ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider A home away from home

A home away from home

Published May 30, 2025 12:05 am  |  Updated May 29, 2025 06:20 pm
EDITORS DESK
Two reigning international pageant kings — Manhunt International Kevin Dasom of Thailand and Man of the World Sergio Azuaga of Venezuela — are currently making the Philippines their second home as they pursue careers in show business.
I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin and Sergio on separate occasions during photo shoots organized by popular shoe designer Jojo Bragais in Morato, Quezon City, recently.
Both individuals have declared their intention to leave the pageant world after their reigns and embark on new ventures.
“I’ve accomplished a great deal with it. I’m old now. I'm turning 33 next month. I need to focus on other things — it’s time to move on to the next stage of life. I want to give back to the next generation of candidates by providing them with training,” Kevin said.
Kevin was fortunate to have joined Sparkle GMA Artist Center. Currently, he stars in the afternoon series “Binibining Marikit” alongside comedienne Nicole Budol.
The Thai hunk admitted that he has bigger dreams; he is eyeing a future in Hollywood. However, it appears he will be staying in the Philippines for a bit longer after signing a long-term contract with Empire Philippines and Sparkle GMA Artist Center.
“When setting goals or dreams, it is essential to dream as big as you can. Otherwise, why call it dreams or goals? Others call it unrealistic, but to me, that's good,” Kevin said.
Kevin has been going back and forth to the Philippines since 2018. He loves returning to the Philippines because it feels like home.
On the other hand, Sergio was busy with shoots and modeling gigs for several brands. He also hinted at pursuing a career in showbiz.
“It’s an honor to be Man of the World. Having an international title is incredible! But it’s time for me to move to other projects and try different things. I don't want to get stuck with the same thing that I did last year. I want to show people that I can do other things aside from pageant,” he said.
Sergio, 19, describes his journey in the Philippines as one of the bravest things he has done. Currently, he is accompanied by his mother in Manila.
After his reign, Sergio vowed to learn how to speak Tagalog. “I want to learn Tagalog. I won’t do something I don't enjoy. There are so many possibilities. When I joined the pageant, I didn’t imagine that I would be with you here. So who knows what will happen next year? It’s a surprise,” Sergio said.
Kevin will also undergo training to speak the local dialect. “After my taping in June, I’ll be taking up vigorous lessons in learning how to speak Tagalog at least two hours a day — something like that,” he said.
It's heartwarming to realize that some foreigners have chosen the Philippines as their launching pad for their showbiz careers. This indicates they see opportunities here that they can learn from, ultimately leading to their success.
So welcome to the vibrant city of Manila! We sincerely hope that your time here will be enjoyable and enriching.
As you explore the bustling streets filled with rich culture and friendly faces, may this city inspire you in your pursuits.
We wish you the best of luck on your career journey ahead — may it be filled with success and opportunity!
(Robert R. Requintina is the Entertainment Editor of Manila Bulletin)
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.