Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana may accept the newly-crowned Miss Universe Catriona Gray into the ranks of military reservists, Manila Bulletin reported.
During a press briefing at the Department of National Defence (DND) building at Camp Aguinaldo, in Quezon City, he noted that if his tough schedule permits, he will talk to Catriona about the possibility, adding that it will be no less an honour for the whole defence ministry and the country’s armed forces in general if she goes to visit military camps thereby cheering up soldiers who stand on guard for their homeland.
“It would be an honor to have her visit our camps”, Lorenzana said.
The spokesman for the DND, Arsenio Andolong, also weighed in saying Catriona, in the event she chooses to, would be required to formally sign up for a position and go through the formal application procedure. He went on to say that the DND would be “more than happy to facilitate her entry if she expresses interest” in the role of a reservist.
Women’s service in the Philippine military is voluntary: while female candidates were initially given the right to serve solely in the reserve ranks and provide technical assistance, since 1993 they have been able to become cadets at the Philippine Military Academy and graduate as soldiers.
READ MORE: Philippines' Catriona Gray Crowned Miss Universe 2018 (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Catriona Gray is the fourth Filipina to have taken home the Miss Universe crown, with the previous one, Pia Wurtzbach, winning the iconic international beauty pageant back in 2015. However, her triumph, along with a fair bit of national pride and praise from the country’s president Rodrigo Duterte, has also surprisingly met loads of backlash, with her compatriots increasingly remarking Gray, who is of mixed Scottish and Filipino descent, doesn’t look Filipino enough.