John Wayne Alba has his sash. Mister Pilipinas Worldwide confirmed today that Alba formally received the Philippine sash at Mister International 2026’s Opening Ceremony and Press Conference in Bangkok, the ceremonial start of a pageant window that runs September 12 through 27 across Phuket and Bangkok, with the coronation itself set for September 26. Sash ceremonies rarely make news beyond a photo and a caption. Alba’s carries more weight than most, because of what happens if he actually defends it afterward. Kirk Bondad won Mister International 2025 in Nonthaburi last September, the Philippines’ second title in the pageant’s history after a first win in 2014. No Filipino man has ever defended this specific title back-to-back — not under the Thailand-based organization Bondad and Alba both compete through, the version that’s run the pageant since a 2022 leadership split divided it from a separate, Philippine-based lineage of the same name. A win for Alba on September 26 would turn Bondad’s 2025 title from an isolated result into the start of a streak. Who’s Under the Sash …