Mercator Artist and Model Management

All posts tagged Mercator Artist and Model Management

Sunday Specials: A Victory Party at the Pool Club

Posted by Norman on October 25, 2015
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Honorees Miss World Philippines 2015 Hillarie Danielle Parungao, Miss Globe 2015 Ann Colis and Miss World Philippines 2015 1st Princess Cassandra Naidas (Photo credit: Jonas Gaffud)

Honorees Miss World Philippines 2015 Hillarie Danielle Parungao, Miss Globe 2015 Ann Colis and Miss World Philippines 2015 1st Princess Cassandra Naidas (Photo credit: Jonas Gaffud)

Miss and Mister World Philippines 2015 Hillarie Parungao and Sam Ajdani (Photo credit: Jonas Gaffud)

Miss and Mister World Philippines 2015 Hillarie Parungao and Sam Ajdani (Photo credit: Jonas Gaffud)

Late yesterday afternoon and onwards, a Victory Party was held inside Palace Pool Club in BGC. Mercator Artist and Model Management – led by Jonas Gaffud – hosted the event. There were multiple honorees. First on the list is Ann Colis who was recently crowned Miss Globe 2015 in Toronto, Canada. And then there is Hillarie Danielle Parungao who – just last week – was adjudged Miss World Philippines 2015 and will go to Sanya, China to represent the country in Miss World 2015. Along with her, 1st Princess Cassandra Naidas was also feted for completing a 1-2 finish for Aces & Queens in the said pageant. These three beauties were joined by Mercator’s exclusive talent Richard Juan who stepped out of the Pinoy Big Brother house during one of the latest eliminations.

It was a very happy occasion for everyone involved. Mister World Philippines 2015 Sam Ajdani was also on hand to join in the celebration and gamely posed for photo ops with Hillarie as the reigning titleholders of their respective affiliated competitions. Beauty queens and fashion models also came and literally made splashes in the cool water of the venue, as only the pool club can deliver.

From all of us here at normannorman.com, congratulations once more to Ann, Hillarie and Cassandra for jobs well done! 😉

The New Faces of Mercator are here!

Posted by Norman on August 12, 2015
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .

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Monika Sta. Maria (top), Chanel Olive Thomas (bottom left) and Amadeo Leandro are just three of Mercator's new faces

image Mercator Artist and Model Management has formally unveiled their new faces (watch video below) and, interestingly, there is one girl who took me by surprise. But just by a bit. She is Miss Philippines Air 2015 Chanel Olive Thomas who we all know was a part of KF (Kagandahang Flores) during MPE2015. Other than her, the remaining eye candies have already started some of their projects with the agency prior. There is Asia’s Next Top Model S3 runner-up Monika Sta. Maria, Brazilian hunk Amadeo Leandro, Chinese cutie Richard Juan, Fil-Scot model Mark McMahon and Seigfred Aldeen.

Watch the one-minute video below.

Anjie Balatbat, tall and exotic 

Posted by Norman on May 30, 2015
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .

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Anjie Balatbat for Happy Skin. She's 5'11" and very exotic. Where could be pageant-fielded? (Photo credit: Toff Tiozon)

Anjie channels her inner Angelina Jolie

Anjie channels her inner Angelina Jolie

I was reading today’s issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and happily saw an article for Happy Skin that had Anjie Balatbat as the model. I promptly sourced for these photos (taken by Toff Tiozon) so I can come up with a quick second blog about her.

I already featured Anjie last year after meeting her in person during the Miss World Philippines 2014 finals at SM MOA Arena. Jonas Gaffud made the introduction. And boy, was I amazed with her beauty. Her height of 5’11” (a little over actually) is for real. And I just can’t help but gush on the spot.

Now that she has been living in the country, and actively takes modeling projects from Mercator, it could only mean that she is fulfilling an all-important residency that would qualify her for you-know-what. Alternately, she can also be tipped to join Miss World Philippines 2015. Given that Ms. Cory Quirino is very much open to having an exotic-looking winner, Anjie might just fit the bill.

