MANILA, Philippines -- President Benigno Aquino III will have the chance on Tuesday afternoon to personally congratulate this year's Binibining Pilipinas title holder Venus Raj for her fourth-place win in last week's Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas.

The 22-year-old Raj will pay a courtesy call to President Aquino in Malacañang at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

But Palace officials had only scheduled Raj's courtesy call to Mr. Aquino, which will be held at the Palace music room, as a photo opportunity for the media.

Raj landed fourth in the Aug. 24 Ms Universe pageant. Miss Mexico won the title.

Her runner-up finish (morning of Aug. 24 in Manila), the first for the country in a decade, was a bright spot for a gloomy, grief-stricken nation coming to grips with the bloodbath in the Aug. 23 hostage drama at the Quirino Grandstand. Eight Hong Kong tourists and their hostage taker, dismissed Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza, were killed, after an 11-hour standoff.