Jojo Almazora Sebastian is a Filipino-American from Kapolei, Hawaii, based in Sydney, Australia – he’s a devoted and compassionate frontliner and nurse who works in the Operating Theatre at a busy Metropolitan Hospital in Sydney. However, on weekends, this orthopaedic nursing unit manager transforms into a charming and dashing tuxedo-attired singer-entertainer and master of ceremonies. A veteran of the United States Military Forces (USAF), he could be seen regularly in concerts where he performs as a front act for local and international artists. He has been a main staple in the local and International Pageants from the Philippines, Hawaii, and Australia in the last 17 years.
This former disc jockey of Brother Joe and Pinoy Love Crew 101.5 FM KPHI Honolulu has been named the Australian Best Pageant Host in the Australian Golden Sash Awards from 2019 through to 2021 and is due to represent Australia once more in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA 2023) to be held in California in July 2023 in the categories of singing, dancing, and modelling/spokesperson.
Jojo has been an awardee in Sydney’s Best Dressed for the last two years due to his excellent dressing sense and confident personality. For 2021, Sydney Best Dressed Organisation has awarded Jojo the Top Male Fashion Icon of the Year. This also landed him an award for the Inaugural Ceremony of World’s Best Dressed. Furthermore, he has been nominated for Manila’s Best Dressed for 2021 to represent Australia in the prestigious Annual Event in 2022. Moreover, he was given an award at the 2021 Australian Modelling and Fashion Awards. Jojo also is an Ambassador for Sassy and Co Clothing 2021 which endeavours to teach everyone in the community fashion sustainability and once more to breathe a new life to old clothes through recycling and repurposing. Jojo was also named the first brand ambassador for MADE FOR MEN – an organic skincare made for men.
Jojo has also been busy in the catwalk – he participated in the runway at the 2021 Australian Multicultural Fashion Festival, 2021 Sassy and Co Fashion Runway, 2021 Australian Modelling and Fashion Awards, 2021 Australian Fashion Preview, 2021 This Is Me Fashion Show and 2021 Miss Earth Australia Fashion Show amongst other. Jojo recently walked for Trinitiry Dawson – a Sydney Designer, in the New York Fashion Week last February 2022, and LAKME Fashion Show in June 2022. He has been invited back to grace New York Fashion Week this coming September 2022.
This year has been fruitful for Jojo, as he has been nominated and awarded numerous accolades such as Global Elite Achiever Awardee at the 2022 Global Awards Night (Utah, USA), International Pageant King of the Year at the 2022 Ganap Global Achiever Awards (Manila, Philippines), International Multi-Awarded Personality of the Year at the 2022 Ganap Global Achievers Awards (Manila, Philippines), Ambassador of Culture and Arts 2022 (Sydney, Australia), and representative of Sydney’s Best Dress at Manila’s Best Dress 2022.
In terms of his modelling career, 2021, and 2022 have been fruitful for Jojo. He has graced the cover of numerous magazines all over the world to date and there are still at least 6 in the works. He has appeared in the covers of GEQ magazine (February 2021 issue), Model and Mode (February 2021 issue), InLife International (March 2021 issue), Inside Pageant (4th Issue – USA – May 2021), Ganap Internation Magazine (2nd Issue – USA – 2nd Quarter 2021), StarCentral Magazine (June 2021 issue), Vous Magazine Men – Spain (June 2021 issue), Chicstilo Magazine (August 2021 issue), Vanity Philippines (October 2021 issue), Fashion Art Media Magazine (October – December 2021 Issue Scotland), Sash Magazine (January 2022 issue), Vanity Philippines (February 2022 issue), Ganap International Magazine (February 2022 issue), Fashion Arts Media Magazine – Scotland/United Kingdom (March 2022 issue, and Roidx Magazine – Paris, France (April 2022 issue). The list does not include radio, YouTube, and television interviews he has done in 2022 promoting his advocacies and charities.
Jojo has continued to expand his horizon by hosting a tv show in Australia TV1 with Mrs. Universe Australia Mary Rose Salubre under MS Production, where they feature interesting people, events, and places in Australia.
Overall, Jojo’s vision and purpose in this endeavor are to have a bigger platform to introduce and promote his advocacies.
GEQ recently caught up with Jojo to discuss his journey in the industry, and here’s what went down:
What is something that sets you apart or makes you unique?
Two things make me unique. My experience and passion sets me apart from my contemporaries. Passion drives me to be hungry to improve and try new things. That passion makes me look for adventures and journeys that I would not necessarily take. That passion provides me the niche and courage to run after things that people think would be out of my reach. That passion gets me that experience that made me the person that I am today.
What would you talk about if you could speak on national television for 30 minutes?
If I could speak on national TV for half an hour, I would take the opportunity to talk about my advocacies. My advocacies include the following: (1) children and (2) Volunteerism. For the Children, I continue to support various charitable institutions and fundraise for Sydney Children’s Hospital and Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Overall, I have raised, and helped raise over $38,000 AUD for various organisations and charities I support. For about ten years, I have provided scholarship for the less fortunate in the Philippines to continue their college education.
One of the projects I have concentrated on is Community Service by Volunteerism. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial gain. Volunteering is often intended to promote goodness or improve the human quality of life. Volunteering may have positive benefits for the volunteer, and the person or community served. I highly believe that if our community comes together and volunteers, even for just a couple of hours a month under any charitable institution and non-profit organisation – it will make a positive difference in the personal and professional aspects of all individuals involved, especially oneself. Furthermore, I would like for the community to realise that volunteering is a social responsibility of all its members, especially for the marginalised and disadvantaged.
Photographed By: George Azmy
Clothes: Zara
HMUA: Marilou Bautista
Skin Care: Chocolate Day Spa
What are three goals you want to accomplish in 5 years?
In 5 years, I hope to complete my Master’s in Nursing Education, establish a Scholarship Foundation to support students to continue their University Education in Australasia, and probably settle down in my own house in Australia.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want to be remembered as a person of passion who has lived my life in the fullness of serving others.
Photographed By: Elegantography
Clothes: Zara
HMUA: Marilou Bautista
Skin Care: Chocolate Day Spa
How do you try to make a difference in your community?
I believe that being a role model in the community is what we can do. Encouraging others to come out and volunteer their time to various charitable institutions and non-profit organisations is how I try to make a difference. As we all know, there are so many charity and nonprofit institutions that would like to help our community, and what lacks is volunteers. So let us all get out there and volunteer. Let us also encourage others to volunteer.
How do you define failure?
Personally, I define FAILURE as a stepping stone to achieving the goal you set. It’s quite cliché; however, it’s true. I learned not to dwell on the negative feelings that a situation brings; instead, find the positive in it and try to make it work to my advantage – the least you could do is write it off as experience and move forward.
Photographed By: George Azmy
Clothes: Zara
HMUA: Marilou Bautista
Skin Care: Chocolate Day Spa
How would you describe yourself in 1 word?
One word to describe me is PASSIONATE.
What is one thing in your life you would go back and change?
I would not change anything I have been through; however, if I could spend more time with my family, especially with my father, before he passed away, I would.
If you could wish for anything, what would it be?
If I could wish for anything, it would have to be more go-getter when I was younger.
Photographed By: George Azmy
Clothes: Zara
HMUA: Marilou Bautista
Skin Care: Chocolate Day Spa