Vanessa Hudgens announced as global tourism ambassador for the Philippines
Vanessa Hudgens is now a global tourism ambassador for the Philippines.
The actress was conferred the honorary title at the Malacañang Palace on Thursday, March 30, presented by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications Secretary Paul Soriano.
In an official statement, the Philippine government said that the honorary title puts the spotlight on "exceptional and outstanding individuals for their contributions to help promote the Philippines as one of the world’s best tourism destinations.”
“Through this, we look forward to working with Ms. Hudgens in delivering the message that the Philippines will always strive to give the world our best,” it read.
Vanessa is a Filipino-American actress who became famous for portraying the role of Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical film series. Her other films include The Princess Switch, The Knight Before Christmas, and Tick, Tick… Boom!
The actress arrived in the country on Saturday, March 25 to shoot a travel documentary, which will look into her relationship with her sister Stella as well as her Filipino mom Gina, who chose to move to the United States when she was 25 years old.
“I feel like ours is such a relatable story to so many women all over the world. The more that we can share, the more we can lift each other up,” she said in a statement about the upcoming film, which will be produced and directed by Paul Soriano.
The Fil-Am beauty has long expressed her desire to showcase her Filipino roots and share them with a bigger audience. “My mom is from the Philippines, and growing up, there weren’t really that many women who looked like me and my mom and my family onscreen. It’s so important to share all the different stories because America is a massive melting pot, [just like the] world,” she said in a 2021 interview with Glamour UK.
Just recently, Vanessa was spotted enjoying the summer weather in El Nido, Palawan.