Joshua de Sequera: Man On The Hunt

One of the last events that I covered before we all went on a lockdown back in 2020 was the Manhunt International pageant held at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, that was February 23, 2020. Paul Luzineau of The Netherlands was crowned and Manhunt Philippines Daumier Corilla finished in the Top 16. 

Fast forward, two years after the last pageant was held, the Manhunt International is happening again and now on their 21st edition the pageant is set this coming October 1 and the Philippines is hosting the pageant again. 

Now, our guy for the month of September is none other than Manhunt Philippines 2022, the now 25 year old stand out from Global Asian Models 2019, Joshua de Sequerra. 

A former athlete of College of Saint Benilde Blazers in both Basketball and Volleyball 6’4” Joshua is all set to go on a hunt for the second Manhunt title for the Philippines. 

From being an athlete Joshua is now working as a property analyst for a real estate company and on the side he also does some modeling gig, well I guess you can’t take modeling away from this tall and handsome guy as it runs in their blood, with his mom being Binibining Pilipinas Maja 1992, Marina Pura Benipayo. 

One little fact about Joshua is that he is now a father to a cute baby boy, yeap that’s no secret as Manhunt International now allows candidates who are already daddies. 

We get to know more of Joshua de Sequera in the coming weeks as the finals night comes nearer. 

What made you join Manhunt International? Did they hand-pick you or you did go through a series of screenings and competition? 

 

“Matagal na kasi akong model, 8 years na akong model then 2 years and a half na kong nasa Empire/Mercator, I won Global Asian Models 2020 tapos out of nowhere lang fun story lang last April I got a call from Jonas Gaffud, he asked me if I could represent the Philippines sa Manhunt. 

 

Eh that time kasi I just lost around 50 or 60lbs , kasi I used to weigh around 245lbs due to the pandemic diba then I just lost all of that I was 175lbs. He told me if I could represent the Philippines, so syempre big honor yun pero yung problem was Manhunt is not a modeling competition na lahat payatot kailangan batak diba, so I took the challenge kahit 4-5 months of  preparation lang kumpara dun sa ibang countries na maybe 1 year of 1 year and a half to get their body right, ako I took the challenge na in a few months of hard work kaya naman gawin.”

How different or similar it is between being an athlete, a model, and a property specialist.

 

“Actually I think I could connect all of them, one thing I could say about the three me being a collegiate athlete, a model, and a real estate agent is all of them binebenta mo yung talent mo.” 

Your mom was also a beauty title holder, did she influenced you to join pageants and in the modeling world? 

 

“Sya yung nag inspire sa akin to be a model, I know it’s weird kasi babae sya and lalaki, usually diba dapat babae anak mo dun dapat, then the guy usually play sports, pero yun akin is I used to go to her shows every time when we still live in Balibago in Pampanga and every time she would have a show, dati kasi yung mga show sa fashion week sa MOA dun lagi dati eh, they would book a hotel for her dun sa area na yun and me and my brother would go. Pagshow time na nya she would tell us “o gusto nyo ba sumama sa show, gusto nyo manuod or gusto nyo na lang dito sa hotel mag order kayo food” ganon. My brother si Mark he would usually just watch TV sa hotel, ako lagi akong sumasama kasi every time she goes out of that stage nakikita ko yung mga tao na nakatingin sa kanya parang dyosa sya grabe sobrang angas I want to experience that, but not in a dyosa way obviously hahaha diba parang pag tingin sa akin “ui lupit tangkad nito” I’ve always dream of that since I was 12 or 13 years old nung napapanuod ko sya. Now I am super happy I get to do that” 

Which do you think is more difficult, being an athlete or being a model?

 

“Wow, for me ha I mean I love modeling and everything, my experience as an athlete, I have been an athlete for 16 years now, 8 years model and 16 years athlete, yung hirap na pinagdaanan ng mga model ngayon to have yung body na gusto nila is twice as harder sa volleyball kasi of course there’s injuries diba tapos everyday you train 5 to 6 hours a day, Sunday lang yung rest day mo na sometimes you’re too tired to visit your own family so for me when it comes to schedule, time, pagdating sa pagod yung sports talaga ang mas mahirap sa dalawa. 

 

Pero yung modeling talaga is more of a mental thing kasi you’re selling yourself to the agencies, sa mga gumagawa ng shows and you have to be better than other models we have to stand out and that for me is that’s the edge naman of modeling kasi sa sports naman any height basta talented (it’s good to go) kasi sa industry (modeling) kailangan ng looks.” 

Have you joined other pageants before? 

 

“When it comes to pageantry, modeling competitions you can consider me a newbie talaga, kasi model talaga ako eh so yung pageants and competitions are literally new to me. This is my second one (Manhunt International), the first one was Global Asian Modeling.” 

Going to the competition in less than two months, what preparations have you made so far?

 

“When it comes sa body I’ve come a long way kasi I’ve gained 20lbs of muscle in the past four months and for me that’s a record I never packed on so much muscle in my life in that short span of time, but other than that kasi yun nga since 1 and a half months na lang diet na so more on high protein diet with low carbohydrate, low sugar para yung katawan mas tuyo, all the fat burns out pero yung muscle stays.

 

I wouldn’t say naman na I am not preparing for like yung mga sa mga lakad(Pasarela), mga formal wear ganun kasi yun nga 8 years na kong model so medyo sanay na ko dun sa part na yun so right now I am only focusing on sa katawan ko.” 

What’s the best thing about being a father? 

 

“The best thing about being a father is that syempre yung anak mo nakikita mong lumalaki, yung mga hindi mo nakukuha nung bata ka nabibigay mo sa kanya, ako I am not a rich guy enough lang minsan pupunta kami ng toy kingdom and I would get him a medyo expensive gift kasi I want him to experience the best in life that I couldn’t experience before, right now wala syang pake kasi one and half palang haha so you can’t see the expression of joy, but yung sa akin is ipagpapatuloy ko yung ganun.”

How did fatherhood change you? 

 

“It changed me alot kasi before I used to be very selfish, I used to think of myself lang, na basta mabuhay ako, basta kumita ako, basta maka ipon ako, now it’s not like that eh now I need this money for my kid, for my partner. 

 

Sometimes I kinda forget my own dreams that I set out for, kasi once you have a kid you are now preparing him for his own dreams diba, you are trying to help him out with his own dresms and sometimes nawawala na yung sayo, ofcourse kung kaya naman ipag sabay, tinatry kong ibalance lang yung dreams naming lahat.”

What’s one advice you got from your parents when it comes to modeling and being a young dad? 

 

“They gave me alot of advice before, pero yung pinaka nagstandout sa akin is she told me na now that you are a young dad na, I warned you diba na enjoyin mo muna yung 20’s mo yan yung mga sinabi nya sa akin. 

 

Blessing is a blessing naman whatever age you are it is just a number lang talaga, hindi mo man naenjoy yung 20’s mo, but atleast now you get to experience enjoying your 20‘s with your son diba that stucked with me. 

 

The world doesn’t revolve around you anymore, it revolves around your kid na.”

6 years from now, how do you see yourself?

 

“I’m gonna be 31 years old, 6 years from now I see myself still in the industry pero to be honest I want to tackle commercials, yun nga pag aartista din, explore, I want to try. 

 

Gusto ko sana financially stable na kami, siguro makalipat na kami sa malaking bahay na ganun, that’s what I see, success in terms of the growth of my family.”