs. Stella Marquez de Araneta, chairwoman of the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., said the pictorial for the evening gown will be submitted to the Miss Universe Organization this week, as required by the organizers.

Araneta added that she is also open to an option for Supsup to be trained abroad, apart from the ongoing local trainings. She said she will soon decide on the matter.

2010 Miss Universe fourth runner-up Ma. Venus Raj said the architect-beauty queen is now ready for the international competition. “She’s ready for the competition,’’ said Raj, one of the trainers of Supsup. She has been training on catwalk, personality development, language, and history, among others.

Supsup, who graduated magna cum laude at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City, said she is not pressured by Raj’s successful standing in the Miss Universe contest in Nevada, USA, last year. “Definitely, I’m not pressured. But I’m inspired. I see it as an inspiration for me to succeed in the contest.

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