Dante Mojares, Montclair State University’s representative in Mr. Philippines, poses.
Photo Credit: Hannah Moeder
UPDATE: Dante Mojares, the Montclair State University representative at Mr. Philippines 2015, returned back to class this week after an eventful day competing on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Although Mojares did not place in the final round, he still had a successful day of performing for a tough judging panel. Christian Laguatan from Hunter College was crowned Mr. Philippines 2015.
Mojares’ performances featured a variety of talents, ranging from dance to food. For his cultural piece, Mojares taught the audience how to prepare adobo, a popular chicken recipe, and how food brings not only family together, but also extended family, friends and neighbors in Filipino culture.
His other talents featured performing with Kendama, a Japanese toy similar to the classic ball and cup game, a Jersey Mix dance and a final dance routine to the song “Lemonade” by Danity Kane.
MUFASA continues to look forward to future competitions and the day that they take home the title of Mr. Philippines.
This November, a Montclair State University student is starring in the event that everyone should be tweeting about. Mr. Philippines, an annual competition that aims to promote and embrace Filipino culture, is nearly here, with the Montclair Unified Filipino American Student Association (MUFASA) ready to take home the 2015 title.
Hosted by New York University’s International Filipino Association (IFA), the pageant will allow contestants to participate in a variety of performances throughout the event as they strive to win the title of Mr. Philippines and the chance to donate event proceeds to a charity of their choice.
Dante Mojares, a sophomore with an undeclared major at Montclair State, is the chosen MUFASA representative who will be competing for the title of Mr. Philippines 2015.
Keep tweeting! #MRPI2015 #TeamDantayye pic.twitter.com/zjaANJVM9K
— Team Dantayye (@Mister_MUFASA) October 26, 2015
“Preparing is nerve racking and a lot of pressure, especially since I have midterms to think about,” Mojares said. “It’s a lot of fun, though, and I love that I get to meet all the kids from other schools through this event.”
Each year, a new theme for the event is chosen, giving participants the freedom to prepare for new challenges and create new material. Most Wanted, the chosen theme for this years event, will focus on contestants who are edgy but known for their heart of gold.
“The theme influences the entire plan of the show,” said Emmanuel Beltran, a sophomore majoring in business at Montclair State, who represented MUFASA in Mr. Philippines 2014. “Last year the theme of Mr. Philippines was GQ: Gentleman of the Philippines, which focused on suave models. You had to base your entire cultural and talent categories on this theme to compete.”
Emmanuel Beltran preforming in Mr. Philippines 2014.
Photo courtesy of NYU Facebook
The event begins with all contestants participating in a group dance and branches off into individual performances. Each contestant must compete in an initial round featuring barong wear, costume showcase and talent categories, related to both the chosen theme and Filipino culture.
A judging panel then chooses five finalists who will proceed to a second round question and answer session, ultimately determining who is crowned Mr. Philippines 2015.
Contestants can score bonus points by being named Mr. Buzzworthy, a title given to the contestant who is able to generate the most buzz for himself through social media.
Montclair students are encouraged to show their support by using both #MRPI2015 and #TeamDantayye in future posts on Twitter. Supporters can tweet as many times as they would like up until the intermission on the day of the show.
Audience and judging panel during the Mr. Philippines 2014 show.
Photo courtesy of NYU Facebook
“Being a part of this event is great way for people to show off what they know about our culture,” said Gelene Reyes, president of MUFASA and a senior biology major at Montclair State. “A lot of people don’t know much about Filipino culture or history, so this event is a great way to get the community together through both the event and social media.”
The event will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015 at 3 p.m. in Eisner & Lubin Auditorium on the New York University Campus.
Tickets are $10 and will be sold the day of the event beginning at 1 p.m.
Doors open at 2 p.m and a Filipino lunch will be included during the intermission.
