PH breaks ‘Vietnam curse’ with Mister Cosmopolitan 2026 win

A Filipino contender has finally won a pageant title on Vietnamese soil when John Eriq Bonifacio topped the 2026 Mister Cosmopolitan competition held in Nha Trang on Sept. 12.

The Kapampangan hunk bested 19 other aspirants at the fourth edition of the annual male search to inherit the title from Taiwanese titleholder Shawn Lin, who won at last year’s competition held in Thailand.

Pageant fans, particularly Filipinos, have coined the phrase “Vietnam curse” because delegates from the Philippines had previously never won in international competitions hosted in “the Land of the Ascending Dragon” despite sending formidable competitors.

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The most recent “victim” of this curse was Asia Rose Simpson, who finished in the Top 12 of the 2026 Miss World pageant held on Sept. 5 despite topping the “Head-to-Head” Challenge and making the shortlist of several other fast-track competitions. Vietnamese delegate Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc claimed the Top 6 slot for Asia and Oceania.

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READ: Asia Rose Simpson shares off-cam moments from Miss World 2026 in Vietnam

Also fueling speculations of such a curse were 2023 Miss Earth Air Yllana Marie Aduana, 2024 Miss Cosmo Top 10 semifinalist Ahtisa Manalo, and 2024 Mister World Top 20 semifinalist Kirk Bondad.

Manalo would later compete at the 2025 Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, finishing third runner-up, while Bondad got redemption in the same country by winning the Mister International title last year.

During the question round at Mister Cosmopolitan, Bonifacio was asked,  “As a gentleman, what does having a noble heart mean to you, and how do you believe a man can demonstrate it through his action toward others?”

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He responded: “For me, [a] gentleman with a noble heart is not defined by how he [dresses] or looks, but rather how he [treats] people with respect. This is something that I learned from my father who just passed away. It taught me that regardless of who they are, rich, poor, or what gender they choose, respect must always come first.”

For this year’s competition, the Mister Cosmopolitan pageant has adopted the tagline “Gentlemen with Noble Heart.”

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Bonifacio added that many in today’s generation had already forgotten how to treat each other with respect. “But I am here right now standing in front of you, be a reminder to each [and] everyone, especially the youth, that to teach everyone with respect and kindness. Because I believe that the things you do in life reflects in return,” he said.

Aside from winning the top prize at the finale show, he also received the Best Physique and Best Catwalk awards at the preliminary competition.

In an interview after he posted his victory, Bonifacio expressed his gratitude to the Filipino people. “Maraming, maraming salamat sa Filipino fans na sumusuporta sa akin. We did it, guys. Mabuhay ang Philippines. Para sa inyo ito. Mahal ko kayong lahat,” he said.

(Thank you very much to the Filipino fans who are supporting me. We did it, guys. Long live the Philipines. This is for you. I love you all.)

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Bonifacio’s victory marks the third straight year that a Mister Pilipinas Worldwide titleholder had topped an international competition. In 2024, Daumier Corilla became the first-ever Filipino delegate to be proclaimed Mister Global. And last year, Bondad scored the country’s second Mister International victory. /edv