MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-German model Kirk Bondad was named Mister International 2025 on Thursday, besting over 40 other candidates during the finals held at MCC Hall in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mister International 2025 Kirk Bondad PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK/OFFICIALMISTERINTERNATIONAL
Bondad secured the crown after an impressive showing in the question-and-answer portion, where he was asked, “If you win Mister international and you are invited to speak at the United Nations, what one social or political issue would you choose to highlight and why?”
To which Bondad answered, “Thank you for the question. If I would have the honor, I would cause the children to be protected. I would give them a chance, to provide them with more protection and cultivate education because today’s children will be tomorrow’s leaders. Ultimately, I believe that if we can collectively make the right decisions, even with small steps, we will create a big impact internationally.”
Saadedine Hneineh of Lebanon finished as first runner-up, while Seung-ho Cho of South Korea placed second runner-up.
Bondad’s victory was celebrated on the pageant’s official social media pages.
“Congratulations to Kirk Bondad on making history and inspiring the world with confidence and pride,” Mister International said in an Instagram post.
During the preliminaries, Bondad placed in the Top 3 of the People’s Choice contest and landed in the Top 5 of the National Costume competition, where he showcased “Perlas Celestia,” a look symbolizing the Philippines as the Pearl of the Orient Seas.
This marks the Philippines’ second Mister International title after Neil Perez’s win in 2014.
Before his latest win, Bondad represented the country at Mr. World 2024, where he placed in the Top 20.
