Brands draw line over Brandon Espiritu, Jether Palomo's 'halfie' remarks
MANILA, Philippines — A number of local brands have distanced themselves from Filipino-American pageant kings Brandon Espiritu and Jether Palomo over their controversial remarks about foreign residents with Filipino heritage.
A deleted post showed Espiritu and Palomo "pledging allegiance" to their American backgrounds and claiming the Philippines would not be competitive in pageants if not for "halfies" or part-Pinoys like them.
Espiritu finished second runner-up at Mister Supranational 2024, while Palomo was first runner-up at Mister Tourism World 2023, both while carrying the Philippine flag.
The comments drew flak from within and outside the Filipino pageant community, even after the two men issued apologies.
Brands affiliated with either individual released statements to clarify their ties to Palomo and Espiritu and state their positions on the issue.
Primary among them was leading food brand Century Tuna, under which Palomo won the Superbods title in 2024.
Century Tuna responds. In an Instagram story, canning giant Century Tuna described itself as a proud Filipino brand operating in over 80 countries and noted how central its Filipino identity is to the company.
The brand expressed disappointment in Palomo's words on identity and heritage, stressing that they did not reflect the brand's values.
"We believe that being Filipino is not measured by where one is born, the language one speaks, or one's pedigree," Century Tuna said. "It is shared by every Filipino, at home and around the world, equally and without exception."
The brand noted Palomo's apology and his acceptance of accountability, ending by reiterating its commitment to celebrate the Filipino "in all our diversity, from every region, language, and walk of life."
Cutting ties
More brands affiliated with Espiritu also spoke up after his controversial comments circulated, with some opting to cut ties with the pageant king.
Men's grooming and skin care brand Camou clarified that it has had no connection to Espiritu since 2024, disavowing support for and disassociating itself from his recent actions.
Camou said it would not engage in any business dealings with Espiritu going forward and had taken down all materials associated with him, as his comments did not represent the brand's standards, principles, vision or values.
"Camou is proudly a Filipino brand built on respect, professionalism, inclusivity, and respect," it said. "We remain committed to serving and representing Filipinos with these values at the core of everything we do."
Makati cafe and bar Treehouse similarly said Espiritu's remarks did not reflect the establishment's values and beliefs.
"Treehouse does not condone discrimination, racism, or any language that demeans any race, nationality, culture, community, or industry," it said, calling itself Filipino-owned, managed and raised.
The establishment said Espiritu's "ownership" of the cafe and bar was as a passive investor, and that he had no involvement in day-to-day operations, management or any other direction.
Treehouse later added in a comment under its statement that it was taking steps to formally disengage from Espiritu and end his association with the establishment.
Wellness center Longevity Labs is also ending its investor relationship with Espiritu as a minority stakeholder and processing his removal from its capitalization table.
"We exist to serve the Filipino people and everyone who calls this place home. When the association between our name and those comments, however unintentional, causes our community pain, we have a responsibility to act," the wellness center said.
While it noted Espiritu's apology, which he took down before deactivating his Instagram account as of writing, Longevity Labs said it was committed to "doing what is right for the people who work for us and those who walk through our doors every day."
Home brand Restday issued a statement distancing itself from Espiritu, whom it described as a partner despite online claims that the pageant king was the actual owner.
"We do not agree with, endorse, or share the view that mixed Filipinos are a determining factor in the success of Filipinos in international pageantry," Restday said. "We believe excellence in representation is rooted in talent, discipline, creativity, and individuality, regardless of background."
The incident also prompted several other beauty queens and pageant kings, some of them part-Pinoys themselves, to express pride in representing the Philippines while condemning the initial remarks.
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