28 January 2013 - A send-off press conference for the Miss Czech Republic 2013 finalists was held on January 22 at Le Patio Restaurant at Narodni Trida, Prague 2.

Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia was invited to grace the occasion for the 10 finalists of the Miss Czech Republic who will be arriving in the Philippines on January 24.

Prague 2In her remarks, Ambassador Garcia expressed pleasure over the Philippines’ hosting of Miss Czech Republic finalists during an auspicious year when the two countries are marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Philippine-Czech diplomatic relations. She noted that the future of the Philippines is projected to be bright, both in the economic and tourism fields.

She shared with the journalists attending the press conference the good news that the Philippines was recently awarded the “Best Tourist Destination" and “Most Romantic Destination" by a news daily in Shanghai while the World Bank declared the Philippines as the “World’s Center of Marine Biodiversity."

Ambassador Garcia expressed her hope that the finalists will enjoy the sun, sand and sea during their stay in the Philippines as a welcome break from the winter weather in the Czech Republic. She also expressed hope that they would discover the warmth, the unfading smile and hospitality of the Filipino people. She thanked the Philippine and Czech organizers, partners and sponsors of the Miss Czech Republic’s visit to the Philippines.

During the event, Miss Earth 2012 Tereza Fajksova, who is from the Czech Republic, spoke about her beautiful experiences when she was in the Philippines competing for the Miss Earth 2012 title. She described the Philippines as a “country of smiles."

Ambassador Garcia was joined by Embassy’s Cultural Officer Ramon A. Gaspar and Finance Officer Lourdes F. Morallos.

The press conference was attended by previous Miss Czech winners, journalists, and fashion editors. END