John Ernest Tanting looks back on pageant stint in Turkey

CEBU, Philippines —  Mister Beauté International 2022 John Ernest Tanting is not one to be late. If the call time is at 5 pm, expect him to be there at least 30 minutes early.

“It was my dad’s thing that he bestowed upon me that we always have to be on time,” the 21-year-old told The FREEMAN in a catch-up interview. “If a meeting is at 6, you have to be there by 5:30.”

On a rare occasion, he was slightly tardy for our interview that was scheduled for 1 pm due to the heavy-than-usual traffic in Cebu over the recent holidays.

“Angkas took me about 30 minutes to book,” he explained. “I should learn how to drive na.”

During the Mister Beauté International competition in Turkey, the Filipino-Chinese candidate was always praised by organizers for showing up early.

“They would tell me ‘Oh my gosh, you are here. Good job! Where are the others?’”, he shared, as many of his fellow candidates would show up 20 minutes later than the call time. “That’s a cardinal sin for me. My dad didn’t raise me to be like that.”

His punctuality was also reflected during his time as a basketball varsity player. “If the practice is at 3 pm, I will be there at 2 so that I can warm up and do some extra shooting,” he said. “As months go by, you will see the gap between you and your peers. I am slowly putting in the work and they can’t take back the time they didn’t use.”

Compared to Mister International Philippines 2022 where he finished as a top six finalist, the preparation process for Mister Beauté International was more challenging for Tanting.

“It was a bit more difficult because of how long the competition was,” he explained. “You have to make sure you leave a lasting impression every time you are there, like you have to be nice, courteous, and genuine.”

“Everyone has those moments where they want to be alone. But you cannot be like that in a pageant because it can be perceived that you dislike the people there. You have to make sure that you put your best foot forward.”

To stay focused and mentally afloat, he had some tricks up his sleeve.

“I had more mental centering stability with my mom helping me by telling me ‘Anak, mag-meditate ka sa morning. Sa evening, you listen to yourself and write down your thoughts’”, he shared.

“And since it was very cold in Turkey, I placed the shower on cold. So when I take a shower, I am going to be so awake. All these little mental tricks helped me become so much better.”

Tanting looked back at his time in Mister Beauté International with pride, considering that he first joined a pageant only last year with minimal preparation.

“I became somewhat of a better pageant person,” he remarked. “It feels very nice and gratifying that all the hard work, the mental battles, and the sad times finally paid off.”

Not everything was all work in Turkey for Tanting as he managed to tick some things off his list. He recalled how much he loved the yogurt soup and the Turkish ice cream.

“When you taste regular ice cream, it doesn’t leave an aftertaste. But their ice cream leaves an aftertaste so it’s like enough cream and right sweetness. They give you a biscuit, break it off and then place it on the ice cream to give it more texture and crunch.”

As a cat lover, Tanting relished petting stray cats roaming around the streets of Turkey. “They were so cute and lovely, and they weren’t afraid when I called their attention. The people in Turkey would leave food outside for them to eat,” he further shared.

He wasn’t able to go on a hot air balloon ride – something he hopes to experience when he returns to Turkey in March for “international model stuff.”

“I can’t wait to go back there,” said Tanting, who has recently joined the fold of Origin Model & Artist Management.