GENERAL SANTOS CITY – A huge crowd turned out on the streets of this city to greet Miss Universe 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup upon her arrival Tuesday morning aboard a private plane.
Shamcey was accompanied by Ella Antonino, younger sister of Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who led city officials in welcoming the beauty queen.
From the airport, Shamcey was treated to a motorcade that drove around the city’s main thoroughfares for three hours. Shamcey rode a specially-designed float together with her parents and the mayor.
Delighted city residents lined up the motorcade route and were unmindful of the searing heat of the noontime sun. They waited for several hours just to catch a glimpse of their townmate beauty titlist. And when Shamcey’s float passed by, they stomped their feet, waved their hands, chanted her name and took photos of the beauty queen.
“I thought the crowd which met me in Manila was the biggest. Now I realize, it was just a prelude to a much bigger crowd during my homecoming,” she said.
“Thanks for your prayers and support and for loving me. I love you all,” she added.
The motorcade ended at the oval plaza covered court.
The city government had prepared a “tribute variety show” at the General Santos City gymnasium in Barangay Lagao on Tuesday night.
During the show, Supsup is expected to show once again her “tsunami” walk.
Aside from musical presentations, the Miss Universe pageant will be shown.
Timoteo, Supsup’s father, said his daughter had already informed him that her first project here will be the improvement of their house in Barangay (village) Katangawan.
During a press conference earlier, Shamcey said she had agreed to do the design of the city government’s business and investments promotion center. Shamcey is an architect by profession.
City administrator Jose Mariano Gonzales said the budget for the construction of the city’s business and investments promotion building had already been included in the annual investment plan (AIP) of the city government.
“We have already a budget for that and we expect to save money because Shamcey pledged to do the design without cost,” Gonzales said.
Shamcey said she has been thinking of ways to help the city government and one thing that crossed her mind is to make architectural design for the city’s infrastructure project.
Shamcey also disclosed that Transportation and Communication Secetary Mar Roxas had asked her to do the design for the NAIA Terminal 3. Aquiles Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao