Why Nathaniel Tiu puts a ‘wall’ around him

Tiu, who won Mister Earth International Philippines 2023 a few months back, is the total package: good-looking, smart, tall, charismatic, and everything else that will charm anyone’s socks off.

As a teacher and chairperson of St. Paul University Surigao’s mining engineering department, the 29-year-old Cebuano has to set boundaries. “I automatically create an intimidating self, or a wall. If I am in a classroom where I am the teacher, there is a barrier. I am the teacher, you are the student,” he told The FREEMAN during a thanksgiving event of Mister International Philippines Cebu 2023 at the Executive Resto Bar in Lahug, Cebu City.

“But I am not a killjoy. We would always joke during classes because they know how boring my subject since Mining Engineering is so technical. As for my co-teachers, I am friends with them. We can talk about anything work-related but other than that, I have to create this wall. That’s the set-up in my work.”

Nonetheless, his students and colleagues did not hold back from sharing their enthusiastic reactions to his stint at Mister International Philippines last June. “My students watched the live-stream of the finals and they sent their reaction videos. Even the administration and my co-workers were supportive. They would send ‘good luck’ messages. I couldn’t respond to every comment so I just wrote a general post where I thanked all of them,” he shared.

To a certain degree, Tiu’s strict demeanor extends to his younger sisters, whose peers sometimes mistake him as their father. Ofelia Lyn, 25, called him a “Sugar Kuya” in jest because of how he would spoil them, especially their youngest, Kris Joy. Ofelia shared, “It started from our mother since we are very close with our mama. I think Kuya learned from her how to value women.”

Their mother passed away August 25 last year, the same day Tiu turned 28. One of her wishes was to see her son compete in a pageant again. “Wa na ‘koy utang nimo Ma ha,” he posted on social media after clinching a title.

“I had this huge satisfaction that I was able to fulfill a dream of my mama. It felt like a huge relief. I didn’t have plans to join pageants again after 10 years but it was my mom who was the driving force of why I joined again,” said Tiu, who has campaigned for sustainable development since his college years.

Tiu will represent the country at Mister Earth next year in Venezuela. The assignment is perfect as he is an advocate of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“I am focusing on one agenda which is responsible consumption and utilization of the natural resources, which is Goal #12 in SDG,” added Tiu, who is completing his Master’s degree in Environmental Studies Specializing in Industrial Ecology at the University of the Philippines - Cebu.

“My advocacy is strong since my profession is mining engineering. I have seen first-hand the effects of mining and the efforts to combat negative effects to the environment.”

He is still involved with the organization Seed4Com which focuses on finding sustainable ways to provide education to communities, but he is also joining other organizations that specialize in Mister Earth’s advocacy, such as Greenpeace Philippines which is battling plastic pollution, especially in the seas.

It’s shaping up to be an even busier year for Tiu who has to balance his academe and pageant obligations. “I used to think that time management is the key. But right now, I am focused on task management,” he said.

“I first focus on the tasks and whatever I need to accomplish, rather than focusing on the time so I can divert to other tasks. It’s my way to cope: balancing my tasks properly and accomplishing the tasks given to me while doing other work.