A total of 26 candidates vying for six prestigious titles were officially introduced during the Mister Pilipinas Worldwide 2025 press presentation at Okada Manila on Saturday, March 15.
The competition will determine the country’s representatives for international male pageants, including Mister Supranational, Mister International, Mister Global, Manhunt International, Mister Cosmopolitan, and Man of the Year.
Leading this year’s batch of aspirants is Kirk Bondad, a seasoned pageant competitor and Century Superbods 2022 winner, who recently finished Top 20 at Mister World in Vietnam. Representing Baguio, Bondad expressed confidence in his ability to handle the competition.
“I know under pressure, I will deliver. With me being in this industry and having a lot of experience, I can be just very calm and in the moment,” he said.
Joining him is Jether Palomo, the current Century Superbods 2024 champion and Taguig’s representative. Palomo, aiming for the Mister Supranational title, emphasized his role as a brand ambassador.
“As a current ambassador of my college, of Century Tuna, and other brands, I feel that it’s my biggest advantage. I know Supranational is looking for a good ambassador, so I’m hoping to be that person who can speak to the future and current generation,” he explained.
Another contender for Mister Supranational is Filipino-Italian waiter Giuseppe Agliano, who represents Italy in the competition.
“It’s not just about having a beautiful body and a beautiful face. It is also personality. I think it’s a great contest for me,” said Agliano, who also shared his admiration for the Filipino people and cuisine.
Meanwhile, Justine Quiocho, the representative from Binangonan, admitted that joining the competition was unexpected.
“Supposedly, I was just going to do my OJT (on-the-job training) at Empire, and they scouted me. So it’s all history from there,” he revealed.
“For now, it’s still a bit shocking for me because I’m not used to the lights and all this attention, but I’m getting the feel of it. I’m hoping for the best.”
This year’s competition is shaping up to be intense, as several candidates already boast international experience, similar to how the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 pageant has drawn veteran contenders.
Among them are:
- Kenneth Cabungcal (Dumaguete City) – 2024 Man of the World 1st Runner-up
- Jether Palomo (Taguig City) – 2023 Mister Tourism World 1st Runner-up
- Michael Angelo Toledo (Cebu City) – 2023 Mister Fitness Supermodel World 3rd Runner-up
- Raven Lansangan (Pampanga) – 2017 Mister International finalist
- Adding diversity to the roster is Quezon City’s representative, Lorenzo Bonoan, who is a husband and father, bringing a unique perspective to the male pageantry scene.
Mister Pilipinas Worldwide is organized by the same team behind the Miss Universe Philippines pageant and is responsible for selecting representatives for prestigious male competitions worldwide.
In 2024, the competition produced the country’s first-ever Mister Global winner, Dom Corilla, who won in Thailand. Other Filipino delegates also had remarkable placements:
- Brandon Espiritu – 3rd place, Mister Supranational
- Kenneth Stromsnes – 3rd place, Manhunt International: Male Supermodel
- Justine Ong – Top 6 finalist, Mister International
- Anthony Cunningham – Semifinalist, Man of the Year
- Emerson Gomez – Semifinalist, Mister Cosmopolitan
With such a strong history of international placements, the 2025 batch of candidates faces high expectations as they prepare for the national finals in April 2025, where the next set of Mister Pilipinas Worldwide titleholders will be crowned.