Let’s see where the tide will bring this smoldering hot beauty. 😉

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Once more for Happy Skin, here's Anjie Balatbat (Photo credit: Toff Tiozon)

P.S. Below is a one year old vid of Anjie during the Philippine Canada Fashion Week so you can hear her speaking voice.

courtesy of Philippine Canada Fashion Week

Happy Birthday, Jonas Gaffud!

Posted by Norman on May 26, 2015
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

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Jonas Gaffud with his Bb. Pilipinas 2015 Queens

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Jonas with Venus Raj

I just want to make this big shout-out to the man behind Mercator Artist & Model Management and Aces & Queens. He is the Beauty Queen Maker who has also helped manage the talent of some of the country’s most sought-after models plus a string of celebrities on Film and TV. And to top it all, he is the brains behind Project: Beautiful You which continues to help Filipinas even in the more remote rural areas discover themselves and their inner beauty.

May you produce more beautiful World-Class Filipinas for the country to be proud of in the international pageant stage!

Happy, Happy Birthday to you! 😀

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Happy Birthday, Mama J!

All photos are courtesy of Jonas Gaffud.

Sunday Specials: The Mercator Models’ Night

Posted by Norman on May 10, 2015
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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A very successful Mercator event at the Palace Pool Club (Photo credit: Jonas Gaffud)

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Jonas Gaffud and one of his top models Sam Ajdani

Mercator Artist and Model Management has much to be thankful for. And one way of showing it is to hold a Models’ Night to gather all the beautiful and handsome talents for a night of fun, food, drinks and swimming!

At Valkyrie’s Palace Pool Club in BGC last Friday, Jonas Gaffud was the most gracious host as he welcomed his guests and made sure that every single one of them is having a good time. The list of attendees is long, but part of it includes Bb. Pilipinas beauties Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Christi Lynn McGarry, Ann Colis, Kim Suiza and Cindy Miranda. The models are in full force with the likes of Sam Ajdani, Kurt Viray, Richard Juan, Vince Ferraren, AJ Winkler, Brodie Nero, Tohi Ajdani, Cassandra Naidas, Alaiza Malinao, Jasmine Maierhofer present.

Of course, the members of the working team behind Mercator are accounted for. The mood was all-out partying with a big splash. And nobody went home without getting a little or totally wet. 🙂

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It was a night of fun and bonding for all the Mercator models (Photo credit: Jonas Gaffud)

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Oh, and yes, there was swimming as well.

Care to have your eyes checked by Dr. Mark Agas?

Posted by Norman on April 22, 2015
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .

The Cosmo article that increased awareness of Dr. Mark Agas even more.

The Cosmo article that increased awareness of Dr. Mark Agas even more.

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Dr. Mark Agas, Ophthalmologist

Aside from flooding your Facebook news feed with images of this Hunk of a Doctor the past few days, the guy’s sudden zoom in familiarity was picked up by Cosmo.ph with an accompanying article. After all, he is part of the Cosmo69 Bachelors 2014.

Well, Dr. Mark Agas is now enjoying his latest bout with fame. And this Ophthalmologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center is bringing the hospital’s image some additional media mileage – all positive at that.

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When Mark was still studying

When the Doctor is not busy treating eyes, he still moonlights as a model. Actually, he is with Jonas Gaffud’s Mercator Artist and Model Management. While he was more active back in the day when he was in Medical School, the 100% cutie can still be seen in some print projects, fashion shows and the like.

So if you need to have your eyes checked and get some inspiration at the same time, head on over to his clinic.

ASAP. 😉

And Mr. World Philippines 2015 is Sam Ajdani

Posted by Norman on May 30, 2014
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , .

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Mr. World Philippines 2015 Sam Ajdani and his intellectual look.

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Sam Ajdani (right) for 2015 with John Spainhour for 2014

Look who got chosen as Mr. World Philippines 2015 in a rare two-winners-for-two-consecutive-years-in-one pageant selection. Ms. Cory Quirino surely knows how to drum up a last-minute explosion for the male pageant. Not only did she make the audience gasp in awe by presenting two outstanding choices. She also made them both winners.

Now, Sam (who is with Mercator) will be scheduled for military training with the Philippine Army. And he will have lots of time to prepare for next year’s Mr. World which will become an annual event starting 2015.

