Richard Gutierrez MET Tathione

Richard Gutierrez is the newest celebrity sponsor for a brand of skin whitening pills called MET Tathione, also known as Glutathione pills.

"I believe I've been inspirational to other people. Kasi as a celebrity, I have to keep fit, maintain to be healthy and try to look confident and look good for those people that I inspire. MET is a product that can keep me looking good, and confident, and I believe in this product. So, I believe MET can make other people feel confident also," says Richard to the media.
Just as a note towards real life, skin whitening creams are hazardous to your health and can eventually lead to your death, and most celebrities who sponsor skin whitening products were already born with white skin. And brown 'kayumanggi' skin is beautiful too and becoming more accepted, like in this Bench ad for Dingdong Dantes.

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• Sexy newcomer Precious Adona tagged as "Playmate ng Bayan" May 21, 2008 10:11 AM

Dark Skin in the Philippines

Skin color is a touchy subject among Filipinos. Those who were born with light skin are grateful that they were, and those born without it wish they had. However, what most people don't realize is that dark 'kayumanggi' skin is becoming more accepted in the entertainment industry and is considered beautiful, more now than ever before.

This Filipina woman from New York is married to an American and has a fair skinned child, and she wrote this article from Newsweek because she is wondering whether she should sign him up with a modeling agency. Her resistance to colonial ideals is admirable, but if we're talking about real life, it's not smart if she doesn't sign her son up, because if her son doesn't get the job, another light-skinned Filipino boy or girl will, so why not take advantage of it? I mean seriously, just be realistic.

But she's not being realistic also in saying that light skin is preferred for Filipino men in fashion, because just look at the latest Bench and other modeling pictures and billboards lately, like Dingdong Dantes' latest Bench billboards, and many other billboards in Metro Manila. For men, having dark skin is actually considered sexy now and more required in the entertainment industry in the Philippines for models.
For women it's also changing, as shown by the latest pictures from Preview Magazine with Ruffa Gutierrez, Gretchen Barreto, Claudine, and Judy Ann Santos on the cover.

I don't think people should be so quick to judge unless they've looked at the latest photos, dark kayumanggi skin is in fact becoming more accepted in the Philippines, and that is a positive thing.

I partly don't like this article because I don't like when Filipinos use the word 'Filipino' as if it were a race to refer to only those of brown-skinned Malay descent, as not all Filipinos have brown skin and wide noses, and not all Filipinos were born economically disadvantaged.
Emil's Big Chance Leaves Me Uneasy
If I use my son's fair-skinned good looks to pay for his education, am I being savvy or just selling out?
By Tricia Capistrano
Newsweek

How to Contour Your Nose With Makeup

I like this girl, she's hot and she owns it, and she's got some great make up tips on how to contour your nose with make up.

Lea Salonga returns to Les Miserables

Lea Salonga, Tony-Award winning Filipina actress and the pride of the Filipino people around the world, is looking absolutely stunning and beautiful at the age of 36.

Ms. Salonga recently returned to Broadway in New York City as Fantine in Les Miserables, the hit show in which she starred in before as Eponine.

Photos courtesy of Lea Salonga's Official Website.

Anne Curtis Marie Claire Cover

Filipina actress Anne Curtis graces the cover of this month's Marie Claire magazine, looking absolutely beautiful and a little startling in this retro 1930s style.

If you ask me, sometimes the magazine editors in the Philippines do bad jobs in picking which pictures to choose for covers, having a little experience in advertising myself, many times, they over-Photoshop the covers with the touch-ups to the point where it looks unnatural. How many times have I seen that with pictures in Cosmopolitan Philippines, especially when they feature Filipino actors, the Filipino magazine editors go overboard and touch the pictures up so much it doesn't even look like the original actor anymore and it looks more like a fake picture. Not smart at all, especially from a marketing perspective. People don't want fake pictures, they want at least a little bit of naturalness when looking at their favorite celebrities.

Also, for magazine covers, this picture is a horrible pick, because of Anne Curtis' menacing facial expression. Studies have shown that people prefer smiling faces and if not smiling, then it should at least be a pleasant facial expression and not a facial expression that displays negativity, I understand Anne was trying to be like a sexy femme fetal with her facial expression, but it's a thin line, and this picture, it's crossed over into negativity, and if they're going for a suave and sexy femme fetal look, suave and sexy is not the pathos that Anne Curtis is displaying on her face, instead it looks like she wants to murder you, haha, which is not enticing at all for the people who are looking for a magazine to buy.

Miss Philippines-Universe Charlene Gonzalez

Miss Philippines-Universe 1994 Charlene Gonzalez looks stunning on the cover of latest issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.

Monique Lhuillier Filipina Designer

Monique Lhuillier: The Filipino influence was very present at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California through Filipina star designer Monique Lhuillier.


America Ferrera, who won for Best Actress in a comedy for Ugly Betty, sported a deep blue Monique Lhullier with Lorraine Schwartz chandelier diamond earrings, which she wore beautifully during her poignant acceptance speech. The Filipina designer obviously has amazing taste, for America Ferrera was also named by People Magazine as one of the Best Dressed celebs for that night.


