MANILA, Philippines — Alfonso Perez IV asked Regina Oscuro, his girlfriend of five years, to marry him. Her answer gave him — and thousands of others — reason to cheer.

The spotlight at Saturday's UAAP Cheerdance Competition shifted momentarily to the marriage proposal between Perez, 27, and Oscuro, 25, who acknowledged she was was surprised with the gesture.

Perez, a University of the East graduate, popped the question during a commercial break and just before UE's turn to hit the cheerdance floor.

"I didn't know he was going to do it in public," Oscuro said on Saturday. "But I'm happy, really happy."

The couple were surrounded by people holding up signs saying, "Will you marry me?" Oscuro didn't disappoint Perez and the crowd.

Perez said that he and Oscuro just celebrated their fifth-year together this week, leading to the idea for the public proposal.

Perez asked the help of his sisters, who have tickets to the cheerdance competition, to plan the event. It was the couple's first time to watch the competition.

He said they plan to walk down the aisle in 2019, after Oscuro finishes medical school at the Ateneo.

Perez and Oscuro met at work. Oscuro said she was asked to sing a duet with someone at their Christmas party, who turned out to be Perez.

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