John Raspado of Baguio City arrived last Saturday afternoon to a rousing welcome after he won the Mr. Gay World contest held in Madrid, Spain last Thursday.
“I am overwhelmed! I want to dedicate my victory to my family and to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual) community,” said Raspado upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City last Saturday afternoon.
Raspado also thanked Rodgil Flores, head of the Kagandahang Flores beauty camp, who groomed and trained him; and Wilbert Tolentino, local franchise holder of Mr. Gay World Philippines contest.
“This is a great day for the LGBT community in the Philippines! I just hope that I will continue to inspire the LGBT people here and abroad,” said the hunky businessman.
With his success in the international pageant scene, Raspado said that he hopes to go full blast with his showbiz career soon.
“Definitely I want to pursue a career in show business. I want to do acting, singing and dancing. I can also do stand-up comedy,” he added.
Raspado said that he will go back to Spain to participate in the World Pride Madrid 2017, a popular LGBT festival, in June.
The central event of World Pride Madrid 2017 is the Pride Parade, the great world demonstration of LGTB Pride, in which over three million people and associations from all over the world take to the main streets of the city in an act of celebration and recognition of diversity and equal rights.
This is a very special year for the LGTB community in Spain, as 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the first LGTB Pride demonstration in that country, which marked the beginning of this social movement.
Raspado, who is in a relationship with a Filipino nurse based in Australia, said that he will also be busy for the local search of Mr. Gay World Philippines contest 2017.
Asked about the first thing he would like to do once he got out of the airport, Raspado said: “I want to eat adobo and cake.”