Kate Walsh, of "Grey's Anatomy" married movie exec Alex Young on Saturday, reports PEOPLE. Walsh, 39, wore a custom-made Monique Lhullier wedding gown as she and Young, 36, exchanged their vows at the Ojai Presbyterian Church in Ojai, located just north of Los Angeles. This is not the first time that Kate Walsh has worn a gown by the Filipina designer. She previously wore one of Lhuillier's gowns during a Mercedes Benz Fashion Show earlier this year.


Filipina fashion designer Monique Lhuillier with husband Tom Bugbee in South Beach, Miami.

Isabel Preysler Hola Cover

Isabel Preysler was in Paris for a vacation, and while there, Isabel was offered the latest cover of Hola Magazine, looking stunning as ever.

Enrique Iglesias and Marriage

Enrique Iglesias is scared of marriage.

The 'Hero' singer is "wary" of tying the knot after seeing his own parents divorce when he was just three.

Enrique, the son of singer and legendary womaniser Julio Iglesias, said: "I think commitment is an important aspect of a relationship for women.

"When women get to about 29, they start wanting to settle down. As someone whose parents divorced when he was three I'm quite wary of marriage. I don't believe it is important for a committed relationship."

The 32-year-old star has been in a relationship with former tennis player Anna Kournikova, 26, for the past five years, and insists she is the only woman he has ever truly loved.

He added: "I was in my 20s when I met Anna. I've had my heart broken a few times but really I've only been in love once."

Enrique Iglesias is set to follow-up his hugely infectious top five smash hit single 'Do You Know' with the physical release of 'Tired Of Being Sorry'.

The electro influenced ‘Tired Of Being Sorry’ will be the second single from his already gold-certified new album ‘Insomniac’. This album is the eighth studio record from the Madrid-born, Miami-raised singer who has now sold over 20 million records worldwide.

‘Do You Know?’ is still firmly in the top five UK singles chart seven weeks after release and ‘Insomniac’ has already racked up over 100,000 sales charted at #5 one of his highest UK album chart positions ever. Seems Enrique, who admits to struggling with a concept for the album for the last three years, made the right decision when he refused to bow down to today’s sure-hit formula of hip hop and electronic inspired beats, instead choosing to maintain writing songs that he liked in his own unique signature style.

Angel Locsin and KC Concepcion: No comparison says manager Becky Aguila

Many people in the media have been doing that annoying habit (at least to me) that Filipinos love to do, I notice, is to pit one celebrity versus another, or compare one celebrity (or person, or sibling against another, or one family relative against another, referring to general life) with another (like Thalia vs. Marian Rivera, the new Marimar vs. the old Marimar, come on! What's with that?), and this has been happening in the media with Angel Locsin and KC Concepcion (and with Anne Curtis), which has Becky Aguila texting our friends at the Inquirer about the situation:

No comparison between Angel and KC–Becky Aguila
By Dolly Anne Carvajal
Inquirer
Last updated 09:58pm (Mla time) 09/19/2007

MANILA, Philippines—Angel Locsin’s feisty manager Becky Aguila sent me this text message: “There should be no comparison between Angel Locsin and KC Concepcion. ABS got Angel for her being simple and makatao. Angel had humble beginnings and had to struggle her way up. KC was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Angel admires KC. It’s unfair to compare them.”

C’est vrai! There’s room for everybody at the top especially for Angel and KC, who each deserves her success.

Everybody is unique in their own way, and we as Filipinos should celebrate it!

The Best of Filipino Art: Part 1

There just a plethora of Filipino art that is going unappreciated by many Filipinos in this world. Here's just a few of the many beautiful pieces done by renowned Filipino artists.

Harana
Francisco

Early Risers
Hugo C. Yonzon
1957

Mag-ina Sa Banig
Nestor Leynes
1960

Mag-anak

Tam Austria

Mariang Makiling
Hugo C. Yonzon
1974

Tamara Falco Linea de Ropa

Tamara Falcó, daughter of Isabel Preysler, recently released her own line of clothing called Second Skin. Here's Tamara at the Marie Claire Awards at the French Embassy in Madrid wearing a beautiful white cashmere dress with accompanying white shawl/jacket from her fashion line, accompanied by younger sister Ana Boyer. Isabel's lovely daughters seemed to have inherited her mother's penchant for shawls, reflecting the style of the Philippines. Tamara also designed a few dresses for her mother Isabel Preysler, including one worn by Isabel during a highly publicized dinner party for George Clooney at the Preysler house.

Chabeli Iglesias Preysler in Spain

Chabeli Iglesias Preysler attends America's Cup Cocktail Party in Valencia, Spain, and is looking gorgeous in this blue satin gown with a shawl, reminiscent of styles in the Philippines.

with husband Christian Altaba

Kristine Hermosa Filipina Actress

Kristine Hermosa es una actriz filipina.

Many Filipinos may not realize it, but the first time I discovered Kristine Hermosa in 2004 (because I never really knew much about Filipino show business til I was 21), and saw that Kristine Hermosa's last name (or her mom's maiden name) is "Hermosa", I thought, "Wow, her last name actually fits who she is" because if you didn't know, "hermosa" actually means "beautiful woman" in Spanish. And that's exactly what I thought about her when I first saw her, I just could not stop looking at her because she is so absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Her real name is Kristine Hermosa Orille, because in Filipino culture, the mother's maiden name comes before the father's last name. I believe that this is a cultural adaptation the Filipinos made to keep that part of their Spanish heritage alive, because in Spanish culture, there are traditionally two apellidos (last names), the father's goes first, then the mother's.

