Switzerland prevails! Pedro Mendes is Mister International 2015

The grueling wait is over. After religiously watching two weeks of nonstop pageant activities and finals that lasted close to five hours, the 10^th year edition of Mister International is finally over. In what could be the most frustratingly unpredictable edition of the pageant where picking the candidates most likely to win was everyone’s guessing game, the final crop of winners is out. The die is cast and everyone can now put behind the never-ending squabbling, heckling, guesstimating and recalculating of outcomes.

Now it can be told, Switzerland’s Pedro Mendes came out on top of the heap. He is Mister International 2015, taking over the helm from Mister International 2014, Philippines’ Neil Perez. In his trail are Brazil, Anderson Tomazini – 1^st Runner-up; Korea, Sang Jin Li - 2^nd Runner-up; Panama, Julian Javier Torres, 3^rdRunner-up; and Czech Republic; Jakub Kraus - 4^th Runner-up.

Fantastic Five for Mister International 2015

In a flight of fancy, we came up with our fearless forecast of the winners in the title fight for Mister International 2015, actual results to be known five days from now. (L-R) Brazil, Anderson Tomazini – 3^rd RU; France, Bryan Weber – 1^st RU; Spain, Daniel Barreres – Mister International 2015; Switzerland, Pedro Mendes – 2^ndRU and Panama, Julian Javier Torres – 4^th RU. The following five will constitute the top ten: Puerto Rico, Philippines, Italy, Australia and the Dominican Republic. Tickle your fancy!  

How good grooming can do wonders to a candidate's pageant bid

Perhaps we are being overly simplistic or even nitpicky but sometimes basic grooming and neat appearance can spell the difference whether you make it or break it in pageant battlefield. Assuming that one is not hopeless in other respects, the look or style of the contestant can be crucial in judging. A pageant entrant’s look should not only catch the judges attention but more importantly match the pageant’s image and gain the judges approval. We suppose such was the case with our reigning Mr. Universal Ambassador, Daniel Christian Ortiz of Puerto Rico.

The winningest country in Mister International

This country is making a habit of winning in Mister International. It has the highest number of victories in this pageant with two winners and five finalists. All in all that makes seven placements in the hitherto nine editions of the pageant which started 2006. That is to say, it had earned a spot in the finals practically every year other than 2006 and 2009.

Remember your dates with the International candidates

As a postscript to yesterday’s post, here is the calendar of events of the upcoming Mister International 2015 pageant to be held in Manila from November 17-30, 2015. There’s a lot of exciting and interesting activities lined up for the candidates, so check the dates and whereabouts. Be prepared for your eagerly awaited ones so you can be there to witness and experience the moment when they happen. Scroll to the bottom of the list for ticket prices and reservations.

And now for news on the "International" front

Of course, by that we mean no other than Mister International 2015 pageant which is about to take place in Manila, Philippines this November. So this bit of information, from our point of reference, makes it actually news from the home front.

Neil vs. Nguyen - Getting from Average to Advantage

Many a man is gifted with above than average physical appearance, intellect, personality and sense of duty yet like many in the great mass of people remains obscure and unheard of. It isn’t that he has nothing worth noticing or commenting on, it’s just that he hasn’t come up onstage to be noticed.

So how does an ordinary, unheard of fellow shoot to the limelight in a jiffy? One of the surest ways is to take part in a world class event and emerge winner. Everybody loves a winner and the spotlight is on him. That is the same route many of our written, and talked about pageant misters had taken.

Here are just two dudes who had the courage to be their own man, who did what they should and showed up from the crowd. Check and compare them onstage in their skivvies.

Vietnam's First International Male Pageant Winner

Nguyen Van Son, Mister Global 2015 is not the first Vietnamese man to win an international pageant title. That distinction belongs to Ngo Tien Doan, Mister International 2008. Check him out in these photos that provide compelling arguments supporting his feat.

Neil Perez - The Pageant Cop

Neil Perez whose real name is Mariano Flormata Jr. is the first Filipino to ever clinch the title Mister International. It happened on the 9th edition of the pageant at the Inter-Burgo Hotel Ballroom in Ansan, South Korea on Feb 14, 2015. He succeeded Jose Amner Paredes of Venezuela, Mister International 2013 whose 4th runner-up titlist that year was another Filipino, Gil Wagas. He competed with 28 other male contenders from around the world for the prestigious title and accompanying modeling contracts.

Neil who hails from tondo, Manila has tracked a trail of many firsts since he won the title Mister International Philippines in September 2014. He is the first grand winner of Misters of the Philippines Pageant, the biggest one competition - multiple winners pageant for men in the Philippines. Neil is first and foremost a police officer, a bomb and explosives technician with the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group which makes him the first policeman to win a major national pageant title. He is also the first Philippine delegate to use an interpreter in the Q&A portion of an international pageant.