Futures
PhilippineS
The Publishers Statement
WITH THE NEW WELCOME ISSUE, I wanted to capture and
showcase true-Philippine lifestyle: I avoided the
typical, filtered`Expat View.' I stayed away from the
serine tourist-spots and ultra-posh hotels and re-
sorts. The outcome of my emersion into true-Phil-
ippine culture was eye-opening ­in a good way.
The Cover was shot on the actual street which I
lived. A somewhat typical scene: Cover Girl, Jessie
James dressed-up, after a day at the spa, a stop by
the fresh market, then, in an actual pedicab on her
way to the actual LRT Train for a night-out-on-the-
town in Makati. No models. No extras.
My hope is to abolish the fears surrounding local
life and travel that seem to plaque this wonderful
country full of ambitious, honest and hardworking
people. Jessie James ­an actual Makati City resi-
dent- is not unlike me and some 500,000 other-
AmPats who have made the Philippines our home,
and depend on the local transportation each and
every day.
The Cover has also sparked a lot of dialogue, and
ignited a fiery debate amongst those who would
believe that only Filipinos and Filipinas should
grace my Covers. However, the truth is that the
Philippines is one of Asia's most diverse countries
­ever. Here at the PH MAG Int'l, we do not use
high-paid models, and we rarely ever us studio's,
we merely capture the true and beautiful everyday
Philippines lifestyle ­and the diversity of those
who live it.
If you've been listening, then you've heard what
the experts have been saying about what's been
going on around here. It's a new beginning, a
new day. And, it's no surprise to us: as AmPats,
we've been a part of the renaissance since the
beginning ­which is actually more like a revo-
lution or a movement. It's a New Philippines.