A viral appearance in the swimsuit round by a male beauty pageant contestant in the Philippines has sparked a wider debate about male beauty standards and whether pageantry is ready to make room for people who do not fit its traditional ideals.

RJ Perkins, 21, drew widespread attention after a video showed him strutting across an outdoor stage during the swimwear segment of Mister Pampanga, held in the province of Pampanga, north of Manila.

Unlike the chiselled bodies typically associated with male pageant contestants, Perkins appeared onstage with a heavier, softer physique – and with the confidence of someone determined not to hide it.

The video, taken on April 19, quickly caught the attention of social media users in the Philippines and beyond, with many praising Perkins for “breaking barriers and stereotypes”.

“I love this! Men are just as pressured as women to ‘look good’ [and have a] ‘perfect figure’ … so we need more body positivity for men,” one user wrote.

“I’m rooting for him. I admire his confidence, and I hope he wins big,” another said.