La hermosa Kristine, boy if she ever wanted to go to Spain, I bet Spaniards would start calling her the new Isabel Preysler. But there's always room for more than one guapisima filipina in this world, and we have tons of them, don't we? Mabuhay!

I remember once I posted on this Spanish website a list of our beautiful Filipino celebrities, and I got so many messages from television and music talent agents from Latin America and Spain requesting that they'd like to sign them up for a contract! The only requirement they asked for was that they want only Spanish-speaking Filipino actresses (of course, how could they be an actress or singer on Latin television without knowing Spanish?), my cousin actually works as a commercial director in the Philippines and my other cousin is an actor/model (you might know who he his, but I won't say for privacy reasons), and just recently I got the news that my 16-year-old nephew just got signed up to ABS-CBN Star Talents or whatever that's called, so I actually could have hooked some of those celebrities up, but the Spanish-speaking requirement narrowed it down to zero. But I did give my cousin the info of those Spanish talent agents, but I still don't see any actresses in Latin television of Filipino descent besides Carmen Morales and Shaila Durcal, Junior's daughters. But the names that always came up in the requests were Kristine Hermosa, Vina Morales, Donita Rose, and Giselle Toengi.

Filipinos don't realize that besides doing good for spreading Filipino pride, Filipinos who become popular in other countries in the world are walking tourism advertisements for the Philippines. Besides being a kind-hearted person in her own right, many Filipinos don't realize that the fact that Isabel Preysler is loved in Spain does more than just earn her money through endorsements, it helps put out positive vibes about the reputation of the Philippines. Every public figure out there counts, and it's like a domino effect, they look at Isabel Preysler or Junior, or their kids, they get a good impression of the Philippines and our people, and they want to visit or create businesses in the Philippines. It's not JUST entertainment, everything is affected, but Filipinos don't see that because they think, ah she's just a socialite, what does she do for the Philippines? It goes deeper than that, that domino effect will help to improve the Philippines economy in some way or another.

The more we put our people out there to represent our country, the more our public image in the world is cleaned up and it affects the economy, because the public image of a country directly affects it's tourism and business sector.

Filipinos won't gain anything by learning Spanish? They're mistaken. To take advantage of something that is already deeply embedded in our culture (our Spanish language and culture as Filipinos) and use it to improve our economy through connections would be a smart thing indeed, contrary to what most Filipinos believe that it won't have any effect whatsoever. Absolutely not.

Isabel Preysler Tatler Philippines

Here's a picture of Isabel Preysler in the latest issue of Philippine Tatler magazine, which features Filipinos of poise and social standing.

I've met Isabel before, and she is a wonderful and kind person, not to mention beautiful at the age of 56.

Vanessa Hudgens: ‘I love being Filipina ’

We're really happy that Vanessa Hudgens is proud of her heritage, because she really is one of the first really popular Filipina actresses in Hollywood to proudly say her heritage without any cloaking, and for that, we applaud her.

Vanessa Hudgens: ‘I love being a Filipina ’ By Ruben V. Nepales LA Correspondent Inquirer

