John Marvin "Yul Servo" Cruz Nieto (born February 22, 1977)[1][2] is a Filipino actor and politician who has served as the 28th Vice Mayor of Manila since 2022.
Nieto, nicknamed "Jon-Jon" as a child, was born in Bulacan and was raised in Binondo, Manila. Nieto's father Glenn Martin Romano Nieto, an architect by profession, used to own a tailoring shop and served as a city councilor from 1988 to 1995.[3][4] The second of eight children in a Manila middle-class family, Nieto studied and graduated to become a policeman but was pushed into acting by an uncle.
He entered show business in 2001. His stage name Yul Servo was chosen by director Maryo J. de los Reyes in homage to Russian actor Yul Brynner and Servo being the name of the head waiter in the restaurant de los Reyes frequented. Servo's notable films include Batang West Side (2001), Laman (2002), Naglalayag (2004), Torotot, and Brutus (2008). Several of Servo's notable acting accolades include winning the Best Actor award for Naglalayag at the 2004 Brussels Independent Film Festival, an international award-giving body based in Belgium.[5]
Servo entered politics in 2007 with his election to the Manila City Council. Upon being term-limited, Servo was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 to represent Manila's 3rd congressional district in the chamber, being reelected to a second term in 2019.[6]
Although he was one of the actors who appeared on some of the programs of ABS-CBN, he is among the 70 representatives who voted "yes" to "kill" (reject) the franchise renewal of the said network, the largest in the Philippines.[7] A former heavy smoker himself and quitter, Servo is also the proponent of the Smoke-Free Environment Bill which aims to create more public places for people to be free from the dangers of second-hand smoke.[8]
Servo was later elected vice mayor of Manila in 2022 under the local party Asenso Manileño. He was the running mate of then-vice mayor Honey Lacuna, who was elected mayor.
As vice mayor, Servo highlighted the Manila City Council’s efforts to improve transparency by launching a website to access the city's ordinances and establishing a legislative team to develop new ordinances. During his tenure, the city council has approved 185 ordinances and 1,119 resolutions as of August 2024. He also emphasized his near-perfect attendance record, missing only one session as vice mayor due to late arrival on August 22, 2024.[9]
Outside acting and politics, Servo is an avid skateboarding fan and plays the skateboard.[10] Servo is good friends with fellow actor Piolo Pascual, who is also the godfather to four of Servo's children.[11]
Media related to Yul Servo at Wikimedia Commons