(The Manila Times) THE government has allowed the holding of the coronation night of the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 from September 26 to October 1 in Bohol, Malacañang announced on Friday.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) reached the decision following a meeting on Thursday.

“The IATF approved the request of the Miss Universe Philippines to hold its grand coronation event in Bohol from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, 2021, subject to health and safety protocols and approval of the Provincial Government of Bohol,” Roque said.

Thirty contestants were slated to compete, but Davao City’s Ybonne Ortega and Zamboanga’s Joanna Maria Rabe had to withdraw for health reasons.

In a Facebook post over the weekend, organizers announced changes in its schedule for pre-pageant activities.

The national costume competition was set on September 23, followed by preliminary interviews (September 24), the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown contests (September 26), and the last day of voting on the e-commerce platform Lazada (September 29).