Posted date: August 09, 2007

LOS ANGELES -- When we first saw Vanessa Hudgens as she came out for lunch in the courtyard garden of a hotel, she instantly reminded us of Rosemarie Sonora and Sheryl Cruz. The Filipino-American actress headed to our table to say hi to Rich Ross, president of Disney Channel Worldwide. We had just discussed with Rich the phenomenal success of “High School Musical” all over the world, including the Philippines. Rich stood up to chat with Vanessa, who with summery blouse looked perfect in this sun-dappled outdoors setting. Half an hour later, Vanessa sat down for a press con. The 18-year-old singer-actress, her on- and off-screen boyfriend Zac Efron (who is also the high school heartthrob in the movie “Hairspray”) and the rest of the gang are back in “High School Musical 2” (“HSM2”), whose predecessor caught everyone by its success on many levels: over 100 million viewers; 7 million plus DVD copies sold; the soundtrack CD topped the charts last year; and the concert tour in the US, Canada and several Latin American countries were sold-out affairs. The best assets of Vanessa, whose mother Gina Guangco is a Filipina, are her dark eyes, which twinkle when she smiles or laughs. Her brunette hair was artfully arranged in the back. She wore several bracelets on both wrists. Another Fil-Am, Charles “Chucky” Klapow, returns as choreographer along with Bonnie Story and director Kenny Ortega of the production numbers which “HSM” is known for. Chucky, whose mom is also a Pinay, won with Kenny and Bonnie an Emmy Award for Best Choreography in “HSM.” Zac, whom we interviewed separately, politely refused to answer a colleague’s request for him to talk about his personal relationship with Vanessa. Zac and Vanessa, who play Troy and Gabriella in “HSM,” even have a term coined for them a la Brangelina: Zanessa. So we asked Zac instead to chat about Vanessa on, ahem, purely professional basis. Here’s what he said: “Vanessa and I go way back to the very first auditions for this movie. From the start, we were always paired together in the auditions. I think we were the only pair from the mass of kids that was never separated. We always read together over and over. I wish I could put my finger on what makes our chemistry work onscreen. But I can tell you that she’s easy to talk to, very kind, sweet and she has a great sense of humor. When you combine that with an amazing voice and her beauty, you’re going to have a star. She’s amazing to work with.” In “HSM2,” Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay again plays kontrabida in the lives of Troy and Gabriella. Vanessa, who has an album titled “V,” has a younger sister, Stella, 11, also an aspiring actress. Their father, Greg Hudgens, is of Irish and Native American descent. Can you share your thoughts about your Filipino heritage? I am so proud of my heritage. I love being a Filipina. There aren’t very many Filipino girls in the industry. So being able to stand up and be that girl makes me proud. My mother is so proud. She grew up in Manila. I don’t even think she knows it’s doing that well over there. I’d love to make it over there sometime. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to visit. Do you speak Tagalog? Oh, not really. My mom tried to teach me when I was younger. I am not that great at languages. I really want to learn, though. When do you think you will visit the Philippines? I think whenever I have a good second to do nothing and just go where I want. I have been talking about it forever and it never materializes. Hopefully, soon. I can’t wait to see the Philippines. What did your mom tell you about the Philippines? And in what ways are you Filipino? She told me several stories about where she used to live. She has 11 brothers and sisters so she had a big family. I love Filipino food. I love halo-halo, pancit and adobo. I am such a Filipino—I eat rice every day (laughter). How much of an inspiration is your mom in your career? My mom was the one who was always there for me, especially with singing. She was always the one who kept me going when it came to singing. When I recorded my album, I said, “Mom, thank you. I can finally say thank you for all that stuff that you did for me.” It finally paid off—everything she taught me, about morals and everything. She’s an inspiration. She always tells me how proud she is of me. It’s really touching. How strict are your parents? My parents are kind of strict. My mom raised me very well. I didn’t date until I was 16. I never really went out that much. I am the kind of girl who loves to stay home and just watch movies. They don’t really have anything to be strict about. What did your mom tell you about boys? My mom never said, “Watch out for this or that boy.” She knew that I had good judgment. I always liked the nice guys anyway so it was never like I am going for the bad guy. She just said, “Be careful with boys.” But I always just went for the nice surfer guys. I guess she was okay with that (laughter). How did you start singing? It started when I was in pre-school. I was in a play and I never told my parents. I don’t know why I didn’t tell them. I guess it never crossed my mind to tell them. I told my mom that I needed a baby doll. So she went out and bought me a baby doll which was a huge thing. I always had hand-me-downs so I was excited to have my new doll. I made my parents take me to school and it was evening. There was a blizzard. We were living in Oregon then. We almost didn’t go. My parents got to see me singing “Away in a Manger.” I was holding little baby Jesus and I was Mother Mary. Since then, I have always loved acting, singing and dancing. I would always dance around my house when I was 3 years old, choreographing my own dances to “Everyone Dance Now.” I moved from Oregon to California so I could start taking dance and piano classes. You lived in many places. Where did you grow up? I lived in a lot of places while I was growing up. I was born in Salinas (California). I lived in Oregon and Paso Robles (California). I moved all over the place until about the age of 4 or 5, when we moved to San Diego (California). That’s where I grew up. I moved to Los Angeles about two years ago. Can you talk about suddenly finding yourself in one of the most successful teen TV movies ever made? It’s so crazy. Especially coming from a Disney Channel movie that I had so much fun doing. Once it started to blow up, it just blew my mind away because I never ever thought it would become as big as it did. How hard is it to have a relationship with Zac, especially since the two of you are so much in the limelight because of the success of “High School Musical”? I am a private person. I always have been. I love keeping my personal life to myself so we just try not to talk about it that much. We have a professional relationship on camera and outside of that is bizarre when you see pictures from the paparazzi and everything. But you just have to take it the best you can. There’s really nothing you can do about it. People are interested because they love what you’re doing. So I guess in a way it’s a compliment. What did you think when you first heard the term, Zanessa? It’s just weird to know that people actually cared. It’s just bizarre to me but it’s okay. Did you and Zac know each other before “High School Musical”? It’s really funny because we’re friends with the same people. But I have never met him before. The first time I met him was at the audition callbacks when they were mixing and matching people. They paired Zac and me from the very beginning. How was your own high school life? Unfortunately I never had a chance to go to a real high school. I was homeschooled my entire high school years. I kind of lived my high school years through “High School Musical.” So how fun is it to be homeschooled? It was okay. It was different because I was in the business. I was homeschooled because I really didn’t have any time to go to a real school. I’d wake up late because I like to sleep. I’d do school work for several hours and then hang out or go to Disneyland. It was cool. It was different because my mom was teaching me but it was nice. I got to study what I wanted. Are you a math genius in real life as you are in the movie? I never loved math. My favorite was biology. I also loved science and chemistry. Math was never my favorite. When did you start professionally as an actress? One of my girlfriends asked me if I could go to an audition with her for a commercial. Fortunately enough, I booked it. I was doing tons of community theater at the time so I was already used to doing musicals and stuff. One thing just led to another. I did a commercial and then another one. I started getting guest spots on TV shows and went on from there to do the movies “Thirteen” and “Thunderbirds.” Oh, and then I had my album which was crazy because I never thought that it would happen. So what is your priority, singing or acting? My main focus from the very beginning was acting. Singing was something that I was good at, but never really thought of pursuing. The opportunity to do an album came after “High School Musical.” There were several offers and I couldn’t decide who to sign with. Finally, I picked Hollywood Records and I made my album, “V.” It was a learning experience, being in the studio and finding what kind of music suits my voice best. I tried different kinds of music. I did pop, R&B and rock. I threw it all together and had this collection of different music which is why I call it “V.” The V is not only for Vanessa but for variety as well because there’s a different mixture of music there. Acting has always been my number one priority but we’ll see what happens. Are you a willing role model to the young set or would you rather not be one? I love being a role model. I think that in Hollywood, not many people are very good role models. Kids are looking up to the wrong people. All of us at the Disney Channel are good kids. You’re not going to see us dancing on tables at the clubs. That’s just not us. Are you going to finish your education? Yes, because education is really important. It is something that will be there with you forever. I definitely want to get a college education when the time is right. Right now, the opportunities that I have are too amazing to pass up. Which countries have you been to with the show? We toured most of Latin America. We also went to London which was amazing. Australia was one of my favorite places because we had the most time to just hang out there. What can we expect between Gabriella and Troy in the second movie? Sharpay tries to come between Troy and Gabriella and things get complicated. There’s a lot of drama. We are definitely taking it up a notch. It takes place over the summer in Ryan and Sharpay’s country club. Sharpay decides she wants everything to go her way this summer. The only way that’s going to happen is to get Troy as her boyfriend or her boy toy or whatever she calls him (laughter). She makes the head of the country club call Troy Bolton and try to get him to come work at this club. But he won’t go by himself. He has to get all of his friends who need jobs at this country club. We all arrive there and Sharpay freaks out because it was supposed to be just Troy. I get a job as a lifeguard. I was quite frightened by wearing a one-piece red bathing suit (laughter). We battle our way through to survive working at the country club. Some people get pushed aside and left in the shuffle. Other people change. At the end of the day, of course it’s a happy ending. No one dies? No one dies (laughter). Are you signed up to do “High School Musical 3”? Not yet. I know that they’re writing the script. I have not read it. I don’t know exactly what the story line will be about, but I think if the script is good, and if everyone comes back, then I’ll definitely be a part of it.

Isabel Preysler Philippine Tatler Cover

By Ed Biado
Elegant, relevant, interesting. These are the three words that describe the Philippine Tatler, according to managing director Irene Martel Francisco. As expressed by editor Anton San Diego, the three words are premiere, frontrunner and interesting. They were obviously being modest.

Catering predominantly to the AB female demographics age 25 and above, the Philippine Tatler is the most recognized publication in high society circles. Giving their readers a peak into the intriguing lives of the affluent and the powerful, the magazine unapologetically mirrors the aristocratic lifestyle, honestly depicts it and ultimately, influences it.

Arts and culture, business, food and wine, trends and travel are the center of the Tatler world; a mélange of everything classy, exclusive, glamorous and definitive. To say that the Philippine Tatler is an authority is an understatement.

Lunching with socialites

Over dimsum at Shangri-La Makati’s Shang Palace, Francisco and San Diego let me in on what the upper crust magazine, and the upper crust itself, is all about.

“First of all, the Philippine Tatler is under the Edipresse [Group] umbrella, publisher of the Asian Regional Tatlers,” Francisco clarified. The Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Shanghai and Beijing Tatlers make up the Asian Tatlers franchise. “We are not affiliated with the British Tatler, although we share the same roots.”

“When we first started in 2001, we were the only ‘society’ magazine in the Philippines,” stated San Diego. Back then, critics were convinced that a “society” magazine was not viable in the Philippines due to the country’s unstable economic fabric.

San Diego explained that to beat the skepticism, they made it a point to aim really high. Their first issue had the “First Daughters” on the cover, Luli Arroyo, Jackie Ejercito Lopez, Imee Marcos and Jo Ramos.

And hit the mark, they did. That virtually controversial cover sealed the deal. Because of the unprecedented success of the Philippine Tatler, other publishing houses scampered to come up with their own Tatler equivalent. However, the Tatler remains the benchmark in “society”-magazine panache.

San Diego recalled another first in publishing history—their first anniversary cover with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then-Cabinet members in a “Men in Black” pose.

He illustrated that every photo shoot is a milestone because they mostly shoot elusive people in radical concepts. He then went on about how exhilarating it is shooting someone out of their comfort zone and extracting something special out of them, and that how different it is with models and actors who are used to the flickers of the camera flash.

Their July 2007 issue was augmented with the expertise of noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker, where he captured the luminescent shots of 12 of the country’s most beautiful women, including Kit Zobel, Ina Ayala, Lucy Torres Gomez and Ruffa Gutierrez.

Speaking of “the most,” the Philippine Tatler also prides itself in being the pioneer and raising the bar in “society” list-making. Through the years, they have come up with the most exquisite lists such as most invited, best hostesses and most eligible singles. What’s next, then, for the “spirit of high society?”

