The first ever Mister International – Philippines was held last night at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Antel Group’s A. Venue Mall located in Makati Avenue, Makati City. The show gathered together 15 of the most gorgeous men from all over Metro Manila and Luzon to vie for the coveted title Mister International – Philippines and the chance to represent the country in the international male pageant to be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Republic of China) this November. The 15 who made it through the stiff selection process were: Leo Reyes, Bryan Baculi, Ricswartz ‘RS’ Sibal, Mike Lee, Ryan Roberts, Ian Leonel Porlayagan, Gilbert Lopez, John Bardo ‘JB’ Espiritu, Sary Alsiyed, Jeff Surio, Juan Lorenzo ‘Enzo’ Quitiquit, Aaron Jimenez, Dennis Torres, Philip Ramos and Christian Ang-Cayabyab. The bunch was made up of mostly newcomers, with just a couple or so contestants having had pageant experience in the past.

The contestants walked the ramp wearing creations of Eric de los Santos (Casual Wear), Philosophy for Men (Casual Wear), Barge Ramos (Barong Tagalog), Freego (Denimwear) and Rickie Abad (Swimwear). [** Note: Click on the links to view the pics of the contestants]. They were judged according to their looks, physique and ability to carry themselves well. The list was trimmed down to 8 and those who made it to the shortlist were: Leo Reyes, Bryan Baculi, Ryan Roberts, Ian Leonel Porlayagan, John Bardo ‘JB’ Espiritu, Sary Alsiyed, Jeff Surio and Christian Ang-Cayabyab. The eight were then subjected to the test of wit and intellect – the Question and Answer Portion. Only a few managed to be responsive to the questions asked, and from among them were chosen the pageant’s winners – Ryan Roberts (Grand Winner), Jeff Surio (First Runner Up), JB Espiritu (Second Runner Up).

The soon-to-be an-annual-event was graced by notable personalities from the world of media and fashion, these are: Renee Salud, Rickie Abad, Mario Dumaual, Robbie Carmona, to name a few; and was covered by top networks ABS-CBN, GMA7 and TV5. Overall, the show was a great success. The organizers really put up a good production despite just six weeks of preparation. Mister International Philippines 2008 has raised the bar of male pageants in the country and has become the standard on how male pageants should be organized. Kudos to Mr. Mike Lim for conceptualizing this event. And, of course, Good Luck to Ryan Roberts! Make your country proud!

Special thanks to Mr. Ian Felix Alquiros of Mensroomph for allowing UPH to cover the event.

Ryan Roberts (Grand Winner)

Jeff Surio (First Runner Up)

JB Espiritu (Second Runner Up)