Model adding cabin crew to his resume

Kenny Canlas enters a plane. Photos submitted

By Tom Victoria

Kenny Canlas possesses an impressive physique, two careers and a positive mindset. The future flight attendant is a burgeoning model.

Being a model led to Kenny's getting fitter.

"I started going to the gym," he said. "I started my fitness journey November of 2025 because last year I got scouted by a modeling agency in New York. That's where I got into the gym because they wanted me to be healthy and also they wanted me to improve my physique. And now, my goal is to be the best version of myself and improve my overall health."

Kenny, 21, follows a fitness regimen.

"I go to the gym five times a week and I have a very strict diet," he said. "I am more into protein. I have supplements, and I also take creatine to maintain my body. It was very hard for me at first because I was very skinny. I used to be very skinny and also I'm 6'3, so it was hard for me to gain muscle. I needed to eat more than usual and it's expensive because of the food intake. So that's one of the challenges that I encountered with my fitness journey. But with my support of my family, I am getting through it."

Kenny forgoes a common food in his country, which complicates his diet.

"My modeling agency, they didn't want me to eat junk foods and too much carbs because they want me to be lean," he said. "They won't let me eat rice. Here in the Philippines, rice is everywhere and it's part of our culture. So it was hard for me to avoid rice, but with proper nutrition and with proper discipline, it's okay."

As Kenny developed more muscle mass, his outlook improved. 

"I became very confident with my body, especially when I started to see progress," he said. "Because when you see progress with your body, you want to go harder every single day. It made me very confident with myself, and it really boosted my self-esteem as a person and as a model. When you start your fitness journey, when you see progress, you get addicted to it. You just want to keep on going. That's what happened to me. At first, I was only doing it for modeling purposes, but now I want to do it for myself for the rest of my life."

Kenny's modeling agency is based in New York City, but seeks work for him in Manila.

"My agent is Filipino," he said. "Sometimes he travels here in the Philippines to shoot with the models. I already had two shoots. They're indoor in a studio."

Kenny is eager to do some outdoor photo shoots in the future.

"That's what I want to do," he said.

Kenny's height works to his advantage in modeling, which requires a certain stature for work such as fashion runways.

"Especially here in the Philippines," he said. "Being 6'3 is a rarity. The average Filipino height is 5'3. I am the only tall person in my family."

Kenny is adapting to showing emotion on call for the camera.

"They want me to portray an emotion," he said. "They want me to look angry. It's not real hard for me because I've been practicing a lot."

Kenny, who graduated college in July, enjoys modeling as a second career.

"What I really want to do is I want to be a flight attendant," he said. "That's what I want to do. My Cabin Crew Professional Training is completed."

Working for an airline would allow Kenny and his family free travel on that company's flights as well as enabling him to visit many locales as part of his job.

"That'd be very nice," he said.

Kenny has limits on the types of photo shoots he would do, such as no nudity.

"That's one thing that I would not do," he said. "But honestly, one of my dreams in my modeling work, I want to be a model of underwear."

Kenny also has plans for his long-term future.

"I really want to have a business as well because being a cabin crew or a flight attendant is not for long-term," he said. "If I can save enough money to start my own business, then I will. But I don't really see myself being a flight attendant for too long. I want to start my own clothing line. That works together with everything else."

Kenny stays motivated to attain his goals.

"I always think of my family because I want to help them financially," he said. "And with that, I get really motivated to continue and to keep going with my studies, and same with my career as well."

Kenny offered advice to those considering becoming a flight attendant.

"My advice is to do what you love," he said. "Being a cabin crew or being a flight attendant, it's not for everybody because some people hate flying. But if you really have a passion for customer service and if you love serving people and if you love to travel, then maybe it's for you. My advice is to keep on going and keep doing what you love because in my perspective, it's fulfilling that I serve people with love and care. That's the most satisfying part of it. And always be grateful for every travel that you make because in every country you will get a lot of lessons with the people, with the culture and with the experiences. So those lessons will make you a better person. If you want to be a flight attendant, you will encounter different types of people. There's unruly passengers, so that's one of the hardest things to deal with. You need a lot of patience."

Kenny began thinking about an airline career as a teen.

"I started having an interest in the aviation industry since I was in high school," he said. "I'm really into airplanes. On YouTube, I will watch airplane videos and I imagine myself being there. That's where I started to have an interest to be a flight attendant. It never leaves my mind, it's in my heart."

Kenny advised aspiring models to be ready for the work entailed.

"In my experience, modeling wasn't easy, especially with my diet," he said. "It was hard for me to cut out foods. So if you're really into modeling and if you want to pursue modeling, then go for it, but you will need a lot of discipline. That's one thing that you need to have. That's one of the most important things. And especially in my country, in the Philippines, it's so hard to enter the high fashion modeling industry, especially with the height. And it's also hard to be scouted by an agent, especially abroad. So if you really want to do it, then you just need to work for it. Work for what you want."

Kenny's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosoyykenny/