MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has a new set of Filipino men espousing “masculinity with responsibility” who will represent the country in different international male pageants.
Levin Arguelles of Tarlac inherited the Mister International Philippines title from Mark Kevin Baloaloa, while Tomas Peñaflor of Bataan received the Man of the World Philippines sash from John Paul Ocat.
Three new titles were awarded in this year’s edition of the 2019 Misters of Filipinas national pageant.
Gianluca Lanta from the Filipino community in Italy was hailed Mister Model Worldwide Philippines, Vandave Paragas from Pasig City was proclaimed Mister Tourism Culture Universe Philippines, while Kevin Jay Secoya from Cebu City was declared Mister Model Universe.
Completing the winners’ circle are first runner-up Joseph Xavier Pili of Tabaco City and second runner up Bonjour Adaza Jr. from Misamis Oriental.
Both Lanta and Paragas will gun for a back-to-back win for the Philippines in their international competitions, following the victories of Filipino kings Carlo Pasion and Yves Campos in the Mister Model Worldwide and Mister Tourism Culture Universe contests, respectively.
Pasion and Campos were winners in the 2017 Misters of Filipinas pageant, with different international assignments.
The Philippines has not won in the Manila-based Man of the World pageant, although has scored a victory in the Mister International contest, courtesy of hunk cop Neil Perez in 2014.
Twenty-two aspirants from different parts of the country and overseas Filipino communities competed in the 2019 Misters of Filipinas pageant.
/atm