Neil Perez
On February 14, 2015, viewers from around the world watched as Neil Perez (real name Mariano P. Flormata Jr.), competed for the title of Mister International 2014 in Ansan, Korea, and became the first man from the Philippines to win the coveted title in the pageant's 9-year history. Moments after Neil's historic win, people in the Philippines flooded the streets and danced in celebration. The Mister International victory has overjoyed Neil's country and resulted in an overwhelming amount of support for him. Excitement and words of encouragement were sent from Filipinos across the globe including congratulatory message from former President of the Philippines and now Mayor Joseph Estrada of the city of Manila. Mayor Estrada is a native of Tondo, the same district where Neil was born and raised. Coming from a country where fans anxiously await the Mister International Pageant as much as they do the World Cup, Neil is surprisingly new to the pageant scene having won the Mister International Philippines title during his first attempt. As the son of a police officer, Neil is Police Officer 2 Mariano Perez Flormata Jr, a bomb and explosives technician from the Philippine National Police's Aviation Security Group. His training had made him to be a much disciplined person and claims that being in the spotlight is not something to which he is accustomed. That aside, he has always shined in academics and graduated from Manuel L. Quezon University, Manila, Philippines with a BS in Criminology.