Hot Filipino Men

Raphael Carlos, Mr. Philippines-Int'l 2010

2010-09-05T01:19:00.002+08:00

From left: Roger Valdez, Ericzon Sola, Raphael Carlos, Ruel Posas, Darwich Saulog

It was a relief to see Raphael Carlos of Marikina City winning Mr. Philippines-International 2010, just when the pageant was perilously veering towards an outcome that favored the hometown boys.

Among the 10 semifinalists, Raphael was among the few who looked comfortable during the interview portion. He said discipline and perseverance were the most important lessons he learned by joining the pageant.

Ruel Posas of Cavite, who fumbled and mumbled his answer during the interview, was first runner-up. His fellow Caviteno, Darwich Saulog, was third runner-up. Ericzon Sola of Laguna, who was named Best in Swimwear, was second runner-up. Roger Valdez of La Union rounded out the top five.
Raphael won the title over 20 others on September 4 in Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park, Kawit, Cavite. The pageant, which is on its third year in the country, is under a new franchisee and was staged in partnership with the local tourism office. Previous winners of the international competition -- Bruno Kettels of Bolivia and Ngo Tien Doan of Vietnam -- graced the event.
From left, Bruno Kettels, Raphael Carlos, Ngo Tien Doan

Heatwave: Raymond Fortunado

2010-06-12T22:57:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: Migz Enriquez

2010-06-11T22:53:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: John Mark Marcia

2010-06-10T22:50:00.001+08:00

Heatwave: Enrico Sarmiento

2010-06-09T22:46:00.001+08:00

Heatwave: Don Velasco

2010-06-08T22:42:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: Paolo Esteban

2010-06-07T22:37:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: R-Jay Basbas

2010-06-06T22:17:00.001+08:00

Heatwave: Sephore de la Cruz

2010-06-05T22:49:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: Jachin Trillo/Delovieres

2010-06-04T22:37:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: Jake Mendoza

2010-06-03T22:28:00.001+08:00

Heatwave: Paul Duque

2010-06-02T22:28:00.000+08:00

Heatwave: James Versoza

2010-06-01T23:04:00.002+08:00

Heatwave's claim to fame is naming as its male winner a relative newbie in male pageants named Harry Chua, who later on starred in a gay-themed indie film (sporting a new name: Harry Laurel), posed near-naked in a magazine and kept the rumor mills running as to his whereabouts. That was a few years back. On June 13, Sunday, the Starmall group's bikini showdown will be choosing a new winner from among a dozen men who we hope will have a longer shelf life than his predecessor.
Take a closer look at these 12 hunks, starting with James Versoza.

The men of Pangasinan

2010-06-01T22:07:00.001+08:00

From top: John Erquiza, Kenneth Guico, Jefoneeh Grado

The men of Baguio and the Cordilleras

2010-05-31T00:01:00.000+08:00

From top: Santiago Tenorio, Terence Dilla, Kenjie de la Cruz, Alexander Rico, Jake Lamaton, Willord Tacay

G. Filipinas 2010 winners

2010-05-27T16:53:00.007+08:00

From left: Kenneth Guico (G. Mindanao), Kenjie de la Cruz (G. Luzon), Jefoneeh Grado (G. Expo-World), John Erquiza (G. Filipinas 2010), Arex Nada (G. Turismo), Alexander Rico (G. Visayas), Daven Rivera (first runner-up)

We could only guess why out of the 33 men who were present during the pre-pageant photoshoot, only 17 showed up during the finals. Some of those who gamely dipped, climbed out of the pool and had their picture taken in wet, flimsy undies were surprisingly absent. But that didn’t stop the naming of a new Ginoong Filipinas -- a quaint event highly anticipated by a campy set who knows how to appreciate raw Pinoy hotties.

This year, the most favored lad is John Erquiza (pictured right), an 18-year-old Pangasinense with a good-enough singing voice who claims to be 5’11”.
We admit not paying attention to his answer during the interview portion but he gets our vote for having the prettiest face in this bunch. He was chosen by judges, many of whom were also the event’s sponsors, who incidentally outnumbered the contestants.

