BANGKOK, Thailand (The Adobo Chronicles, Bangkok Bureau) – Just days after the Miss Universe Organization announced it will no longer impose any age limit on contestants to the popular international beauty pageant, the Mister International Organization said it will now allow women to join the male competition.

The Thailand-based Mr. International recently introduced a tradition of more empowering and value-centered “distinctively handsome” men to inspire the next generation to serve and be active in the community. For the first time in 16 years, the pageant will allow fathers, married, and divorced men to compete. But to keep up with its female counterpart pageants, it said it is now also opening its doors to biological and transgender women.

Many will recall that in addition to lifting the age restriction , the Miss Universe pageant has opened the competition to married women, women with children, transgender women and women of all sizes.

In the history of Mr. International, only one Filipino has won the crown — police officer Neil Perez (2014).

Will comedienne and beauty crown holder Herlene Budol, despite her announcement to retire from the pageant scene, try to compete in next year’s Mr. International?