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Friday, March 29, 2024

Miss Universe visits wounded soldiers and HIV patients

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Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach brought cheers to wounded soldiers at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC) and HIV patients at V. Luna General Hospital in Quezon City during a Charity Day visit on Jan.27.

Accompanied by Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) chairman Stella Marquez Araneta, Wurtzbach shook hands and talked with some 40 soldiers recuperating at Heroes Ward 3A. She offered words of inspiration, asked about their condition and thanked them on their sacrifices to defend the country. Some of the soldiers were so excited and even felt nervous to see in person the Filipina Miss Universe while Wurtzbach seemed to enjoy hearing about their stories.

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach comforts Kurt Sebatian Balinagasa, 6, who suffers from biliary atresia, a rare disease of the liver and bile, during her visit at the AFP 

Armed Forces deputy chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina thanked Wurztbach for visiting the AFPMC, the first time that a Miss Universe who is a Filipina to take notice of the soldiers’ plight. “Her visit truly boosted the morale and uplifted the spirits of the soldiers as well as their families. We are really grateful to her for this once in a lifetime experience,” Fallorina said.

Col. Joseph M. Acosta, commander, AFP Medical Center head, said that the Miss Universe visit would be beneficial to the well being of their patients. Wurtzbach was presented with gifts consisted of a patch, a nameplate and Philippine flag. Patients and medical personnel were so happy to have their pictures taken with Wurtzbach. BPCI 

Wurtzbach also talked and cheered children from Smile Train, an organization providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. She also met with some persons who are HIV affected brought to the hospital in time of her visit as part of her activities as Miss Universe under the UNICEF HIV Program Committee.  

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Wurtzbach has said that she has chosen HIV awareness as one of her two personal advocacies, and she intend to take a HIV test in when she returns to New York to promote its importance and to help take out the stigma of HIV infections.

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