Actually, a little birdie whispered to my ear that Sam was supposed to be the 2014 choice and John Spainhour for 2015. But since the latter is already 26 years old and with certified military training, it was decided that the Fil-Persian-Japanese hunk would be a better fit for next year’s edition.

Regardless, we have excellent Mr. World bets already locked in for 2014 and 2015. And I daresay that Mr. World Philippines 2016 will be a more outstanding male pageant production with the long lead time ahead.

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Sam Ajdani showing off his glorious six-pack abs a la Superman!

Congratulations, Sam! 🙂

All images above are courtesy of Melvin Sia.

The future of Aces & Queens looks bright with Patch & Julia

Posted by Norman on February 3, 2013
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Patch Magtanong and Julia Avila could be Aces & Queens' entries for 2014.

Patch Magtanong and Julia Avila could be Aces & Queens’ entries for 2014.

Like a constantly winning basketball team, Aces & Queens has the deepest bench in terms of beautiful and talented team players. It’s like being one step ahead of the major league in terms of planning and recruiting.

For the next year or two, I bet Jonas Gaffud and his beauty camp will train two of their youngest beauties to the fullest. 5’8″ Patch Magtanong (a Business Economics student of UP Diliman) and 5’7.5″ Julia Avila (a De La Salle Junior scheduled to graduate in 2014) are the latest faces to formally join Mercator Artist and Model Management, Inc. ‘s long list of topnotch fashion, commercial and photographic models.

Patch projects a Shamcey Supsup-like aura in the pics above, while Julia embodies a perky and shapely teenager with her youthful vibe. This duo still has a long way to go, but with the promise they are showing as early as now, I see no reason not to be molded as future beauty queens. 😉

Congratulations to the unstoppable Jonas Gaffud!

Posted by Norman on August 27, 2012
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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Best Model Management Award winner Jonas Gaffud of Mercator (2nd from left) with some of his famous wards (L-R) Venus Raj, Queenie Rehman and Shamcey Supsup

As I have told Mercator head Jonas Gaffud in my congratulatory message to him last Saturday, he planted good seeds to insure a bountiful harvest. Now is the time to reap the rewards for a job well done.

Last Friday night, he was recognized at the Philippine Fashion Ball as the winner of Best Model Management Award – a precious honor symbolic of his outstanding efforts in running an artist and model management company that has grown in leaps and bounds during the past eight years. Popular for bringing us beauty queens (Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup, Janine Tugonon and Queenie Rehman to name some) we all love and adore (via Aces & Queens), he extended his reach to the handling of some of the country’s top-notch fashion and commercial models such as Brapanese hunks Hideo Muraoka, Daniel Matsunaga, Akihiro Sato & Fabio Ide. He also continued his foray to the world of showbiz when he started landing one contract after another for his wards who are now showbiz personalities like JC Tiuseco, Mikael Daez, Benjamin Alves, Ervic Vijandre, Kerbie Zamora, Lemuelle Pelayo and the upcoming Artista Academy hopeful Benjo Leoncio.

The guy is simply unstoppable. And to think that nearly a decade ago, all of these were but dreams waiting to happen. I remember our time together when Mabuhay Beauties was still an active pageant-loving group. It never crossed our minds that he will someday be looked up to as the famous beauty and talent connoisseur he is right now. 2004 was his first turning point because that was the year Mercator Artist and Model Management was born. The rest is continuously running history.

And so, I doff my hat to the one and only Jonas Gaffud. May you continue to bring us more world-class beauty queens, more gorgeous Film/TV idols and more fierce models on the runway and glossy pages of fashion magazines. My heartfelt congratulations once more!

By the way, do check out the new website of Mercator and like its Facebook fanpage as well. 🙂

The new and constantly improving Luzelle Felipe

Posted by Norman on August 8, 2012
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , .

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Luzelle's shots as a Mercator model.

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More of Luzelle as Mercator model.

Remember Luzelle Felipe? I’m sure you do.

Well, I have nothing earth-shaking to tell about her just yet. But this much I can say – the girl is constantly improving and getting the continuous polish under Jonas Gaffud’s Mercator Artist and Model Management. She is most definitely in good hands.

Can I daresay that we might see more of her in Bb. Pilipinas 2013? Or should she wait longer and get prepped up for 2014 instead? 🙂