PH bet ponders corruption, injustice, wins Man of the World crown

It was his remarks about corruption in the country and injustices around the world in the final round of the competition that helped Oliver Eugen Kretz score the Philippines’ first victory in the Man of the World pageant.

The German-Filipino hunk from Palawan bested 27 other aspirants for the title at the eighth edition of the Manila-based international competition held at Palacio de Maynila in Manila on Saturday evening.

In the second phase of the “Intelligence Round” of the competition where the Top 5 finalists delivered their respective “Statements of the World,” Kretz looked back to the time his parents separated when he was young.

“I thought survival was my only option and that dreaming was no longer meant for me. As I grew older, I realized I was not alone. Many children are forced into survival because of corruption, while others across the world are robbed of their childhood because of the injustices of war, crisis, and conflict,” he said.

“Humanity must be rooted in peace and integrity. Our future should never be shaped by greed, but by compassion and responsibility. I hope one day no child will be homeless or broken like me, because every child will finally have a future they can call their own,” Kretz continued.

Wit and intelligence

The competition placed a premium on the candidates’ wit and intelligence, which accounted for 30 percent of the total scores. Two segments in the program were dedicated to the Intelligence Round.

In the first phase of the final round of competition, the finalists were asked to give a title for a book if they were to write about their experience in the pageant. Kretz wrote “Journey to Growth and Purpose” on his white board. The written portion was the first of its kind in any major global tilt.

Kretz inherited the title from last year’s winner, Juul Missiaen of Spain, to become the first Filipino contender to be crowned Man of the World, something that has been elusive to the Philippines in the past seven editions of the international competition for men.

Settling for the first runner-up spot was Ecuador’s Abel Adrian Diaz, while Chile’s Fidel Arellano was second runner-up. Mexico’s Luis Arturo Jauregui was thrid runner-up, and Malaysia’s Afiq Naufal was fourth runner-up. —CONTRIBUTED INQ