New faces, new personalities, new stories—and a whole lot of sparks!
"Sparks Camp," the Philippines’ first-ever queer dating reality show, is finally back for Season 4! Now moving to its new home on iWant, “Sparks Camp” welcomes an exciting new batch of campers who are ready to take on the adventures and challenges that await them, share their stories and experiences with the world, and, of course, search for meaningful connections along the way.
As we look forward to meeting all 10 contestants who will make up the latest batch of campers, let’s get to know one of them: Michael Johnray Padiernos, or simply "Michael."
Tagged as "The Babyboy Next Door" of "Sparks Camp" Season 4, the 22-year-old, 6-foot-1 nursing student from San Fabian, Pangasinan is the youngest among this season's campers.
While many members of the LGBTQ+ community discover their sexuality at an earlier age, Michael only began questioning his own when he was in Grade 10. His realization was influenced in part by LGBTQ+ stories, such as the popular British coming-of-age series “Heartstopper,” as well as his introduction to online dating through friends abroad.
These experiences prompted Michael to ask himself whether he was indeed gay. His curiosity eventually led to his first romantic relationship during the pandemic—an Australian whom he dated long-distance.
For many members of the LGBTQ+ community, coming out to their loved ones—especially their parents—can be a difficult and carefully planned process. But for Michael, it happened unexpectedly during a heated political discussion with his mother. Despite the circumstances, she embraced him, with tears of joy. Sadly, Michael never had the opportunity to have the same conversation with his father, who passed away before they could talk about it.
In his introduction video for "Sparks Camp," Michael shared that his last relationship was two years ago and, since then, it has been hard for him to come back to the dating scene. Thus, he decided to audition and take part in the show.
"’Sparks Camp’ is an opportunity not just to learn about myself but to learn how to get along with new people and get to relearn how to date again," he said.
As someone who has experienced the kind of love that real but never one that could truly stay—not to mention that he has never been in a relationship with a Filipino—Michael is now apparently ready to give love another chance, but this time with a Pinoy.
Will he be able to find his match inside the camp? Let's find out by following his journey, alongside the rest of the new campers in “Sparks Camp Season 4,” streaming on iWant starting September 16!
Viewers can soon get early access to each episode through iWant's subscription plans, starting at P35 per month in the Philippines, and USD 4.99 per month in the United States* (*promo price until October 31, 2026) and for the rest of the world.
Enjoy all the feels you want, only on iWant, the Home of Filipino feels. Download the app and subscribe via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
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