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| Neil Perez in swimwear for the Misters of the Philippines pageant. He wants to promote a healthy lifestyle in the police force |
A
couple of days after 44 members of the Special Action Force of the
Philippine National Police, on their way to arrest two terrorists,
were massacred by Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters guerrillas in Maguindanao, a policeman, who
will be competing in an international male beauty pageant, was feted
with a send-off party at the One Esplanade Lounge at the SM Mall of
Asia Complex, Pasay City.
Neil
Perez, whose real name is Mariano Perez Flormata, Jr., dedicated his
“fight” to his fallen comrades, some of whom he know personally.
The
29-year-old bomb and explosives technician of the PNP Aviation
Security Group attracted considerable attention from the media and
social networking sites middle of last year when he joined the
nascent male beauty pageant Misters of the Philippines.
For
the first time in history, a policeman joined a male beauty pageant,
said Carlo Morris Galang, project director of Prime Event Productions
Philippines Foundation Inc. (PEPP), organizer of the local contest.
“We thought then only models will join our contest,” he added.
Perez,
who represented the district of Tondo in Manila, clinched one of the
major titles—Mister International Philippines—as well as the
special awards Best in Swimwear and Most Photogenic at the finals
night on September 7, 2014.
The
criminology graduate of the Manuel L. Quezon University, who has been
with the police force for about six years now, said he joined the
pageant to be a role model for other policemen, especially promoting
a healthy lifestyle, as well as to dispel the bad image of the police
force. This was somewhat achieved after he won as fellow policemen
became keen in knowing his methods and style even on what he eats.
Perez showed that policemen can also be handsome and shipshape, said
Galang.
The
PNP has shown support from the time he joined the local pageant up
until the international competition. Perez flies today, February 2,
to Seoul, South Korea, where the Mister International 2014 pageant
will be held, including the finals night on February 12, after
several postponements from its original date in October and then in
November 2014. This will be the ninth edition of the Mister
International pageant, to be mounted at the Grand Hilton Seoul.
Perez
has undergone several preparations for the pageant such as augmenting
his fitness routines and polishing his grooming skills.
“The
Mister International pageant is all about being a total gentleman,
and Neil has been determined and passionate about his preparations in
order to represent the Philippines in the best possible light in the
pageant,” said Galang.
Perez
will be participating in various pre-pageant activities and
preliminary competitions for the next two weeks. While they also
prepared for the question-and-answer portion of the pageant, the
organizers have arranged for an interpreter for Perez, who is more
comfortable speaking in Filipino.
As
example, Perez answered a variation of a question posed at the recent
Miss Universe pageant during the send-off party: What is the
contribution of the Filipino to the world?
“Ang
malaking kontribusyon ng mga Filipino
sa
mundo ay ang OFW
(overseas Filipino workers) natin,
‘yun galing nila, ‘yung trabaho nila. Malaking bagay din ‘yun
para makatulong sa ibang bansa,”
(The big contribution of the Filipinos to the world is our OFW, their
excellence and their work. It is a big thing to help out other
countries) he said.
Perez’s
national costume of fiery colors, inspired by the Dinagyang Festival
of Iloilo, is designed by Edwin Uy, who wanted something flashier.
For the formal wear, Olan Roque designed a tuxedo.
After
pageant, Perez expressed desire to go back to the police force even
if there are offers in showbusiness. It is where his heart is, he
said.
Perez
will compere against 54 other contestants coming from Argentina,
Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Guam,
Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Latvia,
Lebanon, Morocco, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Poland,
Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland,
Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.
In
the past, the title was won by Wissam Hanna of Lebanon in 2006, Alan
Martini of Brazil in 2007, Ngo Tien Doan of Vietnam in 2008, Bruno
Kettels of Bolivia in 2009, Ryan Terry of Great Britain in 2010,
Cesar Curti of Brazil in 2011, Ron Teh of Singapore in 2012 and Jose
Anmer Paredes of Venezuela in 2013.
Founded
in 2006, the annual Mister International is owned and organized by
the Mister Singapore Organization, which also organizes the Mister
Singapore pageant. Since its founding, 72 coutnries have sent
representatives, and the pageant has an average of 31 contestants a
year.
Past
Philippine contestants are Ken Escudero (2006), who got into the
semifinals and won the Mister Photogenic award; Jeff Surio (2008), a
top ten finalist; Michael Manansala (2009); Raphael Cruz Carlos
(2010), a top 15 finalist; Fhrancis Oliver Lopez (2011), a top 16
finalist; Mark John D. Gutoman (2012); and Gil Wagas Jr. (2013), who
was fourth runner-up, the Philippines’ highest placement so far in
the pageant.
The
local franchise of Mister International is now owned by PEPPS, which
also owns the Philippine franchise for Mister International, Manhunt
International, Mister Global, Mister Tourism International, Mister
Model International and Mister Asia pageants. Galang, who has
experience in male beauty pageants, having joined the Mister
Philippines International competition in 2009 and the Mister
Philippines-World in 2010, said that there is rising interest in male
beauty pageants and they want to be a counterpart of Binibing
Pilipinas and other major beauty pageant organizations in the
country.
He
revealed that they have had heartening results in just two years. The
contestants they have sent garnered favorable results such as June
Macasaet winning the Manhunt International title in 2012; Wagas’s
fourth runner-up placement in 2013 Mister International; Judah
Cohen’s being one of the Mister Tourism International 2014
finalists; Wilfred Placencia Jr.’s Mister Global 2014
fourth-runner-up finish; and Adam Rhys Davies’s recent Mister Model
International 2014 third-runner-up win.
PEPP
is confident Perez will continue this favorable streak.
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| Neil Perez says he still wants to be a policeman |
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| Neil Perez with his family |
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| Perez with Christian Mark Galang, Mister Asia Philippines; and Joseph Doruelo, Mister Global Philippines |
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| The tuxedo and the national costume, inspired by the Dinagyang Festival, Perez will be wearing during the competition |
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| Being a policeman, Perez garnered considerattention when he joined a male beauty pageant. He will be competing at the Mister International pageant South Korea |
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