The Decision-Makers

The morning panelists (top) led by Daniel Matsunaga with MJ Lastimosa and the afternoon judges with Venus Raj, Queenie Rehman, Benjamin Alves and Jonas Gaffud himself.

At 9:00AM sharp last Saturday, September 15, Mercator Artist and Model Management, Inc. opened its doors to young men and women who have expressed their interests in pursuing a possible career in modeling and showbiz, plus a chance to become one of its’ future beauty queens. The 2nd Floor of Renaissance Bldg. in Legaspi Village was abuzz with activity, what with the continuous presence of young wannabes from all walks of life.

Brapanese TV actor/model Daniel Matsunaga and the beautiful MJ Lastimosa headed the morning team, while the more loaded afternoon session was placed in the hands of beauty queens Venus Raj and Queenie Rehman with the help of actor Benjamin Alves and Mercator Head Jonas Gaffud. Altogether, they warmly accepted all comers, giving everyone a fair shot at the opportunity of being handled by one of the more successful award-winning talent management companies in the country today.

The Walk

Checking out the ladies' catwalk skills (if any).

As the saying in the fashion world goes, if you can talk the talk, then you must be able to walk the walk. Girls who can stand on their high heels and navigate a long straight line without slipping should be able to move beyond the reception area as sign of advancement. The same goes on the male side. If the body rhythm falls within set standards, then off to the next level of consideration they go.

The Men

Screening the guys, while separating the boys from the men.

Calling out prospective aces from a long line-up of jacks (both locally-based and fly-ins) can be a daunting task – a cute face here, nice abs there, piercing looks over there and meaningful smiles everywhere. It’s not enough that an applicant has one or two best assets to cover for distinct flaws. A marked charm and appeal should be inherent, helped of course by clear skin, nice manly built and a face that is evidently more masculine than androgynous.

A small handful of the male aspirants hang on to guts in search of their share of glory. They were rewarded with a few minutes of time from the panelists and a heartfelt ‘thank-you’ afterwards. The obvious picks have already been selected.

The Women

Sizing up the girls' potentials, filtering the promising ones from the plain ambitious.

Flashing their pearlie whites, ladies blessed with trim and decently-shaped figures and preferably sporting long tresses joined the queue. Knowing that they may also be shortlisted for training in beauty pageant participation, these hopefuls tried their best to step up to the plate and leave a lasting impression to the judges. Good height & posture and stand-out facial features plus that ever-so-indefinable ‘X’ factor were used as parameters. A few vertically-challenged ones were brave enough to pull in some attention, but only to the extent that their taller counterparts started firming up their clear advantage.

The Rest

All in a day's work, the Mercator Go-See last September 15 was a success!

And just so you would know, Mercator reached out to transgender applicants as well. It won’t be long until you see one or two landing a key project under its wings.

The Verdict

By early evening of September 15, the dust has settled. A successful go-see saw off its last eager beaver to the door. The shortlist has been filled up. Let me add that the faces you see in this post are just samplings of what Mercator may (or may not) groom in the months to come. There are more prospects who – for now – will remain under wraps. Call them the best of the day’s lot, or future ‘secret weapons’ if you will. 😉