Veteran titlist is Mr. Gay World bet

Newly crowned Mister Gay World Philippines Carlito Rosadiño intends to spend his reign to reach out to juvenile homosexuals through a counseling and crisis intervention program.

The 27-year-old coffee shop barista said the project targets to educate gay youths who are victims of discrimination.

Rosadiño told Inquirer Entertainment that he discovered his true sexuality as an Art Studies junior at the University of the Philippines, when he welcomed a suitor from a different school.

Fortunately for Rosadiño, his mother accepted his sexual orientation. He said he offers this pageant victory to his late mom.

Rosadiño, a veteran of competitions for straight men, has been romping away with male beauty titles, the biggest being the Slimmers World Mister Bikini Bodies in 2007.

But despite his experience, Rosadiño did not expect to bag his latest victory.

“Everyone of us deserved to be proclaimed Mister Gay World Philippines,” he said. “We did our best. We have gone through and learned a lot.”

Rosadiño said he thought the title would go to GMA News TV segment producer William Philip Balasa, who “knows a lot about the LGBT [lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender] community—the laws and everything.”

Balasa displayed confidence during the question-and-answer round but failed to bring home any distinction from the competition held at Bed Manila, a bar and dance club in Malate.

Rosadiño was also proclaimed Best in Swimwear and received the Mister Popularity title for garnering the most number of online votes.

Randolph Val Palma, a bank manager from Davao City, placed second. He also received the “Ladlad Award” from the party-list group, and was proclaimed Best in Formal Wear. Celebrity makeup artist Kusie Ho from Pampanga, who finished third, also bagged the Mister Photogenic and Mister Congeniality awards.

Rosadiño will represent the Philippines in the fourth edition of the Mister Gay World pageant to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, next year.