Baguio sets honor rites for Ms Int’l, UFC, Wushu champs

For homegrown talents Versoza, Folayang, Wali 

BAGUIO CITY – This tourism resort will honor an international beauty titlist and world-class athletes who brought honor and pride to the city with their victories in various competitions over the past several weeks.

          Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said the local government is preparing a simple motorcade around the central business district for Kylie Verzosa, who was recently crowned 2016 Miss International in Tokyo, Japan once she comes home.

The beauty titlist was scheduled to come home yesterday.

          Also planned was presentation of  Ms. Verzosa to the people of Baguio during the regular Monday flag-raising ceremony at city hall on Nov. 28.

A similar motorcade and presentation will be done by the local government for Edward Folayang who won the Unified Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight belt after outclassing a seasoned Japanese fighter during a mixed martial arts tournament in Singapore last Nov. 11.

Another Baguio’s pride is Divine Wali, the first Filipino female to win the gold medal in the World Wushu Championship recently held in China.

          Domogan said the successive wins of Verzosa, Folayang and Wali in their respective competitions serve as inspiration for upcoming beauty aspirants and athletes to endeavor to match or even exceed the achievements of these home-grown talents.

           Folayang and Wali, who happen to be first cousins, trace their roots to Sadanga, Mountain Province and were students of the Baguio-based University of the Cordilleras (UC).

           Before shifting to mixed martial arts, Folayang was a wushu gold medalist in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.