“Our September [2007] issue is the biggest so far. It’s a tall order to surpass that,” revealed San Diego. The cover, which I saw a digital copy of, and 16 pages of the magazine will be dedicated to Madrid-based Filipino journalist, model and mother of pop superstar Enrique Iglesias, Isabel Preysler, whom the Spanish press fondly calls “La Reina de Corazones” (the Queen of Hearts).

San Diego admitted that this is his favorite and gleefully raved about how wonderful it was working with Preysler, but claimed, “The current one is always my favorite.”

Society evolves

“High society now is less static,” disclosed Francisco, describing how it is getting more fluid and flexible.

“The social climate is changing,” San Diego added. He meant that more and more are being educated on—and interested in—the finer things in life. This manifests in the progression of the magazine as it got bigger, in terms of number of pages, until it reached its biggest in 2006, coinciding with the strengthening economy.

That also means that taste evolves. The Philippine Tatler recently underwent an editorial revamp in order to keep up with the advancement of technology and to accommodate the younger reader. The content and layout changed, though ever so slightly to preserve the Tatler feel.

“You can go a little bit to the left or the right. Just don’t go too far from the center,” San Diego uttered, motioning with his hands.

Gawad Kalinga

That’s Filipino for “to give care.” That’s also the latest Tatler advocacy. The magazine has chosen Gawad Kalinga as the beneficiary for the 6th Philippine Tatler Ball, to be held on Sept. 29.

For this year’s anniversary celebration, their aim is to build a Gawad Kalinga Village of 30 homes. The Philippine Tatler will pay for the construction of 10 homes at P75,000 per home. They hope to raise enough funds to foot the bill for the remaining 20 homes.

“Any wealthy person can help,” Francisco started to expound, putting on a more serious face, which wasn’t the case when we were talking about the glitz and glamour side of the magazine. She said that not everyone has the means to spread the word and found it humbling to have the opportunity to be able to use a medium, like the magazine, as a vehicle to help those in need.

Corporate social responsibilities have always been part of the Tatler itinerary. Just last March, the Philippine Tatler raised P4.2 million to aid breast cancer patients through their Pink for Life campaign.

“In a Tatler Ball with 400 guests, we can urge them to support a cause. It’s like a captured market. We don’t sell tickets, it’s all invitational. But we still manage to raise funds for our elected beneficiaries,” she explained, citing their project for Operation Smile that helped 533 children with cleft-lip as an example. Their total yield of P3.2 million was the single-biggest donation the organization received last year.

“It really becomes a responsibility. You do it once, you have to do it again,” said Francisco of the Tatler’s CSRs, showing her fervent affinity to sponsorship programs. Following all her involvement in benevolent work, through the magazine and otherwise, she grew to be more passionate about using her voice—and machinery—to create awareness among the “society” crowd to push her philanthropic agenda.

As much as she maintained that the magazine, through its fund-raising auctions and balls, is still the ideal channel for her to execute her social responsibilities, Francisco articulated that if to put up a charitable institution, she prefers that it be a scholarship foundation.

Just fabulous

I had a brilliant time lunching with the Tatler heads. In between plate changes, we would swerve a little from the interview and talk about tons of other things, like the last CDs we purchased, musicals we want to see, the difference between Zara and Gap, out-of-the-country trips and the like. Though disappointingly, there was nothing in the grapevine.

At one point, San Diego joked about feeling like the interviewer because he was asking me assorted questions; what college I went to, how I got into the industry and other résumé-like queries.

We even got into a discussion on the future of high society, specifically the Greenbelt-flocking, club-going cliques. Politically correct opinions were expressed on how “young society” will mature and outgrow the insistent partying. Francisco very understandingly called it a rite of passage. She did, however, establish that it really is exceptionally different from the house parties in evening gowns that she was used to in her youth.

In the course of two hours—from high noon to 2 p.m.—until we reached the conclusion of our meal and were scooping out the last of our dessert, we would pleasantly be interrupted by other socialites that were dining at the restaurant.

Time does fly by when you’re having fun. My lunch with Francisco and San Diego was hearty, juicy, informative and highly inspiring. I can’t wait to do it again.

