Manila – Anticipating the worldwide Mister Gay pageant in Manila in February next year, organizers are holding this year’s national finals earlier than usual.

“This is the first time that the international contest will be held in Asia. We want to make sure that we give our best,” said Noemi Alberto, pageant producer from Winstruck Entertainment.

Last year’s winner, David Bosley, left for the international competition in Norway only last February. He landed in the semifinals, placing sixth overall from a field of over 35 international delegates.

Fifteen gay men are competing for the title in the local tilt. Alberto said the small number of contestants this year was due to the intense scrutiny the applicants went through.

Among the hopefuls are University of the Philippines’ mathematics instructor Louie Asis, government lawyer Darwin Tambago and dance sport athlete Miguel de la Serna, father of a two-year-old boy.

They are joined by heavy favorites Marc Earnest Biala, a nurse from Davao del Norte, and Sherin Abuel, a fashion designer from Mandaluyong City who dreams of organizing a Lesbian and Gay Chamber of Commerce to make the sector “more competitive in the field of international business.”

Filipino-Canadian Karla Paula Henry, the only Asian to be proclaimed Miss Earth in 2008, watched the presentation of Mr. Gay local candidates last month in Mandaluyong City. “Gay men have been very supportive of me when I was in the pageant circuit,” she said.

The Mr. Gay national edition will be held July 17 at Metro Bar, Quezon City