John gets a big portion of his cash prize when his reign ends, which is basically a year of minor celebrity-hood.

The semifinalists. (From left) Alexander Rico, Kenneth Guico (partly hidden), John Erquiza, Santiago Tenorio, Jeffrey John Dimaano, Arex Nada, Jefoneeh Grado (partly hidden), Kenjie dela Cruz (foreground), Daven Rivera, Willord Tacay

John Erquiza, G. Filipinas 2010

2010-05-27T03:49:00.000+08:00

Ginoong Filipinas 2010 finals night

2010-05-25T18:43:00.002+08:00

Drool when these men parade onstage on Wednesday, May 26, for the 2010 Ginoong Filipinas national finals. Now on its 21st year, the pageant will showcase some of the hottest men from all over the country who will strut their stuff in three different skimpy swimwear -- in fuschia, orange and skin tone. The pioneering event will be held at Metro Bar in West Ave., Quezon City from 8:00 p.m. onwards.

John Louie Fernandez

2010-05-24T20:33:00.003+08:00

Resty Dayrit

2010-05-23T22:33:00.001+08:00

Willord Tacay

2010-05-22T14:25:00.001+08:00

JC Buenafe

2010-05-21T23:57:00.007+08:00

Michael Angelo Altez

2010-05-20T21:03:00.000+08:00

Mark Valdejueza

2010-05-19T21:00:00.000+08:00

Mark Darrel Pallorina

2010-05-18T23:24:00.000+08:00

Philip Siquinia

2010-05-17T21:43:00.000+08:00

Mark Revilla

2010-05-16T19:41:00.000+08:00

Lovie Francis Lacanlale

2010-05-15T22:18:00.000+08:00

Kenjie de la Cruz

2010-05-14T21:32:00.001+08:00

Kenneth Guico

2010-05-13T21:01:00.000+08:00

Jeffrey John Dimaano

2010-05-12T22:08:00.000+08:00

John Erquiza

2010-05-11T08:50:00.000+08:00

Jojo Nepacina

2010-05-07T18:47:00.000+08:00

Jay Viernes

2010-05-05T20:14:00.000+08:00

Anthony Fernandez

2010-05-04T20:36:00.000+08:00

Gabriel Tuason

2010-05-02T11:58:00.000+08:00

Jose Silvino Jr.

2010-05-01T20:08:00.000+08:00

Reymond Lim

2010-04-30T17:16:00.000+08:00

Alexander Rico

2010-04-29T17:20:00.029+08:00

Jake Lamaton

2010-04-28T20:53:00.001+08:00

Tyron Jeffrey Urani

2010-04-27T20:52:00.002+08:00

Daven Rivera

2010-04-26T21:13:00.002+08:00

Arex Nada

2010-04-25T22:10:00.002+08:00

Cargean Racho

2010-04-25T19:53:00.002+08:00

Jefoneeh Grado

2010-04-24T18:40:00.002+08:00

John Mark Marcia

2010-04-23T17:45:00.003+08:00

Terence Dilla

2010-04-22T21:27:00.003+08:00

Kenjie Garcia

2010-04-21T16:46:00.005+08:00

We've seen Kenjie Garcia in many male pageants -- from those held in comedy bars to the more wholesome presentations in mainstream venues. Through it all, he manages to stand out despite his compact size. It must be his smile, the way he stares or his moves. We'll be seeing him again when he competes for the title Ginoong Filipinas 2010 on May 26.

The boys of summer

2010-04-18T21:39:00.005+08:00

It's been a while...

Terence Dilla

Willord Tacay

John Erquiza

Jefonee Grado

Arex Nada

Jose Silvino Jr.

