The Gentlemen of Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Do these three gentlemen have what it takes to bring home crowns for their beloved hometown?

Meet the Gentlemen of Cebu – Paul Abal, Christian Lumasag and Jason Martin – chosen to represent the province in the Gentlemen of the Philippines pageant, its finals night to be held July 30 in Manila.

Once competitors on the regional stage, Paul, Christian and Jason will go hand in hand to bring honor and pride to the cities they represent: Jason of Lapu-Lapu City for Gold Coast, Australia; Paul for Mandaue City; and Christian for Cebu City.

A few weeks before coronation night, these lads are already feeling the pressure.

“It’s a real privilege to be able to represent the side of me that I’m most passionate about and that’s being a Cebuano,” Jason, a first-time pageant contestant, says. “I feel like this is both an honor and a responsibility.”

Also a newbie in the world of pageants, Christian echoes Jason’s sentiments, adding he feels the Gentlemen of the Philippines organizers expect so much from them. “This is my first time in joining pageants, and I didn't expect to reach this far,” Jason reveals.

Paul, a Philippine Military Academy graduate and Philippine Youth 2013 winner, notes the difference of this pageant from his previous forays.

“Gentlemen of the Philippines is different,” Paul shares. “This is like a whole new level—like Binibining Pilipinas level. The pressure is great.”

The gentlemen are leaving no stone unturned in emerging fully prepared come July 30. A strict diet and a tough exercise regimen are major priorities. Christian, a senior Marketing major from Cebu Institute of Technology, always finds time to squeeze in gym sessions after his classes.

But pageant contestants are not just hailed for their good looks—one of the most anticipated part of beauty tilts is the question and answer portion, and this needs an entirely different kind of preparation.

“My handler would throw questions at me out of the blue,” Christian says, while Jason and Paul sharpen their minds by keeping up to date on current affairs and other topics that might come up.

Gentlemen of the Philippines, a new pageant that aims for prestige and wishes to break the stereotypes surrounding male pageantry, does not only focus on the candidates’ looks and brains but also sees the heart within each of them as potential role models with worthy causes.

Jason’s advocacy focuses on heroism, equality and individuality. “I feel like in foreign countries, there are cases of missing passports and physical assaults and I want Overseas Filipino Workers to have more rights and more protection,” he says.

Paul would like to zero in on environment preservation. “Nowadays, the traffic is horrible, it’s doing a lot of bad things for the environment. With this advocacy, I want to inspire action and not just talk,” says Paul, whose favorite thing about Cebu is its proximity to fun things and essential services, as well as the variety it offers.

Christian, for his part, is most concerned with the education of street kids. “I believe that education is the passport to the future. I really want to help street children, especially those who want to go to school.”

The three guys hope that their inherent Cebuano qualities will give them an edge in the competition.

“We’re different because of our perseverance,” Paul shares. “And we are proficient in speaking English so we have to take pride in that.”

“As a Cebuano, my edge is a sincere heart. I know that I’m not the best-looking guy and I’m still building my confidence but my passion and determination to win the title is enough so I could stand out among 30 candidates,” Christian offers.

Jason points out his uniqueness, but in the same breath says the candidates shouldn’t be divided by their regional differences and should instead be united as Filipinos.

“I am a mix of everything, a mix of a lot of things, and that will come in handy,” says Jason. “I wouldn’t want to represent any other place in the Philippines but Cebu. But at the end of the day, the event is supposed to celebrate our being Filipinos.”

The candidates are so far enjoying the ride as Cebu’s representatives and are also learning a great deal.

“The best thing about it is you get to be a role model, and you get to embrace the culture and contribute to society,” Paul says.

“It really brought me out,” adds Jason. “It puts you in a position where you get to improve a lot of aspects about yourself.”

In its first staging, the Gentlemen of the Philippines winners will be representing the country in five different international competitions: Mr. Worldwide in Florida come December, Mr. Model International in New Delhi, India and Mr. Universal Ambassador in Bali, Indonesia in September, Mr. Tourism World in Bali, Indonesia and Mr. Tourism International 2017 in Panama.  (FREEMAN)