AGP: The World Is Starting to Come to Us

Walking into Winford Resort and Casino on Sunday, September 6, 2026, my first impression was simple: AGP looked and felt like an international bodybuilding event.

I wasn't experiencing it simply as a spectator, I was backstage as a coach at the AGP Philippines Pro Qualifier. I was close enough to see firsthand how the athletes were being prepared, how the backstage operation was being managed and how the different elements of the production came together throughout the day. And from that perspective, the professionalism of the event was even more apparent. Not just a Philippine competition with a few international athletes added to the lineup, but a show that genuinely felt capable of welcoming competitors from around the world.

And that may be the most significant story to come out of this year's Asian Grand Prix. For years, the direction of travel in Philippine bodybuilding was fairly predictable. Filipino athletes packed their bags, boarded airplanes and traveled overseas in search of bigger stages, tougher competition and opportunities to establish themselves internationally.

But something is changing. On September 6, 2026, athletes from Russia, Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Korea and Vietnam traveled to the Philippines to compete at the Asian Grand Prix, better known as AGP, held at Winford Resort and Casino.

The Philippines is no longer simply sending athletes out into the world. The world is beginning to come to us.

With approximately 160 athletes taking part, AGP once again demonstrated the growing international appeal of bodybuilding in the Philippines. More importantly, it showed what can happen when a local competition is organized with the professionalism, production quality and athlete experience expected of an international event.

AGP may not have been the biggest edition of the competition to date, but its significance continues to grow. Six IFBB Pro Cards were awarded across six divisions: Fit Model, Bikini, Men's Physique, Figure, Classic Physique and Open Bodybuilding.

Two of those six IFBB Pro Cards went to Filipino athletes, with the Fit Model and Open Bodybuilding titles earning their recipients professional status on home soil. For those Filipino competitors, earning an IFBB Pro Card without having to travel overseas made the achievement even more significant.

For Filipino athletes, having international competitors arrive on home soil creates an experience that cannot be replicated by watching competitions online or traveling overseas. It allows them to stand on the same stage, compete against athletes from other countries and build relationships within the wider bodybuilding community.

And that international exchange was perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of AGP. Despite competing against one another, the athletes appeared to develop a genuine bond throughout the weekend. Friendships were formed, conversations were shared and competitors from different countries were able to connect through their common passion for bodybuilding.

That is something worth recognizing. Competition creates winners and losers, but events like AGP can create something that lasts considerably longer than a trophy. They create connections.

A Professional Show From Start to Finish

The venue proved to be an excellent choice for AGP. Winford Resort and Casino provided the right environment for both athletes and spectators, while giving the competition a polished atmosphere that matched the growing stature of the event.

And, as has become expected from AGP, the organizers delivered an event that ran smoothly and efficiently. There were no major hitches to distract from the competition. That may sound like a simple compliment, but anyone who has been involved in organizing a bodybuilding competition understands how difficult it is to achieve.

Hundreds of athletes, coaches, backstage personnel, tanning teams, production crews, judges and spectators all have to move through the same event according to a carefully coordinated schedule. When everything works, most people never notice. That is precisely the point. AGP made the complexity look simple.

Red Panda Productions Gets the Production Right

Production is one of those elements that can easily be overlooked when an event is running properly. The audience may not consciously think about the lighting, video or audio when they are enjoying a competition, but all of these elements have an enormous impact on how a bodybuilding show feels.

Red Panda Productions once again delivered the kind of production quality that has become one of its signatures, handling the lighting, video, audio and overall production of the entire event. The lighting was on point, allowing the athletes' physiques to be presented properly on stage, while the video and audio complemented the overall atmosphere without becoming a distraction.

There is an art to producing a bodybuilding event. The production should enhance the athletes rather than compete with them. AGP understood that balance.

Kolor Tanning Completes the Picture

The same can be said for the tanning operation. Kolor Tanning once again made sure the athletes were stage ready when it mattered most.

In bodybuilding, presentation is everything. Months of dieting, training, posing and sacrifice ultimately come down to a few minutes under the lights. Conditioning can be exceptional, but if an athlete's tan isn't right, the presentation suffers.

One of the great professional touches from Kolor Tanning is that their job doesn't end once the initial tan is applied. Just before the athletes step onto the stage, the Kolor team glazes each competitor and performs any necessary touch ups, making sure every athlete is looking their absolute best at the moment they are presented to the judges.

That attention to detail makes a difference. Under the bright stage lights, the final glaze can enhance the appearance of the physique, while those last minute touch ups ensure athletes walk onto the stage looking polished and competition ready.

Kolor Tanning continues to demonstrate an understanding of that responsibility, ensuring competitors stepped onto the AGP stage looking prepared and polished. It is another example of how the individual pieces behind a competition contribute to the overall quality of the event.

The Athlete Experience Matters

One of the strongest aspects of AGP continues to be its attention to the athletes. The backstage area provided ample space for competitors to rest, eat, relax and prepare before stepping onto the stage.

From my position backstage as a coach, this was something I could appreciate firsthand. The importance of adequate backstage space is easy to underestimate if you've never experienced competition day from an athlete's perspective. Competitors don't simply stand around waiting for their names to be called. They need space to prepare, eat, pump up and, importantly, lie down with their feet elevated as they manage their bodies in the final hours before stepping on stage.

That is why the size and layout of the backstage area matters. Having enough room for athletes to lie down comfortably, with their feet up, while others around them prepare for their respective classes is a small detail that says something much bigger about how an event is organized. It shows that the athletes were being put first.

They need somewhere to sit. They need room to organize their food and belongings. They need space to pump up. They need somewhere to rest and recover between the long periods of waiting. And, perhaps most importantly, they need an environment where they can stay focused without feeling unnecessarily crowded or rushed. AGP delivered that.

The spacious backstage environment also contributed to the camaraderie among competitors. With athletes from several countries sharing the same space, the area became more than simply a holding zone. It became a place where competitors could meet one another, exchange stories and build friendships.

That human element is easy to overlook when discussing bodybuilding competitions, but it is an important part of what makes the sport special. When an organizer provides athletes with the space and facilities they need to perform at their best, it sends a clear message: the competitors aren't an afterthought. They are the event.

The Audience Wasn't Forgotten

While athletes are naturally the priority, a great competition also understands the importance of the people who pay to watch it. AGP's seating arrangement gave spectators excellent sight lines to the stage, allowing fans to cheer for their favorite competitors without feeling restricted by poor positioning or obstructed views.

That creates a better atmosphere inside the venue. Bodybuilding is an individual sport, but the audience can play an enormous role in creating the energy surrounding the athletes.

Hearing a competitor's name being shouted from the crowd as they walk onto the stage is part of what makes competition day memorable. AGP gave the audience the opportunity to be part of that experience from virtually every angle.

More Than a Bodybuilding Competition

Perhaps the most important thing about AGP is that its influence extends beyond the results sheet. Every international athlete who travels to the Philippines becomes an ambassador for the competition when they return home.

They have experienced the venue. They have competed alongside Filipino athletes. They have seen the organization. They have experienced the production. They have interacted with the local bodybuilding community. And they leave with an impression of Philippine bodybuilding that can influence whether they, their teammates and other international competitors decide to return in the future.

That is how a competition begins to establish an international reputation. It happens one athlete at a time. One coach at a time. One country at a time. AGP is helping create that momentum.

The Bigger Picture

There was a time when putting Philippine bodybuilding on the international map largely meant having Filipino athletes succeed abroad. That remains important. But there is another way to measure the growth of the sport: look at who is now willing to come here.

Russia, Thailand, Singapore, The United States, Korea, and Vietnam. These athletes could compete in countless competitions around the world. The fact that they are choosing to travel to Manila and compete at AGP is meaningful. It suggests that the Philippines is becoming part of the international bodybuilding conversation.

And that may ultimately become AGP's greatest contribution to the sport. Not simply the trophies. Not simply the six IFBB Pro Cards, including two earned by Filipino athletes on home soil. Not simply the 160 athletes who stepped on stage. But the reputation being built around the competition and, by extension, around the Philippine bodybuilding scene itself.

AGP is showing that an international standard can be delivered here at home. The venue is right. The production is right. The athlete experience is right. The organization is right. And the international athletes are beginning to notice.