Rewind: Oblation Run - UP Manila

2009-12-16T19:10:00.003+08:00

Oblation Run - UP Diliman

2009-12-15T22:28:00.007+08:00

Think of it as a noble way of streaking. At around noon on Tuesday, over two dozen men ran around naked on the grounds and in the hallways of the University of the Philippines in Diliman carrying placards condemning the injustices and inequities of our time. A scraggy guy carried a paperboard urging change -- a call that has often resurfaced and has remained unanswered since the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity started the Oblation Run in 1977. Certainly, these streakers will not jolt us out of our indifference but it's comforting to know that over three decades on, they still try.

Rye Burgos

2009-12-14T01:08:00.002+08:00

Rye Burgos, 20, is the first male aspirant to be voted out of Starstruck V, the reality-based artista search of GMA-7. It's a pity we won't be seeing much of this US-grown Pinoy who earlier this year tried to enter the local entertainment scene via another route -- Sta. Lucia mall's modelling contest. He made it to the semifinals of the said competition but we're not sure if he stayed on to compete in the finals. Rye's Starstruck journey may have ended but that shouldn't stop him from pursuing a showbiz career, after all, many of those who failed to make it to the final four are still very much visible -- of course, as minor celebrities.

Argie Infiel

2009-12-13T01:11:00.001+08:00

Argie Infiel
Guapong Pinoy 2009

Philip Siquinia

2009-12-12T01:05:00.000+08:00

Philip Siquinia
Guapong Pinoy 2009 first runner-up

Arisa Sunico

2009-12-11T01:06:00.001+08:00

Arisa Sunico
Guapong Pinoy 2009 second runner-up

Argie Rico

2009-12-10T01:08:00.000+08:00

Argie Rico
Guapong Pinoy 2009 third runner-up

Brix Martin

2009-12-09T01:00:00.001+08:00

Brix Martin
Guapong Pinoy 2009 fourth runner-up

Peter Mendejar

2009-12-08T01:40:00.000+08:00

Bryan Aquino

2009-12-08T01:37:00.000+08:00

Ranz Ruiz

2009-12-08T01:34:00.001+08:00

Aldrin Francisco

2009-12-07T01:33:00.000+08:00

Renz Paul Reyes

2009-12-07T01:30:00.000+08:00

Lorenze Christopher Cruz

2009-12-07T01:24:00.000+08:00

Anton Lorenzo

2009-12-06T01:11:00.000+08:00

Eleazar Atillo

2009-12-06T01:09:00.000+08:00

Paolo Vargas

2009-12-06T01:07:00.000+08:00

Ken Kintanar

2009-12-06T01:04:00.000+08:00

Lester Jordan

2009-12-05T02:18:00.001+08:00

Nordino Ravelo

2009-12-05T02:17:00.000+08:00

Lordan Manubay

2009-12-05T02:16:00.000+08:00

Nikkojan Cordova

2009-12-05T02:15:00.000+08:00

Guapong Pinoy 2009

2009-12-04T17:06:00.002+08:00

Mr. Cebu 2009, parting shots

2009-12-04T01:33:00.000+08:00

Kris Nimrod Cabigas

2009-12-03T01:20:00.000+08:00

Kris Nimrod Cabigas, 22, 5'10"
Mr. Cebu 2009

Jumar Andrew Bilocura

2009-12-03T01:18:00.000+08:00

Jumar Andrew Bilocura, 20, 5'10"
Mr. Cebu 2009 first runner-up

Siegfred Schmidt

2009-12-03T01:15:00.001+08:00

Siegfred Schmidt, 22, 5'10
Mr. Cebu 2009 second runner-up

Ricardo Flores

2009-12-03T01:12:00.001+08:00

Ricardo Flores, 21, 6'
Mr. Cebu 2009 third runner-up

Don Adlawan

2009-12-03T01:09:00.000+08:00

Don Adlawan, 18, 5'10"
Mr. Cebu 2009 fourth runner-up

Frank Ceasar Tag-at

2009-12-02T01:15:00.000+08:00

Frank Ceasar Tag-at, 24, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 semifinalist

