Abel Iloko take center stage with Miss U beauties

Approved by the Miss Universe Organization, the abel ternos with a touch of some local materials were proudly worn by Miss Philippines (Pictured) along with other candidates from Belgium, Brazil, British Virgin Island, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Guatemala, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Thailand, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam. (Photo: Heritage City of Vigan, Philippines/ Facebook)

VIGAN CITY—A hand-woven textile distinctive to Ilocanos stand out with glitz and glamor along with twenty Miss Universe candidates as they wore this as terno in a cultural fashion show at the World Heritage Site of Vigan City on Sunday evening.

Walking through with elegance and pride at the preserved Hispanic colonial houses lining the cobblestoned stretch of Calle Crisologo for which the city was accalimed as the only UNESCO world heritage city in the Philippines, the candidates showcased these custom-made gowns made by top Filipino designers in Metro Manila and Ilocos region during the event.

Truly a world-class fashion, local government units and other private and non-government organizations here had been promoting the abel textile as a trademark of the Ilocano ingenuity.

For centuries, this fabric has not been given much attention until a lot of fashion designers, including the famous ones, started to use this product known for its quality.

Approved by the Miss Universe Organization, the abel ternos with a touch of some local materials were proudly worn by Miss Philippines along with other candidates from Belgium, Brazil, British Virgin Island, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Guatemala, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Thailand, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Cheers and yells from crowds of local residents and visitors welcomed the Miss Universe beauties as they arrived in Vigan City.

Vigan City Mayor Juan Carlo Medina said they are grateful for hosting the event to further promote the abel industry and the city as premiere tourist destination.

For the first time, Vigan City hosted this big international event with a huge success.