Kirk Bondad on Mister International '25 victory & connecting with Ricky Martin

Fresh from his victory in Thailand, newly crowned Mister International 2025 Kirk Bondad returned to Manila last Sept. 29, brimming with gratitude for his family and everyone who supported his pageant journey in Bangkok.

- By ANNALYN JUSAY

The Filipino-German model, who won the country's second Mister International crown, admitted he is still catching up to the whirlwind that began when his name was called on finals night. "Honestly, everything feels like a fever dream,' he confessed. 'The feeling right now is like when you're walking in the park and suddenly a fresh breeze hits you. I'm still catching up to it, but I have nothing but love in my heart."

Among the first questions asked of the newly crowned king at the victory media conference was about Ricky Martin. This was after pageant fans online noticed that the Latin music icon follows Kirk on Instagram.

Kirk smiled at the mention of the "Livin' La Vida Loca" star. 'Ricky Martin started following me a little bit over a year ago and we chatted a little bit,' he revealed. "It's only now that people are noticing, but yes, I just followed him back. He's super into fitness, so who knows? Maybe one day we'll have a workout together. It's funny, it's definitely not something I expected to go viral from this competition."

Kirk admitted the highlight of his Mister International journey was far more personal. Seeing his parents in the audience when he won, he said, mattered more than the crown.