Joseph Vitug's Views: MISTER GLOBAL 2023: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (PART 2)

INDONESIA - Daniel William Wijaya. He could be classified as part of the CBA contingent, with a mild resemblance to the reigning Mister International (New Era) from Thailand, ~~Xolophong Mareeduweniya~~ Kim Thitisan Goodburn--who happened to be included in this year's "selection committee". He won the Mister Photogenic award, but I'm not certain if he can parlay that to a Top 15 finish, as there are a host of extremely competitive contenders fighting for a very limited number of slots.

KOREA - Jeung Yoon Lim. Like HONG KONG, I could also classify him as a CBA with a beefily buffed and rippled bod, but his features made me think of tough guys / bullies in K-Dramas, as he has the look of a guy who would easily do serious damage if you cross him. That's not a negative, but actually a positive, as that is a look that gives a guy a highly appealing "edge". He made a guest appearance at the popular Netflix reality series, Physical 100 and garnered heavy buzz for his participation in that series. It looks like he's a shoo-in for the Top 15 with a serious play for going beyond that and possibly making all the way to the Final Five.

LAOS - Sengphachanh Sengchanthavong. Though he was shortlisted in one of the early sub-competitions, buzz has been fading for him somewhat. In a less competitive year, he could be considered a possible Top 15 finisher, but with this group of guys, he seems to be at most a worthwhile contender. He is noted for sporting the skimpiest national costume amongst this batch, as like EL SALVADOR, he sported a very skimpy loincloth. If he competed at Man of the World 2022, he would've easily fit in competing in their controversial bahag*1 fashion show and competition.

*1 Loincloth for the indigenous people in Northern Luzon in the Philippines. Apparently Laotians and Filipinos has similar native indigenous peoples.

MACAU - Rex Cheang Si San. He almost fit the CBA mold but I don't think he has enough cuteness or charisma to qualify for that. I feel he's a borderline worthwhile contender--I'm still torn at this point if I think he meets that qualification or if he falls short.

MALAYSIA - Alejandro Kwang Liang Legaria Sim. I don't consider him classically or conventionally handsome, but I actually like his manly features. Like most Asians, he's able to hold on to his buff bod even with the onslaught of delicious Thai cuisine, so he might have an edge in the preliminary swimsuit competition. But I'm not sure if the predominantly Thai selection committee would respond well to his features--I would be pleasantly surprised if he made the cut.

MEXICO - José Carlos Novelo Puerto. This swarthy guy has oodles of charisma that pre-arrival he seems to be among the possible front-runners. However, in various sub-competition and pageant activities, attention seems to be focused on other contenders besides him, and then during the preliminary competition, he looked significantly bulkier than I normally saw in his pre-arrival photos--it seems he is one of those who enjoyed Thai cuisine a bit much.*2 He's still buffed, mind you, but I am fretful if his supposedly secure Top 15 standing is in jeopardy. I still have faith that he will make the cut as I find his charisma undeniable. Also, based on his swimsuit portrait, he's the winner of the Dino Nicolina Award, because there is an obvious "outline" in hsi portrait.

*2 Actually Mexico includes rice in its cuisine, so I thought he could be acclimated to it like most of the Asians, but I realize Mexico is a large country with diverse culinary cultures across its various regions, and perhaps he lives in a region where rice is not a staple in his diet.

MOROCCO - Mickael Mounir Berrut. I have a feeling he's part of the Suisse Francophonie pageant system as he actually resides in Switzerland, and he probably got the right to represent his country of heritage thanks to this. He is emerging as a boyish standout in this batch, with an inside track of making the Top 15.

MYANMAR - Ye Thway Thiha. He might have some badass tattoos, but he's the quintessential CBA with a cheery, sometimes cheekily playful personality. He looks very much like a charmer that he might have an inside track to the Top 15 and possibly even Top 10.

NEPAL - Samarpan Jung Karki. At 32 he's one of the oldest contenders in this pageant, and he exudes this mature vibe. This is not a bad thing as he is very appealing and he is very polished in all aspects. I'm not sure if the predominantly Thai selection committee are into his features, but he's a worthwhile contender in my book.

NIGERIA - Shuaib Oluwaseyifunmi Sosanya Araga. He's a very polished contender and at first glance I thought he would be the "black-man-most-likely" in this batch. But there is a fellow black African who seems to be stealing his thunder, and what I presumed would be his victory in Best in National Costume (with his dramatic white outfit with bright printed patterns on the back and sporting an elaborate white hat with dangling strings) went to that other African. Not sure if there would be room for two black Africans in this batch.

PANAMA - Raúl Pinto Moran. He could be a possible sleeper possibility for the Top 15 as he maintained his trim, buffed frame all the way to the preliminary competition and he seems to be pretty polished in all aspects, not to mention having a handsome face--he looked at least seven years younger tan his stated age of 32.

PHILIPPINES - John Ernest Tanting. There are some who would classify him as a CBA, though in most pictures he's the gawkiest looking guy in that contingent. He does have flattering angles, like in the glamshot portrait shot by Missology's Uno Rodriguez, but most angles do not flatter him. I'm glad he got a 2nd runner-up prize for Best National Costume with his elaborately white sampaguita-themed costume*3 as I don't think his strong interview skills would be enough for him to break the two-years-and-counting semifinal drought in this pageant.

*3 Interestingly his predecessor last year, Mark Avendaño, won the top prize for Best National Costume for his jeepney-themed costume, and that is his consolation for not finishing in the Top 15. John's national costume actually has a relevant message as sampaguitas are reportedly associated with doves, who in turn represents world peace, and reportedly the designer has the recent ongoing global conflicts in mind when designing this outfit.