Eddie Garcia bill advocate snags Misters of Filipinas national title

Quintessential actor Eddie Garcia

MANILA, Philippines — Drei Arias, a TV personality who is advocating for the passage of the Eddie Garcia bill in Congress, captured a national title at the 10th Misters of Filipinas pageant held at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater at Circuit Makati on Sept. 17.

The Net 25 “Starkada” from Malolos, Bulacan, earned the right to represent the Philippines in the Mister Tourism and Culture Universe in Myanmar, and will participate in the international contest’s comeback edition after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the military junta’s takeover of the Southeast Asian country.

“The Eddie Garcia bill is really to protect the laborers in the acting industry. And I can say that this is the part where I can contribute to the industry where I belong, which is the entertainment industry,” Arias told INQUIRER.net in an interview after his proclamation.

“I’ve been in the industry for a long time now, and we need to pass this. And I even went to the Senate to really be involved in what is happening in my industry,” he continued.

Arias had earlier submitted a position paper to the office of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, a former actor, signed by a group of industry workers, in support of the passage of Senate Bill No. 1889, “An Act instituting policies for the protection and promotion of the welfare of workers or independent contractors in the film, television, and radio entertainment industry.”

The House version of the legislative proposal, House Bill No. 1270, had already been approved on third and final reading in February.

Arias said he is pushing for the legislation of the measure because “I don’t want to see another me, whose talent was exploited, not getting paid properly, exhausted by work he does not receive any compensation for.”

Supportive bosses

Arias said his Net 25 bosses Wilma Galvante and Eric Quizon, and the network itself, are treating him fairly. “They are really, really supportive of what I do and the decisions I make. They are supportive of that,” he assured.

He will try to become the second Filipino participant to capture the Mister Tourism and Culture Universe title, after Misters of Filipinas King Yves Campos scored the Philippines’ first victory in the international competition in 2019.

Net 25 ‘Starkada’ Drei Arias (second from left) with his fellow 10th Misters of Filipinas pageant winners (from left) Brent Dalman, Godfrey Nikolai Murillo, Kenneth Vincent Cabungcal, Lloyd Figueras, RJ De Vera, and James Harley Lajos./ARMIN P. ADINA

Aside from Arias, the national pageant also proclaimed other representatives to international competitions. RJ De Vera from Gerona, Tarlac, will try to score a second consecutive win for the Philippines in the Man Hot Star International in Thailand, Lloyd Figueras from Laoag City will join the Mister Teenager Universe in Indonesia, while heavy favorite Godfrey Nikolai Murillo from Pampanga will compete in the Mister Fitness Supermodel World contest in Vietnam.

The top title in the Misters of Filipinas pageant went to Kenneth Vincent Cabungcal from Negros Oriental, who will represent the Philippines in the Manila-based Man of the World competition, where he will try to score the country’s first victory.

Brent Dalman from Cebu City, another heavy favorite, settled for the first runner-up position, while James Harley Lajos from Batangas finished as second runner-up. EDV