PAMPANGA. Miss Earth International 2017 candidates join the Laus family headed by LGC Chairman and CEO Levy P. Laus and Director Tess Laus together with their children after their immersion in Pampanga on Tuesday. (Chris Navarro) CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Some 28 stunning ladies vying for the Miss Earth International 2017 title were in Pampanga on Monday to promote some of their advocacies concerning environmental protection and at the same time showcase their best at the swimsuit fashion and resort wear competition at the Laus Group Event Centre. The beauty queens, part of the 86-candidate entourage representing different countries in the world were welcomed by Laus Group of Companies (LGC) Executive Director Carisa Laus at Carworld Pampanga. The LGC headed by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Levy P. Laus was the chosen partner of Miss Earth International 2017 for its immersion activities here. The whole day activities kicked-off with a tree-planting at the Laus Group Complex as part of the pageant’s advocacy to preserve and protect Mother Earth. The candidates representing Australia, Austria, Crimea, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela and Wales planted Supa plant (herbal plant) and Ipil tree (flowering tree) along the Laus Group Boulevard. According to Miss Wales Sophie Beatrich, the tree planting activity is part of the pageant’s main objective of promoting the preservation of the environment through propagation of trees and plants. “Let us start with ourselves first. Personally, I live in a farm and I know how good it is to be in an eco-friendly place and I want to share it with everybody. Right now we are only 28 planting trees but if we all stand together, we can make a big difference for our Mother Earth,” she said. Aside from the tree-planting activity, the candidates also visited LausAutoGroup dealerships Ford Pampanga, Kia Pampanga and Chevrolet Pampanga. The ladies were toured around each dealership, from the reception to showroom and service centers, where they were given an overview of the automotive business. Miss Korea Hannah Lee, who visited the Kia Pampanga, expressed her delight over the warm patronage of Filipino with the Korean car brand. “I am so happy to see the cars in Korea being sold in the Philippines also. I actually took some photos to show them to my family when I get back there,” she said. Lee also noted of the warm hospitality of Filipinos, particularly the Laus family and LGC employees who made their tour worthwhile. After the dealership tour, a sumptuous lunch was served to the candidates at the Laus residence at St. Dominic Village in this city. The ladies, together with the whole Miss Earth 2017 team, enjoyed various Filipino food such as okoy, fried bangus (milkfish), kare-kare, grilled prawns and paco salad, among others. LGC Chief Operating Officer Lisset Laus-Velasco, for her part, said that LGC takes pride and honor in being the partner of the prestigious and global Miss Earth 2017. “We feel very honored and delighted to be hosting Miss Earth International 2017 in Pampanga. We’re excited about the whole event, especially about the pre-pageant,” she said. Laus-Velasco also noted of the competition’s main goal of promoting environmental awareness which makes it special among other international beauty pageants. “The reason why we supported them is because we wanted to showcase that these young ladies are not just about beauty and body but they have their own environmental advocacies which they promote and exercise,” she said. Being the LGC’s first year of hosting, Laus-Velasco said the company is looking forward to more partnerships in the future. The Miss Earth International 2017 is now on its 17th year and continues to build its reputation as the most relevant and worthwhile beauty pageant in world, setting a legacy of beauty and responsibility. The coronation night is set on November 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila where the total 86 candidates will vie for the one most prestigious title in the international arena.