Isabel Preysler Philippine Tatler

WITHOUT BATTING AN EYELASH A Madrid fashion shoot By Maurice Arcache Columnist Inquirer MANILA, Philippines—It was a glorious summer in Madrid when the Philippine Tatler made a special trip to the fabulous home of Isabel Preysler, one of the world’s most beautiful and stylish ladies, for an exclusive photo shoot and interview for the cover of its sixth anniversary issue, dahlings. Spaniards call her “La Preysler,” shouting “guapa” when they see her in person or “la guapassissima Filipina.” She arrived the night before the Tatler’s visit and was complaining of allergies that were making her teary-eyed. Worried, she told us she should schedule the shoot for the next day. She did not realize how close to perfect she looked as she sat in her bathrobe having her makeup and hair done by her personal hairdresser and makeup artist, Lola Viray. Philippine ambassador to Spain Lani Bernardo and his wife Conchitina said Preysler was charming and down-to-earth. Conchitina recalled one evening when she and Preysler, escorted by their husbands, went out to dinner. Upon seeing Preysler, the people in and outside the restaurant chanted “la guapa, la guapa (beautiful, beautiful).” A barrage of paparazzi waited for her outside. Conchitina said she never saw anything like it before, palanggas. Aside from Isabel P’s charm and femininity, what makes her attractive is her childlike quality, though her eyes hint of naughtiness. Such beauty and personality enamored her to everyone, particularly the Spanish media. Magazines gave her such titles as “La Reina del Glamour” and “La Perla de Manila.” Though people know she is beautiful, they often ask, “Is she nice?” The answer is yes! She is nice, humble and self-effacing. She is the face of Suarez Jewellery as well as Porcelanosa, for which she did a campaign with actor George Clooney. She is happily married to former Spanish Finance Minister Miguel Boyer, dahlings. After two years of coordination and numerous phone calls, a short four-day trip to Madrid in the fab Qatar Airways made Tatler’s anniversary cover featuring Isabel Preysler a reality. For mega photographer Raymund Isaac, editor in chief Anton San Diego, and lifestyle and social editor Maurice Arcache, as in moi, the drive up the driveway lined with cypress was already jaw-dropping. We were greeted by Isabel’s simpatica house help, Veronica, who spoke only in Spanish. I spoke to her on behalf of Anton and Raymund. Lola V. and stylists from Armani arrived almost at the same time. We also brought some clothes from the Philippines’ prince of alta moda, Inno Sotto. Isabel said, “I always want to promote the Philippines and help every way I can. Inno is a dear friend and I have always loved his clothes.” As the long day drew to a close and after seven changes, Anton asked her to pose with her dogs Tessie and Lily, lovingly named after her aunts (her dog Betty is named after her mother), would you believe? She said she and husband Miguel thought the aunts might not appreciate the gesture, but when they asked, the women readily said yes. In the course of the pictorial, Isabel’s gorgeous daughters Ana (Boyer) and Tamara (Falco) stopped to say hello. Finally, at about nine in a still bright summer evening, we called it a wrap. To say that this shoot was one of the most memorable we had done in six years would be an understatement. To travel to Madrid and feature one of Europe’s most recognizable faces, famous for her glamour, style and beauty, was a thrill, palanggas. It was a dream come true and, as we said earlier, worth the wait, dahlings.

Enrique Iglesias on Filipino heritage

Capital Radio
Interview with Rachael Hooper
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R: We dragged him into our studio, which is rather cold, he had to put his jacket on, grilled him with your questions, that you guys sent in last night after hours. So without further ado let me hand you over to myself and Enrique Iglesias.

R: Enrique thank you very much for coming in first of all.
E: Thank you.

R: You did great tonight! Most people come in our living room they do three songs, you did eight?
E: No we were just screwing around see to get the sound right, but the audience was great they were very cute.

R: They were very excited.
E: Yeah they were very nice.

R: We've been giving the tickets away all week and they've been going mentalfor you. So it was so nice that you did that first of all.
E: And it was very laid back, so it's cool, you know. There was no pressure whatsoever.

R: Have you done that sort of thing before?
E: Yeah a few times but not a lot. Not a lot, I mean not for radio.

R: We just imagine that you'd play just huge screaming gigs, you know, as opposed 15 people sat in a living room.
E: No. I know but it was cool, that's what I said, it was laid back so there was no pressure. It's good to do gigs like that.

R: That's cool. Well we have a whole host of questions, which I can't ask everyone's, lots of people wanted to come to the gig tonight, but they couldn't come because we didn't have that many tickets, so I have some questions. If they're a little close to the knuckle they're not my fault, ok it's the ladies fault.
E: That's OK.

R: Here we go. First of all Brandy Mancini, she e-mailed in last night to Capital and said she would like to know the profile please of your ideal woman. The women in London are mad for you, can you tell them, please.
E: I don't have an ideal woman. The day I get married, that'll be my ideal woman.

R: They're all going to be ringing up now.
E: But I don't really have, I can't tell you that she's gotta be like this, or, I'll probably marry the opposite.

R: So do you find that you find someone and the person at that time is the person?
E: I think it's all about chemistry, if you like someone, you like someone and that you can't really control.

R: Absolutely.
E: And I'm like, I'm not very picky.

R: I can't believe that somehow.
E: Should I say that?

R: You have! So basically Brandy could be in with a chance there if she managed to meet you at one of your gigs in London. You never know, you never know! Melanie Brown also e-mailed into us last night, and she says she was lucky enough to meet you in London last January, when you were here. She's obviously one of your dedicated fans. And you told her that you speak, is this right, Tagalog? Tegalog?
E: Ah Tagalog.
R: Tagalog? So completely wrong then!
E: I was like, Tagalog?

R: What is it? And were you telling her the truth?
E: Oh Tagalog, no because I am part Filipino.

R: Yeah.
E: And in the Philippines they speak Tagalog, but I don't really speak Tagalog. Did I say I spoke Tagalog?

R: So she says.
E: No I don't think I, no oh maybe, oh I'm sorry if I did. I'm a stup~d li@r sometimes.

R: She was probably so overawed at meeting you, she just imagined that maybe happened.
E:Oh.

R: But I wanted to know what it was, because I never heard the word.
E: No that's why because I'm part Filipino.

R: Fantastic.
E: I don't look Filipino, but I am.

