Columbia University’s Liga Filipina is proud to announce and host the 24th Annual Mr. Philippines Pageant on Sunday, November 17th, 2024.

Mr. Philippines is a male cultural pageant and our organization’s largest event during the fall semester. Contestants from over twenty Filipino organizations in the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue’s District Three universities (spanning across the New York City and New Jersey area) will participate in a friendly competition, with the intention to explore personal cultural identity and celebrate school and Filipino pride. Last year, we had approximately 1,000 guests in attendance at Lerner Auditorium at Columbia University. We consider it a celebration of Filipino culture and a platform for the talent, charisma, and intelligence of the youth of District III to shine through.

Our theme this year is “kapwa,” a Filipino word that roughly translates to “kindred.” More precisely, it describes the deep connection between human beings, tied together by something stronger and greater than blood or nationality. The concept of kapwa manifests in communities of care, where community members actively work to protect and support one another. It is the driving force behind the Philippines’ most profound social movements: the Katipunan, the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina labor protests, the People Power Revolution, and, most recently, in protests against the Jeepney Phaseout and the limitations of Filipino fishing rights in the South China Sea. It is also at the heart of all the everyday ways we care for each other, gestures as seemingly minor as holding a door for someone or simple words of encouragement. Kapwa is the essence of Filipino culture, apparent in both our individual daily lives and in our collective commitment to standing against oppression. We ask our pageant participants and guests to reflect upon the spirit of kapwa throughout this pageant and beyond. How does kapwa manifest within those communities? How do you put kapwa into practice within your communities? As Filipino individuals and organizations, what is our role in our increasingly global community, and how can we best embody kapwa?