Kean University student competes in Mr. Philippines I Published November 26

By: Sarah Rosales

Kean University’s FUNK, or Filipinos Uniting Nations at Kean, hadn’t sent a representative to compete
in the Mr. Philippines (Mr. PHL) cultural pageant in over three years until John Etrata took a courageous
chance to win the title.

On Nov. 17, fourteen young men competed in the annual Mr. PHL pageant at the Lerner Roone Arledge
Cinema located at Columbia University. The pageant was organized by District III (D3), the united front
of collegiate-level Filipino organizations all across New York City and New Jersey. It was one of many
Filipino cultural events the group hosts, with its feminine counterpart, Ms. Philippines, happening in
February and the singing competition, Wanna Canta, occurring after that.

This year’s theme was “Kapwa”, a word in the Filipino language, Tagalog, that roughly translates to
“kindred”.

“It describes the deep connection between human beings, tied together by something stronger and greater than blood or nationality,” wrote the official Mr. PHL Instagram when the show’s theme was announced.

The pageant consisted of the barong walk, the show’s first act, where the contestants dressed in
traditional Filipino attire and walked out with a dramatic flair to catch the most points. The second act
was the cultural portion in which the contestants had to showcase how they can relate back to kapwa and
the greater Filipino culture as a whole. The talent portion featured stellar and eye-catching performances
designed to rack up as many points as possible for the Mr. PHL title.

“Everybody has this aura of ‘we’re just here for a good time’… We just want to have fun with it and
grow together as a group,” Etrata said about his fellow contestants.

Etrata’s performances couldn’t be done without the help of his entourage. He sought out help from
Carlos Lantigua and Heldreth Yu, his peers in his architecture program, as Etrata performed a dance
medley of several popular K-pop songs for his talent portion; Lara Romero and Mikylla Baluyut,
FUNK’s Historian and Cultural Chair respectively, assisted in his cultural portion as they helped set the
stage for him for the cultural portion while a heart-warming video played of Etrata’s growing
community.

“Attending the Mr. PHL practices are definitely as fun as attending Ms PHL,” remarked Romero, who
had also been part of FUNK’s Ms. Philippines entourage at the beginning of the year. “I can say with
full confidence that John is going to spread the joy that he brings to FUNK to the world!”

Etrata did not place among the top five contestants, however, he was met with proud and resounding
applause nonetheless as he was named Mr. Congeniality, a category reserved only for those voted the
kindest among the group by his fellow contestants.

Rightly deserved, Etrata is known among his community for his passion of skillfully photographing his
friends at candid moments, cooking meals for them, and pulling others into his love of dance.

“The best way I believe we can embody kapwa into our lives is simply making sure we interact with
others! Whether that is through the smallest acts of service or catching up with a good friend, interaction
is the foundational key,” said Etrata. “There are many ways to build our connection not only with our
own Filipino community but with other communities.”

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