After the grand reveal of the first-ever online contenders for Mr. & Ms. Chinatown Philippines, the candidates were presented virtually in their Digital Press Presentation held last September 28, 2020 via Youtube and Facebook Live, hosted by Ms. Janeena Chan.
Poster by Calyx Studio @calyxstudio.co
“Rising is not to be above others. It’s choosing to humble yourself down and to commit to serving others – It’s about putting others first before yourself so you can rise together.” – Latisha Tan, Candidate #9
This year, Mr. & Ms. Chinatown Philippines is more than just a pageant: it is a movement embodied by twenty-four young Chinoys from all over the globe, as they aim to advocate rising up in spite of the current situation, and to help their fellow Chinoys Rebuild, Inspire, Strengthen, and Empower themselves during this new normal while celebrating the Filipino-Chinese culture. With that, the current pool of candidates is made up of multi-faceted individuals who defy geographical boundaries, coming from diverse backgrounds and occupations – from college students, former athletes, to even a former production staff for the Tony Award-Winning Musical, Hamilton.
To begin their journey, the candidates partook in their first challenge: Confidence. This consisted of a live Q&A session with two rounds, focusing on getting to know the candidates as they share their advocacies, thoughts on current social issues, as well as how their Chinoy identities come into play with this. With that, they were judged by prominent people in the fashion and pageant industry – namely: Maria Fabina, Raia Gomez, and Voltaire Tayag – alongside the pool of previous MMCP winners and runner-ups.
Vying not just for awards, the candidates aimed to show that there was a much bigger purpose to their presence in the competition, which is to use their voice for much more meaningful and purposeful intentions.
Poster by Calyx Studio @calyxstudio.co
“The best thing about being in this digital era is that we are all given a voice. We’re given a chance to voice out what we can improve or promote humanity.” – Eric Cua, Candidate #4
To end the show, these five candidates were chosen by the judges and presented with the Special Awards.
Poster by Calyx Studio @calyxstudio.co
*Kindly note, however, that this has no bearing in their overall scores.
Winners Circle’s Choice:
Alexi Enriquez & Julianne Yap (Female)
Don Tang (Male)
Darlings of the Press:
Cassandra Chan (Female)
Beef Co (Male)
For the next challenge, the candidates will be tasked to do a photo challenge creatively using any items that remind them of being Chinoy, for them to inspire others to be resilient, innovative, and passionate about one’s culture and heritage.
Catch the candidates as they partake in their second challenge, My Chinoy Inspiration, this Wednesday, September 30 via Instagram @mrmschinatownph!
Watch out for the Mr. & Ms. Chinatown PH 2020 Coronation Night Live this October 18, 2020 on the Kapamilya Channel!