Rami Harven Gallego

2009-12-02T01:12:00.000+08:00

Rami Harven Gallego, 25, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 semifinalist

Jestoni Santos

2009-12-02T01:10:00.000+08:00

Jestoni Santos, 21, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 semifinalist

John Ray Bacatan

2009-12-02T01:07:00.001+08:00

John Ray Bacatan,19, 5'10"
Mr. Cebu 2009 semifinalist

Jon Neil Oyanguren

2009-12-02T01:04:00.000+08:00

Jon Neil Oyanguren, 23, 5'9"
Mr. Cebu 2009 semifinalist

Christian Bryan Salonoy

2009-12-01T01:16:00.001+08:00

Christian Bryan Salonoy, 20, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 candidate

Serafin Letim

2009-12-01T01:14:00.002+08:00

Serafin Letim, 19, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 candidate

Loreniel Tequin

2009-12-01T01:11:00.003+08:00

Loreniel Tequin, 19, 5'10"
Mr. Cebu 2009 candidate

Isaiah Mark Barba

2009-12-01T01:09:00.005+08:00

Isaiah Mark Barba, 18, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 candidate

Nelson Bandoles

2009-12-01T01:05:00.002+08:00

Nelson Bandoles, 23, 5'8"
Mr. Cebu 2009 candidate

Kris Nimrod Cabigas, Mr. Cebu 2009

2009-11-30T00:26:00.013+08:00

Kris Nimrod Cabigas, 22, was named Mr. Cebu 2009 on Saturday night, besting 14 other men to become the face of the young, virtuous and beautiful Cebuano.
The 5’10” call center agent from Zapatera, Cebu City is the second man to hold the title, which was envisioned to showcase the local's positive and finer qualities. He said his father, whom he described as a person with disability, was his source of strength throughout the event.
Early favorite Jumar Andrew Bilocura, 20, was first runner-up. He took home many of the corporate and special awards -- including Best in Swim Wear -- and looked set to win the title until he rambled on during the casual interview and disappointed many in the audience. Jumar is taking up Industrial Engineering.
Crowd favorites Siegfred Schmidt, 22, and Don Adlawan, 18, finished second and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Siegfred, who once posed in the buff for a gay magazine, garnered the most votes in a texting and internet poll. He was also voted as the friendliest by the candidates themselves.
Charming and adorable Don rivaled Jumar in cornering most of the special awards. One of the youngest and among the tallest at 5’10”, the Business Administration student from Zapatera described himself as shy but he looked relaxed during the question-and-answer portion.
Third runner-up Ricardo Flores, 21, completes the five finalists. If the interview portion carried the biggest weight in the pageant, the Political Science student from Apas -- who speaks with an American accent -- would be the hands down winner.
All of the 15 candidates paraded onstage in three sets of attire -- a nautical-themed ensemble, a shimmery swimwear and a formal wear created by some of Cebu’s popular designers.
The 10 semifinalists went through a round of casual interview, which became the basis for the selection of the finalists. The top 5 drew the name of the judge who will ask them the final question.
Those who made it to the semifinals are Jon Neil Oyanguren, John Ray Bacatan, Jestoni Santos, Rami Harven Gallego and Frank Ceasar Tag-at. Jestoni was named Best in Formal Wear.
Serafin Letim won the award for the most photogenic and was also named Man of the Night, but he failed to move on to the semifinals.
Now on its second year, the pageant was held at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. It is now one of the country’s most-watched and much-awaited male beauty and personality competition.
From left: Don Adlawan, Siegfred Schmidt, Kris Nimrod Cabigas, Jumar Andrew Bilocura and Ricardo Flores. Inset: Kris with Kurt Agbay, last year's runner-up.

Marco Gonzales

2009-11-29T01:01:00.002+08:00

When Marco Gonzales of Marikina City joined this competition, he actually has a day job -- as a janitor at the Araneta Center, or so he said. Aside from Mr. Valentino, he also joined other bikini contests in some comedy bars in the metro. We wonder if joining pageants and posing near-naked in gay magazines have turned his life for the better.

