It was their last chance to make a final impression and win some points in their favor before the crucial decisions were made and declared in the coronation event at the Samsung Theater.  The gladiators: the candidates to the Misters of Filipinas Year 10.  Their battleground: the plush House Manila party place in Newport World Resorts.  The prize: a spot in the competition’s first cut that will whittle down their number from 34 to just 20.

What was initially expected as an ordinary fashion show turned out to be a bloodbath of competition, with the contenders parading only twice: one, in a segment called “fashions of the world” and second, in white formals.  The candidates showed their respective best performances, and it was clear how some of them had been holding back from bringing out their A games in the pageant’s most crucial moments.  The preliminary night was one of them.

Press favorite and Pampanga’s delegate to the contest Godfrey Nikolai Murillo was pumped up by the cheering he got from his Misters brothers as he walked down the runway. He said: “Inenjoy ko lang yung gabi with my co-candidates.  Nilalamig po kami sa aircon, nahihirapan gumalaw pero nagtatawanan pa rin kami. I’m so thankful na hindi lang experience yung na-earn namin kundi yung pagkakaibigan at pagtutulungan.”

The lone representative from Mindanao, Christopher Gede Samon, turned up the heat as he showed his competitive side in both categories of the prelims.

“I was only thinking to be myself, to show everyone what a true Misamisnon and a Mindanaoan is.  I told myself my clothes would not leave a mark on their minds.  It will be my true self and personality that will last forever,” Samon confidently stated.

Cebuano Brent Dalman shared that he had to calm his nerves as he stepped into a preliminary competition for the second time: “One thing that always popped up in my head was “just enjoy the show” because during our rehearsal and close-door interview I was very nervous and afraid to commit a mistake, especially during my ramp.  Pero, when I prayed and called on God before the show, it calmed me.  Before entering every segment of the show, I did the sign of the cross and then exhaled.”  Dalman finished in the top 12 of the pageant’s 9^th edition last year.

Simeon Cayetano, a visual artist now representing Pangasinan, was not too worried about the competitive spirit in the air.  “I never felt the hustle and tension during that night because I looked up to myself as a star that shines because of my uniqueness.  I can say that I did my best because I enjoyed every segment, so I felt confident,” he confided. 

While everything and everyone walked in sync with the lively runway music played by House Manila, one candidate missed the beat and failed to join the re-entry during the formal wear segment.  Bulacan’s Yukio Koike had to be sneaked into the stage tableau of all contestants in the final segment of the presentation.

Koike explained the reason for the miscue: “Nakatulog po ako sa backstage while waiting for my turn.  Mataas po ang lagnat ko kanina.  Nasa 39 po ang lagnat ko pero kailangan ko po talaga gawin ang best ko kahit hirap na po ako.  I’m representing my entire province kaya po kinakaya ko to end this competition in the best position I can reach.  Magpapagaling po ako ng husto para makapaghanda para sa mas matinding battle na naghihintay sa coronation night.”

Asked how they felt they did in the royal rumble, most candidates expressed satisfaction with how they fared in one of the pageant’s most critical phases.  Filipino Community of Taiwan’s representative Jan Carlo Laumoc is optimistic he is a shoo-in to be a qualifier in the competition’s next round: “I’m very confident about last night because I came prepared and I gave all that I can offer to the judges and the press.  I also know that the things I need to execute were executed well.”

Mabalacat, Pampanga’s hope for a crown, Bryan Manalang, attributed his satisfactory performance to years and years of preparation in pageantry. 

“My performance was a product of hard work and passion.  In my five years of experience in this industry, I can say that I am now a certified pageant joiner.  MOF is my first national pageant, and I am lucky to say that all of my experiences before helped me perform well.  Every time I compete, I always remind myself that this will be my last pageant so that after, I will not regret having given my best,” Manalang said.

In the end, Malolos, Bulacan’s Drei Arias, shared a realistic view of how candidates must look at pageants, which is something he applied in the whole duration of the preliminaries: “All the results are going to be subjective, so I might as well present myself the best possible way.  Sa buong pageantry life ko, dito lang ako nag-enjoy sa formal wear competition.  I felt like this was me.  Ito na ‘to.  It’s up to the judges and the organization if they want me to do it.”