Students skipped school to watch Miss Universe in Tacloban

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach crowns the 2016 Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere from France on Jan. 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia in Manila. Filipinos from all walks of life, who are huge beauty pageant fans, stayed glued to their TV as 86 candidates competed for the crown. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — Several schools noticed a drop in attendance on Monday during the live telecast of Miss Universe pageant.

A school teacher at the Leyte National High School, Valente Tayanes, said that while there was no suspension of classes, many students did not attend their classes.

“We did not suspend the classes but there were students who did not attend their school today,” said Tayanes, a science teacher.

The live telecast of Miss Universe riveted and brought much excitement to the city and the rest of the country, but not to Ana Gade, 43.

Her main concern was the assistance she had yet to receive from the government for the damage brought by supertyphoon “Yolanda” (International name: Haiyan) three years ago.

Gade was among the hundreds who trooped to the City Hall on Monday to submit requirements for the P5,000 in financial assistance to those who were wounded during Yolanda.

“But who won? Did our candidate make it?” she asked.

Chief Insp. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, regional police information officer, said she was not among those who watched the telecast because of work.  SFM/rga