EX-PINOY BIG BROTHER housemate Hermes Bautista of San Fernando, Pampanga, won Mister Universe Philippines 2016, a ticket to represent the Philippines at the upcoming Male Model Universe 2016 in the Dominican Republic later this year.

The 30-year-old Bautista bested 23 other hunks from around the country on the final night of the controversial pageant, held at Tanghalang Pasigueño on Thursday, April 14. The Mister Philippines pageant is fresh from a one-year hiatus following a bitter intellectual property rights dispute with rival male pageant Misters of the Philippines, now Misters of Filipinas.

Whether Bautista’s win is a desperate move by the pageant to make some noise after being eclipsed by other male pageants in the country that produced big winners in recent years, it’s up to the public to judge. One thing is clear: ABS-CBN, owner of the PBB local franchise where Hermes was a contestant in 2010, supports the pageant. TV host Boy Abunda was part of the program and conducted a talk-show-style casual interview with the semi-finalists.

Aside from the overall winner, two other titles were given to chosen hunks. Mark Louie Bornilla of Bulacan bagged the Mister Global Philippines 2016 title, giving him the chance to compete in Mister Global 2016 in Thailand on May 6. He departs for the contest on April 27. Marikina’s Nico Angelo Dela Paz was named Mister Tourism Philippines 2016.

Other winners include:

Mister Philippines The Sun (First Runner-Up) – Ralph Otivar (Leyte)
Mister Philippines The Star (Second Runner-Up) – Isahia Thomas Anselmo (Mindoro)
Mister Philippines Star Teen 2016 – Hikari Sanshiro Arai (Isabela)
Mister Global Teen Philippines 2016 – Joaquin Rodolfo Rosallosa (Angeles City)

Improved, Yet Still Boring

So how was the pageant, really? We witnessed the almost four-hour competition and noted the following as things happened.

It had a slow, boring opening that started late, at 10pm, but the show managed to meet the audience’s expectations once the boys appeared on stage and the 15 semi-finalists were announced. Bautista’s supporters are to be thanked for the noise; without them, the show would have been really boring.

The 24 contestants first competed in festival costume, swimwear, formal wear, and talent, all held in advance but presented, along with the announcement of winners, in the first part of the show. In the second part, the semi-finalists competed in swimwear and formal wear: a total copy of the Miss Universe format.

The 15 semi-finalists came from Leyte, Pangasinan, Cauayan, Angeles, Baguio, Marikina, Isabela, Dasmariñas, Bulacan, Laguna, Mindoro, Cordillera, Nueva Ecija, and San Fernando.

Mister Dasmariñas Cristel John Rada advanced to the semi-finals after winning Mister Charity, with Misters Tagum and San Fernando winning silver and bronze, respectively. The Dasmariñas lad also won Best in Festival Costume, while San Fernando won Best in Swimwear and Best in Formal Wear. Mister Photogenic is Palawan, Mister Culture Asia is Cordillera, Mister Blackwater is candidate number 6, and Mister Sogo is number 9.

The Interview Round

Trimming 25 candidates down to 15 gorgeous hunks was easy, we believe, but getting through the semi-finalists’ interview was harder. Talk show host Boy Abunda took the stage for a casual interview that helped gauge the guys’ intellect and personality.

The questions ranged from love, life, and favorite food to homosexuality, gay love, HIV, and issues on tax and corruption. Pro that he is, Abunda made the segment the highlight of the show.

For a male pageant that seems to have forgotten, and failed, to produce quality personalities in past years, help from celebrities like Abunda and gimmicks like this are a must.

Aside from Bautista, Mister Dasmariñas Rada also made a name for himself by winning several special awards, and his facial features gave him enough of an advantage. Based on the casual Q&A, however, San Fernando, Angeles City, and Laguna stood out, while several others gave honest, sincere answers worth noting.

When the final 7 were announced, the spots went to Leyte’s Ralph Otivar, Bulacan’s Mark Louie Bornilla, Mindoro’s Isahia Thomas Anselmo, Angeles City’s Joaquin Rodolfo Rosallosa, Isabela’s Hikari Sanshiro Arai, Marikina’s Nico Angelo Dela Paz, and San Fernando’s Hermes Bautista.

The final question-and-answer round determined the winners. But judging from it and/or their overall performance, Mister Angeles City should have won a title and represented the country internationally.

Overall, the Mister Philippines 2016 pageant somehow improved on the lousy competition the organization conducted two years ago, but there’s definitely a lot to improve on compared with PEPPS’ Misters of Filipinas.

With the birth of other male pageants like Mister United Continents Philippines and Gentlemen of the Philippines, we can only expect a more colorful male pageantry from now on. For sure, incompetent male pageants will have a hard time surviving, to say the least.