Romnick Bautista

2009-11-28T13:03:00.000+08:00

Gabriel Fajardo

2009-11-27T01:05:00.001+08:00

A short write up about Gabriel Fajardo in Valentino magazine says that he's from Cainta, and that he works as a clerk in an eyewear company and models as a sideline. That was two years ago when he was 21. After this competition, we saw him in a pageant in a seedy bar near Cubao wearing an attire more revealing than the one below. We haven't seen him since.

Allan Avila

2009-11-26T01:01:00.001+08:00

The last time we've seen Allan Avila, he was selling condominium units at the Araneta Center. That was months after he joined Mr. Valentino and long after he posed for the magazine wrestling with two other men, all three of them naked. He is personable, well-mannered and has a sunny disposition, which probably explains his job in sales.

More Andrew

2009-11-25T01:04:00.001+08:00

Yes, these photos came from the same Valentino event and yes, we must have been fixated on this man at that time because he's the only one of the 24 contestants whom we have photos of in six different bikinis. We can only imagine the scene backstage during costume changes. We're posting all his photos here -- all in the spirit of sharing.

Andrew Morgan, barely covered

2009-11-24T01:01:00.003+08:00

Andrew Morgan was a regular fixture in male pageants before he started appearing in gay magazine spreads. The exposure led to movie roles and a 'bookazine' that showcased indie film actors. He is best remembered for starring in a sensual massage DVD that featured four men some of whom later cried foul on television for the inclusion of a 'bonus feature' that showed them frontally naked. We're not sure if they were the same men who flashed their privates in Mr. Valentino 2007.

More Benson

2009-11-23T01:04:00.002+08:00

We almost missed this one. Stuck among the photos of the contestants in trunks is this photo of Benson Hill that looked plain on thumbnail but quite revealing up close. He was among the daring men during Mr. Valentino 2007 who wore this see-through bikini without pulling their shirt down front for cover. Benson was last seen in this year's Ginoong Filipinas, where he came out as one of the finalists, and will be seen next month in a pageant up north.

Benson Hill, partly hidden

2009-11-22T01:01:00.004+08:00

We're clearing disk space and would like to share some photos from pageants past before they get stored someplace else. Benson Hill, who hails from a province north of Manila, wore this silvery, glittery, Christmassy piece of contraption during Mr. Valentino 2007, the eponymous gay magazine's big coming out party. The publication breathed its last months later but the event remains unsurpassed in grouping the most number of men in the skimpiest attire possible in a mainstream venue.

Kelvin Mangilit, new kid

2009-11-21T01:06:00.000+08:00

This one is new. Kelvin Mangilit, single, 6'1", in this early 20s, Cavite resident, graduating student taking up Electronics and Communications Engineering, a ramp model on the side, lean, mean, all male. That much we know. We have a feeling he's one confident and outgoing fellow who's willing to show us more. That, we look forward to.

Harvey Cruz, then and now

2009-11-20T01:05:00.000+08:00

Harvey Cruz was in his best form last year during Bodyshots model search. Links to his photos during that event should show up below this post. He has gained a lot of weight since then as can be seen in the photo below (left) from last month's Philippine Fashion Week that almost mirrors his look in 2006 when he joined Maharlikang Pilipino (right). Thankfully, he made it to this year's Cosmo 69 bachelors. That would be a tough feat next year if his weigh gain is not kept in check.

Harvey Cruz, 23, model
Height: 6'2"
Shoe size: 12

More Hermes photos, by request

2009-11-19T01:02:00.003+08:00

Why is it so hard to believe that Pinoy Big Brother's Hermes did join Maharlikang Pilipino in 2006? This is not in the magnitude of Sarah Palin joining Ms. Alaska, but really just a piece of passing trivia. These backstage photos of Hermes wearing sarong, barong and truly bad make up should put this issue to rest.