Randall Mercurio (Images courtesy of Facebook)

A Filipino-Canadian model will represent the Fil-Canadian community in two international competitions in July and September. Randall Mercurio, 24, who is currently based in Alberta, Canada, is preparing to compete in the Mister Intercontinental Tourism Colombia in July. In September, Mercurio will come back to the Philippines again to vie for the Misters of Filipinas 2023 pageant. Mercurio is a man who wears many hats. Aside from being a model and a self-taught designer, Mercurio is also a manager of a popular fast-food chain and an employee of an architectural company. “Pumupunta po ako sa mga thrift shop tapos nire-redesign ko yung clothes sa style na gusto ko. Denims ang specialty ko, denim jackets. Pagbalik ko sa Canada, ita-try ko naman na mag-create ng pants. (I go to thrift shops and redesign the clothes in the style I want. Denims are my specialty, denim jackets. When I return to Canada, I will try to create pants.) “Self-taught designer po ako. Natuto lang ako sa panonood sa YouTube at pagbabasa ng books. Yung mga isinusuot ko po sa mga pageant, ako ang nag-design," he said. (I'm a self-taught designer. I only learned by watching YouTube and reading books. I design the outfits I wear in pageants.) When he competes in pageants soon, Mercurio says that he will advocate for mental health. During the homecoming press conference organized by RH Productions at the Novotel Manila in Araneta City recently, Mercurio admitted that he got depressed when his family migrated to Canada when he was just 16. "When I went there, I feel like I’m alone even if I was with my family. Siguro dahil na rin sa adjustments. Pero noong natapos na ang depression ko, nag-decide ako na maging inspirasyon sa iba. (When I went there, I felt like I'm alone even if I was with my family. Maybe it was because of the adjustments. But when my depression ended, I decided to be an inspiration to others.) “Kasi kung nagawa kong malampasan ang depression, makakaya ko na ipaalala sa iba na magagawa rin nila," he adds. (Because if I were able to overcome depression, I can remind others that they can do it too.) "When I was there, my lola died (in Olongapo), and we didn't get to see her during her final moment. And then na-feel ko na kahit meron akong mga kasama, bigla na lang ako mapapaiyak. (When I was there, my grandmother died (in Olongapo), and we didn't get to see her during her final moment. And then I felt that even though I had companions, I would suddenly cry.) "Pero na-realize ko na kapag tinuloy ko pang gawin yun, hindi na rin ako magiging happy. She passed away at the height of the pandemic. "So ang ginawa ko talaga nun ay nagreflect muna ako sa sarili ko. Na-realize ko na walang mangyayari kapag ganito lang. So nag-reconnect ako sa mga friends ko. Ginawa ko talahga lahat ng gusto ko. As of now, happy naman ako," says Mercurio, adding that he did not reach the point of inflicting self-harm when he got depressed. Mercurio says he hopes that he will inspire the youth with his story. “Gusto ko talagang ma-inspire ang mga mas nakababata sa akin. I want them to realize na mayroong purpose," he adds.