Mister International Costa Rica 2025 Roberto Mena feels right at home whenever he's in the Philippines. And he is now back in the country for his third visit.
On Friday, September 6, 2025, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) caught up with Roberto at his press launch as Apostol Dental’s global ambassador held in Makati City.
Asked what keeps bringing him back, Roberto singled out the people and the food—especially chicken adobo—as the main reasons.
He told PEP, "I really enjoy spending a lot of time here in the Philippines. The people is really welcome. Every time I came here, I feel like home.
"And definitely my favorite time or memorable time is when I am able to eat the chicken adobo. It's so good."
THAILAND-BASED MISTER INTERNATIONAL 2025
Roberto will fly to Thailand to compete in the Thailand-based Mister International, which will culminate on September 25, 2025, in Khon Kaen.
This will be his fifth time representing Costa Rica in an international pageant after competing at Mister Model Internacional 2023, the 11th Mister World in 2022, and Manhunt International 2024.
Roberto also competed at the Philippines-based Mister International in 2023 held in Baguio City, where Spain’s José Antonio Campos Calle won the crown.
The existence of two Mister International pageants arose after the death of the pageant’s founder, Alan Sim, in 2022, leading to a dispute over ownership.
The Thailand-based organization, led by Pradit Pradinunt, and the Philippines-based group, under Manuel Deldio, both claim rights to the pageant and have held separate events since 2023.
Read: A case of two Mister International pageants: which one is legit?
Asked what inspires him to continue on his pageant journey, Roberto said it has always been his dream.
Elaborating: "What inspire me to continue in pageantry is to never stop believing my dreams.
"I believe that when you want something in life, you have to fight for it. Dreams are not just coming and showing to you.
"Dreams require a lot of effort, a lot of sacrifice. And I've been learning little by little how to get to make my dreams come true."
With several international stints under his belt, he’s often called a "veteran"—a label he shyly rejects because it makes him "feel old."
But does he have a strategy for Mister International 2025?
For Roberto, the answer is simple: just show his true personality.
"I believe that what is gonna help me is being myself," he said.
"I have an objective, I have a purpose, and I do pageantry because I believe it's a platform that we can use to amplify my voices and project a message to the world.
"I am not just doing this because I consider I am perfect or I am handsome or whatever else.
"I'm doing this because it's for my heart, it's my passion, and I'm going to do whatever is takes to get that title."
ROBERTO MENA: TRAINING WITH FILIPINO MENTORS
In addition, Roberto said he’ll still draw on his experience while staying open to learning new things.
Roberto explained: "Every pageant looks for something different too, but I definitely will say that Roberto, who is talking to you today, is someone who is pro already in the industry, someone who is definitely more mature.
"And if I get back and, and see my other pageant [experiences], I know what I failed because you have to how to analyze yourself.
"You can never consider that you are perfect in every area, you know.
"Every single day when you wake up, you learn something, and that is definitely my strategy, is trying to improve what I did wrong before and do my best again."
As part of his preparation, Roberto is tapping Filipino mentors and has enlisted Filipino designers to help him vie for the Mister International crown.
"I have a Filipino mentor for my Q&A, and I've been working with Filipino designers. And people here is very nice and welcome.
"So I know Filipinas is one of the powerhouses in pageantry. And I come to get ready in one of the best place."
Roberto withheld details of his Filipino team, saying he’ll reveal them soon, but described training with them as a transformative experience.
He told PEP, "It's really different, nice perception. I do learn so much with these people because they've been in the industry for over the years.
"You know, here, the kids, even when they are very young, they start learning about pageantry. So I've been learning a lot from the best."
PROJECTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
While in the Philippines, Roberto is juggling projects beyond Mister International 2025, including his recent launch as Apostol Dental’s global ambassador.
He said the partnership began in July 2025, after meeting clinic founder Dr. Jonas John Apostol when both of them judged Miss Universe Pakistan 2025 in the Maldives.
Asked how he felt the project pushed through, Roberto said he was grateful: "I can't really believe how, like, happy I am. My smile is just amazing.
"I am very happy with the results. I'm very happy with this new partnership. And I hope I can be a very amazing global ambassador."
Roberto will also serve as a judge for the inaugural season of the Face of Philippines modeling competition, presented by House of Yugen and BRB Events.
The 27-year-old model said he’s excited to see up-and-coming Filipino talents showcase their skills at the finale happening on September 8, 2024, at Monarch Manila in Makati City.
He said, "They only not just have the face, they're impressive with their skills and how they're talking. They are very well-educated.
"I'm gonna say you definitely can see now that House of Yugen have this new project, I'm gonna say the casting was amazing.
"These people is ready to kill on stage. I love it. I am ready to see them in the final. I already was able to do the evaluation digital for their challenge.
"It was definitely very nice to see their projects, how much they love it, and how good they are and how committed they are with this project.
"And now I can't wait to see them on the stage. They are amazing."
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