Thread by @indiohistorian

#TodayinHistory in 1974, the Philippines hosted the Miss Universe beauty pageant for the first time, the first international event held in the newly built Folk Arts Theater in Manila, which only opened seven days prior. THREAD.

Since 1966, prior to the declaration of Martial Law, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos & First Lady Imelda Marcos earned strong criticism from SenatePH & people for having an "edifice complex," that is, pouring public funds on infrastructure at the expense of other more pressing priorities.

Much of these infrastructure, especially during the dictatorship (from 1972 to 1986), were funded largely by foreign loans, w/ most earnings & US war reparations received diverted to cronies of the regime. These incurred debts had to be shouldered by the next admins.

W/ Margie Moran winning the Miss Universe crown in 1973, the 2nd that #PH won, First Lady Imelda Marcos commissioned Nat'l Artist Leandro Locsin to design a covered proscenium amphitheater in the Brutalist architectural persuasion as part of the Cultural Center of PH complex.

Having been completed in record time of 77 days, the Folk Arts Theater was inaugurated on 7 July 1972. The concept in the design was a "sheltered plaza"—the largest single-span structure in #PH. It was intended for the Miss Universe event, to be hosted by #PH on 14 July.

From Beth Day Romulo: "[Imelda] believed the Miss Universe Pageant was so important to Manila that she took the funds earmarked for a new #PH National Museum, w/c was languishing on a couple of crowded floors of the old Senate bldg, solely for the purpose of staging this event."

#OnThisDay in 1974, 65 contestants of Miss Universe participated in the #PH's hosting of the international pageant. Amparo Muñoz of Spain won the crown, w/ Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran crowning Muñoz after the 2-hr telecast.

The rush in bldg infrastructure of this scale would be repeated, in the National Film Center in 1981, w/c caused a tragedy when on 17 Nov 1981, a scaffolding fell, burying 167+ workers in quick-drying cement. Rescuers were only allowed in the area 9 hrs after the incident.

It would be another 42 years before #PH again would gain the Miss Universe crown through Pia Wurtzbach's victory in the Miss Universe pageant in 2015. tmblr.co/ZtGCUx20nIzV-

Photos:
- Margarita Moran crowns Amparo Muñoz as Miss Universe 1974, from Missosology.info
- First Lady Imelda Marcos in front of @TheCCPofficial, designed by Leandro Locsin c. 1960s, from arkitektura.ph
- Folk Arts Theater, 22 Dec 1978, Beyond Forgetting Flickr

For @subselfie. @jmnualla @tonitiemsin