Less than a month before she is to compete for the Miss Universe crown, Miss New Zealand-Universe Tania Dawson took time to visit her mom’s hometown in Pangasinan.
Despite the busy itinerary crafted by the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) for all the candidates, Tania was able to squeeze in a quick 2-day visit to a town in Lingayen, where her mother was born.
A photo posted by MISS UNIVERSE NZ 2016, Tania (@tpdgurl) on
Tania’s mom Margarita Garcia Palabay, was born and spent her childhood in Barangay San Vicente in Santa Maria. She then moved to Baguio City when she was in high school and she met Tania’s father when she started working. As the report goes, Margarita migrated to New Zealand in the 1980s, where they raised their three sons and only daughter, their youngest Tania.
According to an Inquirer report, Tania had e-mailed Doris Ramos, the municipal tourism officer regarding her intended visit. She also expressed her interest in paying a courtesy call to Mayor Teddy Ramos and Gov. Amado Espino III.
A photo posted by MISS UNIVERSE NZ 2016, Tania (@tpdgurl) on
However, the MUO (MUO) initially didn’t give Tania permission to veer away from the set schedule for candidates.
“[MUO] gave us certain requirements that were impossible for us to comply with,” revealed Doris Ramos to the Inquirer. “But we have prepared everything, including Tania’s itinerary and welcome tarpaulins.”
Based on Tania’s recent Instagram post, however, it seems that the visit did push through, but it was not the first time the Kiwi beauty would have visited her mom’s hometown.
Learn more about her 2012 visit on the next page
According to the Inquirer, Tania stayed at their grandparents’ ancestral house in Sta. Maria, Pangasinan back in 2012. Accompanying her were her mom and three older brothers.
Tania’s grandfather described the 24-year-old beauty queen to the Inquirer as polite, respectful, and committed to speaking better Tagalog.
A photo posted by MISS UNIVERSE NZ 2016, Tania (@tpdgurl) on
She also enjoyed Filipino food, particularly boiled camote (sweet potato) tops, santol, and siniguwelas
She would walk to the town proper, where she charmed the townspeople who eventually dubbed her “Marimar”, after the popular Mexican telenovela character.
While in the Philippines, she also visited Alaminos City and Boracay, where relatives predicted she would become a beauty queen one day.
READ: Proud mom of Pia Wurtzbach reveals why she wasn’t at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant
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