January | 2016 | The Adobo Chronicles

Commissioner Henares and the Miss Universe crown

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – When newly-crowned Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach sets foot on her native Philippines, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will be waiting for her at the VIP lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airpoirt (NAIA) in Manila.

The tough-talking tax woman, Kim Henares, is eagerly awaiting Wurtzbach’s return from New York where the beauty queen is currently doing some photo shoots and social events sponsored by the Miss Universe Organization.

Henares wanted to personally make sure that the appropriate taxes are collected from Wurtzbach.

The new Miss Universe crown reportedly costs $300,000. Weighing 411 grams, the crown has 33 Bohemian crustals, 5 large blue topaz stones, 198 dark blue sapphire stones, 311 diamonds, and a base made from 18-karat white gold.

Henares estimates that the tax due from the crown will be about 30% of the cost, or $90,000. In local currency, that would amount to almost 4 Million pesos.

“That would be a big boost to the government’s treasury,” Henares said.

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – It’s 2016 and Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino has delivered his last New Year’s message to the Filipino people. His term ends in June after his successor is elected in the upcoming May presidential elections.

Like most heads of state, Aquino outlined his administration’s accomplishments and in no uncertain terms, he listed his top legacy as the grand slam of international beauty pageant crowns that the Philippines has achieved, especially in 2015.

In the year just passed, the Philippines won six international beauty pageant crowns: Miss Universe, Miss Globe, Miss Earth, Miss Scuba International, Miss International Beauty, and Miss Tourism Queen of the Year.

“Sa ilalim ng aking administrasyon, nakamit na natin and pinakamimithi nating karangalan bilang pangunahing bansa sa pandaigdigang timpalak kagandahan.” he said. (Under my administration, we have achieved our goal and honor of being the leading country in the field of world beauty contests).

In addition to the 2015 crowns, the Philippines also won the coveted titles of Miss World, Miss International, Miss Supranatipnal, not to mention the country’s consistent standing in international pageants as among the top 10, and oftentimes top 5, finalists. And these all happened under the Aquino administration.

Aquino is known to many as a connoisieur of beauty and was once rumored to be dating Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the newly-crowned Miss Universe.