The battle for the country’s pageant queen makers had long been established, classified by decades.  In the 1970s up until the 1980s, the distinction goes, hands down, to Renee Salud and some of the other fashion designers who scored a win or two in the country’s biggest pageants.  The 1990s ushered in the entry of beauty talent camps, which led pageant fans to know the Mabuhay Beauties, the Rodgil Flores, and the House of JDV camps battled for supremacy in the pageant scene.  Later, Mabuhay Beauties was renamed Aces and Queens, while the Rodgil Flores camp was relaunched as the Kagandahang Flores camp.  The rivalry between the two pageant training groups, with a sprinkling of some new entrants to the “competition,” continues to rage today, with the country’s pageant fans as the eventual beneficiaries.  The efforts of such groups have allowed the country to enjoy a “powerhouse” status in the world of pageantry.  That is the story of the queen makers in the female pageant industry.

When it comes to male pageantry, however, not a single camp has had the chance to stamp itself as the best breeding ground for future kings—until three years ago, when a group from Cebu started posting a string of victories in the annual Misters of Filipinas search.  In 2021, the group managed to record its first win through Junichi Yabushita, who ended up as the First Prince of the competition and later made history by winning the country’s first crown in Mr. Runway Universe.  Last year, the same camp claimed two of the top crowns in the competition: Man of the World-Philippines and Man of the World Second Runner Up, through the efforts of James Reggie Vidal and Michael Angelo Toledo, who won as Mr. Fitness Model World-Philippines and Mr. Fitness World Third Runner Up.

As if to show that the Cebu-based group’s wins are no flukes, it won another two titles again this year.  Misters of Filipinas’ top prize, Man of the World Philippines, was bagged by Kenneth Cabungcal, while First Runner-Up honors went to Brent Dalman.

The group behind these success stories is the B and B Modeling Agency, and the man behind it is Abert Catamco.  The Thrillmaker recently had the privilege to be made up for an event by Abert Catamco himself, and we had this interesting chat about how his camp transforms talents from wannabes to Kings: ladies and gentlemen, the Pageant King Maker, himself, Mr. Abert Catamco. 

How do you discover your talents?

Some of them apply to my agency because I have a modeling agency in Cebu.  At the same time, I’m working with GMA Sparkle, the regional talent scout for the whole Visayas.  Yung iba nag-aapply.  Some of them nire-recommend nung kanilang parent or nung families nila if they want to be a model.  Pero ako yung may final say.  I’m so choosy.

What do you look for?

Number one, if you want to be a model, you must be holistically beautiful.  And then, yung attitude. B&B models kasi are known to be down to earth, sobrang babait ng mga bata.  I want to instill in them that you may have good looks at the end of the day, but your attitude is essential because you can work with everyone if you have the right attitude.

Saan mo sila name-meet?

Some of them are on social media.  Some of them apply by sending photos.  Tapos, I tell them I want photos na walang filter, no editing or even walang makeup.  After that, if that’s ok, we will meet them personally.  Kasi I want to see and interview them.  Lahat ng models namin dumaan yan sa interview.  After that, we deliberate.  There are five people who decide, if we can work on them, anong dapat i-enhance so we can achieve the look that we want for that person.

Once they are accepted, who shoulders their developmental expenses?

Usually, kami na because we have affiliated na mga doctors sa Cebu.  We encourage the to be natural pero minsan pwedeng magkaroon ng add ons lang.  Visual kasi usually, di ba? Minsan nakikita namin, the teeth, we need to improve.  O kaya yung katawan, we need to work on that. 

What happens to talent when they prove to be an “AteChona” (has a bad attitude)?

Tinatanggal talaga namin.  I had an experience, yes!  We always put in our minds that everyone should be mabait.  Everyone should be accommodating in all environments.  We are an agency eh.  We can replace the models anytime, especially if they have an attitude problem.

Let us talk about some of your prominent and winning models.

Junichi Yabushita is my first model talaga.  He was the one who named B and B, using my initial for Bert and my former partner, who passed away recently.  Kami talagang dalawa kasi ang nagbuo ng B and B.  I met Junichi while working as a photographer.  Yung friend ko na-shoot ko tapos siya gusto ko ring i-shoot but he was so busy with school.  I chatted with him three times.  He finally allowed himself to do the shoot when he was about to graduate. 

I met James Reggie Vidal in Mr. Intrams at the University of Cebu.  He was like 16 years old.  He didn't win the crown.  Yung isang model ko nanalo ng crown.  Nung nakita naming sya nung partner ko, we knew na kukunin namin sya kasi may potensyal sya.  James also didn’t want to join because he was busy with school and, simultaneously, athlete sya, varsity ng basketball. Napa-oo lang naming sya with the help of his dad who was then a GMA videographer.

What advice would you give those wanting to join male pageants?

For those interested in this industry, you have to remember that you have to have the perseverance and mindset of a winner.  If you have the mindset of a winner kasi, you can do everything with the help of the team, with the help of the people who can make you find your best version.  If you have the mindset of a winner, whatever happens, you will always get to the goal that you want. Also, find the right team for you.