For a country whose athletes have spent decades traveling abroad to chase opportunities, there is something particularly satisfying about watching competitors from around the world now make the journey in the opposite direction.

The world is starting to come to us.

And if AGP continues on this path, the Asian Grand Prix may eventually be remembered not simply as another bodybuilding competition in the Philippines, but as one of the events that helped establish the country as a genuine destination on the international bodybuilding calendar.

And without much ado, here are the Winner's Lists... for ALL three shows!!!

AGP PHILLIPPINES – NPC NATURAL REGIONAL, OPEN REGIONAL, PRO QUALIFIER

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Winford Resort & Casino

Santa Cruz

Produced by Red Panda Productions

NPC WORLDWIDE PHILIPPINES NATURAL REGIONAL

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- BANTAMWEIGHT

1. Grand Teng

FIT MODEL -- OPEN

1. Lindsay Rodriguez

FIT MODEL -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Lindsay Rodriguez

FIT MODEL -- MASTERS 35+

1. Sara Alavirad

BIKINI -- NOVICE

1. Mina Tomas

BIKINI -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Maureen Gel Galang

BIKINI -- CLASS A

1. Mina Tomas

2. Maureen Gel Galang

3. Gabriella Hilde Diano

WOMEN'S WELLNESS -- OPEN

1. Jeanette Buenconsejo

WOMEN'S WELLNESS -- JUNIOR

1. Alitaptap Caranto

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- NOVICE

1. Joey Rivera

2. Jeffrey Taguba

3. Ivan Viernes

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Jeffrey Taguba

2. Ivan Viernes

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- MASTERS 35+

1. Joey Rivera

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- CLASS A

1. Kim Dwight Cruz

2. Jeffrey Taguba

3. Ivan Viernes

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- JUNIOR

1. Martin Laurence Pereyra

NPC WORLDWIDE PHILIPPINES OPEN REGIONAL

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- OVERALL WINNER

Marwin Batinga

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Marwin Batinga

2. Gerald Bad-Ang

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- NOVICE

1. Kim Louise Acalayen

2. Thomas Jay Rufino

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Kim Louise Acalayen

2. Carl Lyle Lay Yu

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- BANTAMWEIGHT

1. Nino Cabrera

2. Grant Teng

3. Carl Lyle Lay Yu

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- MASTERS 35+

1. Jeromie Nerval

2. Hendra Purwalaksana

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- LIGHTWEIGHT

1. Joseph Fernandez

FIT MODEL -- OPEN

1. Jeun Heart De Leon

2. Elissa Ang

3. Esther Berutu

FIT MODEL -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Lindsay Rodriguez

2. Celina Murillo

FIT MODEL -- MASTERS 35+

1. Sara Alavirad

BIKINI -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Maureen Gel Galang

2. Cindy Janice Avila

3. Richie Olano

BIKINI -- MASTERS 35+

1. Richie Olano

BIKINI -- CLASS A

1. Malinao Genily

2. Lisa Jane Luchavez

3. Cindy Janice Avila

FIGURE -- OPEN

1. Sarah Marable

2. Denise Goh

FIGURE -- MASTERS 35+

1. Denise Goh

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- NOVICE

1. De Leon Carl

2. Jerry Perje

3. Jan Dominic Hung

4. Arnel Rosit

5. Ou Visal

6. Vincent Louiz Dorde

7. Chen Bomey

8. Peter Albert Caimbon

9. Mhatt Cayetano

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- TRUE NOVICE

1. John Philip Vargas

2. De Leon Carl

3. Jerry Perje

4. Jan Dominic Hung

5. Arnel Rosit

6. Ou Visal

7. Vincent Louiz Dorde

8. Chen Bomey

9. Dr Anthony Villafranca

10. Rey Anthony Canlas

11. Mhatt Cayetano

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- MASTERS 35+

1. Dr Anthony Villafranca

2. Rey Anthony Canlas

3. Peter Albert Caimbon

4. Hendra Purwalaksana

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- CLASS A

1. Rodney Daniel Gonzales

2. Francesco Jose Anicete

3. Joseph Michael Antonio

4. John Philip Vargas

5. Supasin Wilaskhampee

6. Amiel Almejas

7. Jerry Perje

8. Christopher Manalo

9. Ou Visal

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- JUNIOR

1. Joshua Cabrera

2. Martin Laurence Pereyra

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- NOVICE

1. Ralph Justin Cid

2. Thomas Jay Rufino

3. Marvyn Orocio

4. Ou Visal

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- TRUE NOVICE

1. Marvyn Orocio

2. Ou Visal

3. Chen Bomey

4. Carl Lyle Lay Yu

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- CLASS A

1. Nino Cabrera

2. Melvin Fu

3. James Vincent Mariano

4. Don Levin Salangsang

5. Reynold Domalsin

6. Yosua Pratama

7. Gerald Bad-Ang

8. Robi Miano

9. Thomas Jay Rufino

10. Ou Visal

11. Chen Bomey
    

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- JUNIOR

1. Joshua Cabrera

NPC WORLDWIDE AGP PHILIPPINES PRO QUALIFIER

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- OVERALL WINNER & PRO CARD

Marwin Batinga

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Jiyong Jeon

2. Jimboy Mende

3. Seungho Shin

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Marwin Batinga

2. Chuelhun Choi

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- MASTERS 35+

1. Marwin Batinga

MEN'S BODYBUILDING -- LIGHTWEIGHT

1. Joseph Fernandez

2. Reynold Domalsin

FIT MODEL -- PRO CARD

Lindsay Rodriguez

FIT MODEL -- MASTERS 35+

1. Sara Alavirad

FIT MODEL -- CLASS A

1. Lindsay Rodriguez

2. Jeun Heart De Leon

3. Roun Lee

4. Rea Fe Clemenia

5. Nguyen Nguyen

6. Nikka Quimbo

7. Esther Berutu

8. Elissa Ang

BIKINI -- PRO CARD

Hsiao Ting Yi

BIKINI -- NOVICE

1. Richie Olano

BIKINI -- CLASS A

1. Hsiao Ting Yi

2. Malinao Genily

3. Daria Voronkova

4. Lisa Jane Luchavez

5. Aleksandra Chipiga

6. Gabriella Hilde Diano

7. Richie Olano

WOMEN'S WELLNESS -- OPEN

1. Marina Zalazaeva

WOMEN'S WELLNESS -- MASTERS 35+

1. Marina Zalazaeva

FIGURE -- PRO CARD

Viktoriya Korobkova

FIGURE -- OPEN

1. Viktoriya Korobkova

2. Sarah Marable

3. Sylvia Malig-Ing

4. Denise Goh

5. Amy Berezowski

6. Mary Grace Manahan

FIGURE -- NOVICE

1. Sarah Marable

FIGURE -- MASTERS 35+

1. Sylvia Malig-Ing

2. Denise Goh

3. Amy Berezowski

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- OVERALL WINNER & PRO CARD

Ikjo Jun

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- NOVICE

1. Nikita Illarionov

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- CLASS A

1. Rodney Daniel Gonzales

2. Khiem Nguyen

3. Francesco Jose Anicete

4. Jayson Evangelista

5. Galang Karyadi

6. Lance Ace Delocares

7. Hyowon Lee

8. Amiel Almejas

9. Daryl Floyd Makinano

MEN'S PHYSIQUE -- CLASS B

1. Ikjo Jun

2. Nikita Illarionov

3. Joseph Michael Antonio

4. Jay Jay Ngitngit

5. Supasin Wilaskhampee

6. Jungjin Lee

7. Jaehyuk Han

   
   

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- OVERALL WINNER & PRO CARD

Juhyeong Lee

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- CLASS A

1. Juhyeong Lee

2. Melvin Fu

3. Don Levin Salangsang

4. Yosua Pratama

5. James Vincent Mariano

6. Jongmin Kang

7. Reynold Domalsin

8. Gerald Bad-Ang

   
   

MEN'S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE -- CLASS B

1. Hai Nguyen

2. Jaeyoung Kim

3. Ikjo Jun

4. Sungmin Bae

5. Seonghoo Kim

6. Jaehyuk Han

7. Hyeoncheol Jeong

8. Junghoon Lee