JOHN Michael Suelo, a fourth-year law student from Iloilo, emerged as the first runner-up of the inaugural edition of Ginoong Pilipinas 2019 on Oct. 27 at RCBC Plaza Makati in Metro Manila.
An exclusive interview with the 25-year old Suelo revealed that Ginoong Pilipinas was his first national pageant. He said it was an overwhelming journey. He didn’t have a handler, he was alone and nobody was there to tell him what he needed to do.
“I can just imagine carrying my festival costume and talent costume. Na excess baggage pa ko sa airport,” said Suelo, laughing at the thought.
Although the journey was difficult, all the efforts were worth it in the end. He said the love and support of the Ilonggos were with him from the start.
John Michael Suelo in his Dinagyang-inspired National Costume
There were 22 candidates in the competition vying for four crowns, each contestant had something to offer: talent, looks and brains, but for the first runner-up, the stories that each contestant carried make one stand out in a pageant. Suelo was an advocate of mental health and HIV-AIDS awareness before Ginoong Pilipinas. He was immersed in community works and was confident of the stories he brought along with him to the pageant.
Pageantryshould “reflect your personality. It’s not about highfalutin words…[It’s about] Stories, background, life, and experience gid,” he said.
Now that the Ginoong Pilipinas for this year is over, John Michael Suelo wished to continue his advocacies on mental health and HIV-AIDS. He is working closely with the Department of Health’s Regional Alliance on Mental Health and Autism through his appointment as Iloilo Team Leader of #MentalHealthPH.
John Michael said joining pageants is actually a very influential platform to push forward one’s advocacies and to inspire the youth of today to be true and to reach for their dreams.
Joining Ginoong Pilipinas was a risk he wanted to take. “Wala ko kabalo kung ano pwede matabo but then I just went there and tried,” John Michael said.
Addressing millennials and fellow Ilonggos who aspire to join pageants in the near future, he said, “It’s not gonna be a perfect ride…there will be people who will not believe in you, but it’s not for them, it’s for yourself, so believe in yourself.”/PN
