“A SPRINGBOARD to International Pageantry” – This is how Hari ng Dabaw pageant director, Arnold Alvarez, described it during a meeting with the marketing team.
JACK Academy Management and Events, producer of Hari ng Dabaw, just closed the partnership with Prime Event Productions Philippines Foundation Inc., producer of Mister International Philippines and Manhunt International Philippines, to tie up and make the winner of Hari ng Dabaw 2014 as Davao’s representative to the Mister International Philippines on August.
Mister International is an international male pageant that started back in year 2006 by the Mister Singapore Organization. Today, it is one of the sought after title in the male pageantry. This year, Mister Philippines representative, Gil Wagas from Lapu-Lapu Cebu, bagged the 4th Runner Up during the Mister International held at Indonesia.
Hari ng Dabaw will have their screenings this coming January 4 and 5, 2014: Davao City – January 4, 2014 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Gaisano Grand Citimall Davao, Illustre St. Davao City; January 5, 2014 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Gaisano Grand Mall Tagum, Gabriel St. Tagum City. The preliminary show will be on February 8, 2014 and the grand finals on March 13, 2014 along with the celebration of Araw ng Dabaw.
Gil Wagas, Mr. International 4th Runner Up
This year, 2013, the Philippines scored multiple successes in International Pageantry. One of them is Mr. Gil Wagas, 22 year old from Cebu, who finished 4th Runner Up during the recent 8th Mister International at Jakarta, Indonesia backed by a strong fan base. This is the farthest the Philippines placed in the Mister International pageant.
This former UE basketball player tells his journey on how hard court game turned into an international pageantry fame.
His childhood dream was to become a basketball star, like his uncle who is a former PBA player, that’s why he joined the UE basketball team. But the pressure in the metro didn’t go well with Gil so he decided to go back to Cebu where he was discovered and offered to become a model. As model, he enjoyed the ramp shows and brand endorsements; and later on, with the influence of his convinced mother that he has big chances of winning pageants, took the challenge and never regretted it as he landed top 5 during the recent Mister International pageant.
“If magjoin ka ng pageant or iba’t-ibang pageants, tapos magkakatitle ka… dadami ang offer mo [If you join different pageants and win titles, you will have more modeling offers in the future]” Gil shared to Carla, what his mom told him, on an interview for PTV. True enough, Gil will be joining a fashion show in Malaysia this month.
A Beauty King’s quests to Mister International and other beauty pageants takes a lot of discipline. Balance diet, daily exercise, and at least eight hours of sleep, Gil told Ginger Conejero on “Morning @ ANC”, is what keeping his body fit and healthy. This discipline however is true to Gil as he was also an athlete.
And when he was asked about his “secret weapon” during the competition, he says it is his faith in God.
