THE HEAT IS ON for Misters of Pilipinas 2016, as 22 hunks out of the 35 called back for final screening were selected today at the grand callback held at House Manila club, Remington Hotel, Resorts World Manila, in Pasay City.

Organized by Prime Event Productions Foundation, Inc. (PEPPS), the Mister of Pilipinas pageant aims to select the next set of Filipino men to compete in international male pageants, including Mister International, Manhunt International, Man of the Year, Mister Globe, Mister Southeast Asia, and Man of the World, as well as the franchise’s newest addition, Mister Supranational.

PEPPS President Carlo Morris Galang said this is an exciting year for the pageant, which has been marred by controversy since its first staging in 2014. Among its successful products is Neil Perez, who won Mister International 2014. Last year, PEPPS hosted the staging of Mister International 2015 here in the Philippines.

Perez is among the judges who selected this year’s official candidates, alongside reigning 2015 Man of the Year Philippines Karan Singhdole and reigning 2015 Manhunt International Philippines Don Mcgyver Cochico. Singhdole and Cochico will compete in their respective international pageants in August and November of this year, respectively.

30 Official Candidates

This year’s edition of the pageant will have 30 official candidates in total. The 22 contestants selected today will be joined by eight more coming from Filipino communities abroad. All 30 will be presented to the media on August 28, three weeks ahead of the final competition, set for September 18 at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater.

Pardon the quality of this photo, taken on nothing more than a cellphone, but here are the 22 candidates selected today. To make sure we get it right, we’ll publish their names in our next update.

Read also: The Hot Guys of Misters of Pilipinas 2016 (Video)

This year’s batch isn’t without familiar faces. Last year’s first runner-up, AR Dela Serna, tried again this year and made the cut as one of the official delegates. Issa Janda, winner of the controversial Mister United Continents Philippines 2016 title but who has since resigned over mismanagement (including of his prize money) in that pageant, also made the list of official candidates. Then there’s reigning Mister Culture Asia Bob Royo and Miguel Guia of San Pablo, Laguna. Also in the running is CJ Querol, the gasoline boy whose photo went viral on social media just recently.

New Format

PEPPS President Carlo Morris Galang said a new format will be in place for this season, the pageant’s third edition.

“These guys are more than handsome faces and gorgeous bodies. They all have stories and backgrounds to tell. That is why this year, people can follow their journey through our web series which we will post in all our online media,” Galang said. “It will be interesting to see how these guys will transform before our eyes.”

This year’s set of contestants is a diverse one. While there’s another policeman in the group (policemen have done a great job in this pageant over the past years, with Perez and Cochico), there’s also a teacher, a windsurfer, a singer, a model, and a gasoline boy, among others.

Based on their physical appearance and their performance during the grand callback, we already have a few names in mind for our top contenders this year. We’ll be sharing our favorites with you in our next post.

Who do you think will win this year’s pageant? Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments.