‘I want to help people’... pageant winner shining a light on mental health conditions

Filipino man, who moved to Belfast when he was just eight, tells of success at Derry event

A FILIPINO man now living in east Belfast hopes to be an inspiration to other people with mental health issues, especially those from the LGBTQ+ community, after becoming Mr Shining Light 2024.

Jason Cancino (30) moved to Northern Ireland from the Philippines when he was eight years old.

As a gay immigrant with a learning disability, he has praised the Shining Light Pageant for allowing him to be himself, and he hopes to bring more attention to the competition as it “literally helps save people’s lives”.

The chef and freelance model entered the Shining Light Pageant 2024 for Mental Health Awareness and took home the title of ‘Mr Shining Light 2024’ at a glitzy event in Derry last month.

Now in its fourth year, the contest is open to people of all ages and sizes, and focuses on boosting confidence and self-esteem, empowerment and friendship.

“I have always watched pageants on TV, such as Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Supranational,” Jason told the Belfast Telegraph. “They have inspired and made a difference in people’s lives and I thought that one day I would like to be able to help and save people’s lives.

“Then I was scrolling through social media one day and saw the Shining Light Pageant, which was perfect for me.

“I want to encourage people to be able to tell their stories about their mental health or illness, and I want to use my voice for others to understand that this is such an important issue. It’s OK not to be OK.”

Jason explained that last year, he had struggled with “not feeling good enough”, and his learning disability sometimes makes it difficult for him to understand things. But, since entering the Shining Light Pageant, his confidence has grown. He became especially emotional after being crowned the male winner on April 6, as he wore a dress to the finals, despite being initially worried about doing so.

“I asked my director Jennifer [Taylor] a week before the pageant if I could wear a dress and she was the most supportive person ever and said it shouldn’t be an issue.

“She said, ‘You do different things and you just keep breaking those boundaries’.

“Then, I won my title and it was the most amazing moment… I almost cried on the day because I got to be who I was and represent myself for who I am.”

The pageant has raised nearly £40,000 for local mental health charities since its inception by Derry mum Jennifer Taylor four years ago, who herself won the Mrs Ireland 2018 competition in Dublin.

The event’s chosen charity for 2023/2024 was Aware NI, which works exclusively for people with depression and bipolar disorder in Northern Ireland.

Throughout the last 12 months, Jason and other contestants raised funds and awareness for the organisation, and he will continue to fundraise for the chosen charity of 2024/25 — Action Mental Health NI.

Lesley Wright, Community Fundraising Officer at Aware NI, added: “We want to congratulate Jason for this fantastic achievement and thank him for his dedication to raising funds and awareness for Aware NI.

“His efforts greatly contribute to supporting those affected by depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder in our community, and we deeply appreciate his commitment.”

The 2023 Mr Shining Light winner, Barry Mcgovern from Killyclogher in Co Tyrone, went on to win the Mr International Shining Light pageant this year, and Jason hopes to follow in his footsteps.

‘I want to encourage people to be able to tell their stories about their mental health or illness’

You can keep up to date with the Shining Light NI Pageant via its Facebook page. Anyone who needs to talk to someone about mental health issues can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000