18/09/2025
IN-DEPTH REFLECTION | REMEMBERING DOC MARLOU B. VALES, PhD - A Pre-Birthday Reflection
Less than a month and Doc Marlou Vales would have turned 53 this year. But with this post, in honor of the late Doc Marl, allow us that the network's founder, Kadangpang Carlo, shares his piece of this in-depth reflection of the man behind his glorious legacy in the world of pageantry and intellectual mind that changed a lot of people's careers.
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Remembering Doc Marlou: Where do I begin?
It is very painful to think about what will I start about Doc Marl's life, but in honor of him, I dedicate this as it will be the first birthday without him for next month.
Fortunate that I've been with Doc Marl since the time of my coverage during the MPEM 2023, as a media partner. Along with the people he hired him in the past, it was no doubt that despite many things that happened, he never fails to impress people, whether they like it or not.
Doc Marl, a mentor, a brother, a friend, and has the same intellectual mind as I have, understands what his life is about: Mentoring people with a potential to whatever careers will be, being fond with people he works whether through hosting or through organizing, or just simply giving a piece of his eloquent advice.
Though we understand that not all people are perfect, he never falters with its creative mind that changed a lot of factors in the world of events or sharing his expertise in the institution he entered.
In my personal capacity, as who have been the part of any event Doc Marl had went, his playful personality and his professionalism stood up through many things that he encountered. He has mentored some people to which I am not aware of, but to whom that I knew is none other than Sir Joji Mendez Joaquin.
Sir Joji has recognized Doc as his father and his mentor during his gym days, as well as the bodybuilding events that established during the festivities of Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan Festival.
And just recently, Sir Joji along with the people of the United Bodybuilders Association, had payed tribute in honor of the late Doc Marl.
Back to the purpose of this in-depth reflection: The main forte of Doc Marl's personality, aside from his intellectual mind, pageantry is also one of his forte, where he was the local franchise holder of Miss World in 2015 for Mindanao, then Miss Philippines Earth from 2016 to 2024 for Mindanao.
With his very critical thinking in organizing pageantries, although not every event may be perfect, Doc Marl still manages to do his craft that resonates his purpose, especially while on the road, he remembers almost every pageant titleholder that he can think of.
During my 2023 coverage, I believe that Doc Marl was impressed with my dedication, and although there are many setbacks that got along the way at that time, it still gave justice to its Grand Coronation Night that had finished at almost 2:00am the following day.
I may not be able to say it all, but only a few of the 25 contenders in the MPEM 2023 time knew what was my purpose, and what was the expertise that I have.
Months before Doc Marl had left in this world, he still gets to manage being there going to places, and even at the time of what was supposed to be his last pageant, finding candidates of the what was supposed to be the last edition's batch despite of his struggles and his ailment, of which I will not gonna say it here.
And sad to note, that Doc's untimely demise has impacted many, if not all. And with all honesty, he shares a lot of things with mainly his expertise, but never his family.
I have met Doc's mother and siblings at the wake, probably the night after I have covered the election results in the Sangguniang Panlungsod Building in Davao City.
There I get to learn some things that I am truly unaware about Doc's life, through his friends, and his siblings at the wake, of which I will share it again in some future posts before his birthday next month.
Truly that Doc Marl's legacy, his life, has been undoubtedly gave a lot of opportunities to people he have worked with.
As I reached the closing of this in-depth reflection, may his kindness show how much Doc's invaluable contribution to the people he met, to the organizations he had joined, has reached to his unfaltered legacy he brought to the community.