Enrique Iglesias, Isabel Preysler and the Filipino Identity

So I watched the TV Española 2-part special on her "Hormigas Blancas", and I thought it was fantastic. I think many Filipinos, since I debuted her on my other celebrity site a few years (which until then, most didn't have a single idea that Enrique Iglesias' mom is Filipina) have a rather distorted viewpoint on her life, reflecting their being raised in Filipino movies which espouse a "mestizo elegance" lifestyle in which they, the public, and even the tv networks assume that affluent Filipinos walk around in luxurious silk bathrobes all the time, lounge around the pool drinking wine, and bossing their servidumbre around.

But of course that's not reality, Filipinos born in the middle to upper class still have to work hard for what they have, if that lifestyle in the movies were true where they were just lying around all the time, then for sure, the money would be gone in a second because they didn't have to time to work because they were too busy lounging around!Many Filipinos assume that Filipinos who migrated to Spain (like Junior Morales, and Isabel Preysler) speak only Spanish and don't know how to speak Tagalog, even if they grew up in the Philippines, and that's a ridiculous notion, stereotype, and belief, because you cannot be born and raised in the Philippines, talk to your neighbors and childhood friends, and attend Philippine schools by just speaking Spanish, of course they speak Tagalog. I do know that Isabel Preysler has hired Filipino women to be the yaya of her kids in Spain, and many members of her staff are Filipino, and Enrique Iglesias has said that he always heard Tagalog being spoken around the house growing up.

This assumption comes from the assumption that the Filipino identity is completely separate from the Latin/Spanish identity, forgetting that the Spanish identity has already been incorporated in the national Filipino identity along with the Malay elements, molding into one unifying culture - the Filipino culture.

Many Filipinos are also saying that Isabel Preysler is not Filipina, she's actually of pure Spanish blood, and that's not true either, and you only have to take one glance at her beautiful face and almond-shaped eyes to see that.

Isabel Preysler does speak Tagalog and English, and I know this because I've spoken personally to her in person before, and she is the nicest person you will ever meet. She's a true Filipina woman, and she always represents our country to the highest degree in Spain.

Filipinos also should stop referring to her as a Spanish mestiza, because even if she is, that doesn't make her special or unique or anything because a lot of our people are Spanish mestizos, not just among the rich because there is a lot of untraced Spanish ancestry in Spanish colonies due to the way things were, but that does not take away from the fact that she's a Filipina. In fact, it's politically incorrect to continue to use words like "mestizo", "mulato", and other terms from the colonial period that refer to race in Spanish-speaking society, because everyone is trying to look past race now. So when I see Filipinos are still doing it, I'm okay with it because I understand that they don't speak Spanish and so they're not so attuned as to the cultural norms of a completely different society than what they're familiar with. The Filipino race doesn't exist, the Malay race exists, but Filipino is not a race, it's a nationality.

I just know that there are a lot of stereotypes in the Philippines that need to be erased, such as: Mestizos are Rich, Chinese are Rich, Filipino-Americans are all rich, Filipino-Americans are all snobby and mayabang (conceited), and finally, celebrities of Filipino descent (Enrique Iglesias, etc.) are not proud of their heritage. These are detrimental to our national pride and we need to stop all of this miseducation among our people.

The Filipino heritage has already been infused with Spanish/European heritage, so to continue to refer to a Filipino person as a "Spanish mestizo" as if it was something special is redundant in itself, because many of us Filipinos are Spanish mestizos, but our nationality and identity are as Filipinos.

So this was my latest revision, someone keeps changing her second apellido to Arrástia, which is incorrect, it's Arrástria. Also, someone keeps saying she comes from a Spanish-Filipino family, which is redundant and not doing anything to promote Filipino pride, because remember, even if a Filipino is of Spanish descent, he still a Filipino because that's his nationality and his country. Many Filipinos don't understand this and always view Spanish as a separate "race" than Filipino, forgetting that Filipino is not a race, it's a nationality, and the two are many times one in the same (as in part of the same person, a Filipino of Malay/Spanish descent, like many of us are).

Here is Isabel Preysler's bio from Wikipedia:

Isabel Preysler Arrástria (born February 18, 1951 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipina journalist, model and former TV talk show host in Madrid, Spain. She is known in the Spanish press as "La Reina de Corazones" (the Queen of Hearts) ever since a best-selling biography by the same name was published about her. She is the mother of international pop superstar Enrique Iglesias, Julio José Iglesias, Chabeli Iglesias, Tamara Falcó and Ana Boyer.

Preysler was born in the middle-class neighborhood of San Lorenzo, Manila, Philippines, the third of six children to a middle-class Filipino family. She attended the Colegio de Monjas de la Asuncion, a private Catholic school. Due to her good behaviour, she was often selected to represent the Virgin Mary in the local Christmas parades.

Her nickname as a child was "Chabeli", which would later be the nickname of her first child. According to the book "Reina de Corazones" by Paloma Barrientos, she dated Gregorio Araneta, Charlie Lopez, and Bobby Santos, among others, as a teenager.^[1] Her older brother Enrique died in Hong Kong due to a heroine overdose. She named her second son Enrique Iglesias, in honor of her deceased brother. Joaquin, her second oldest brother, also had problems with drugs, but overcame them and now lives in Canada.

During her youth, Isabel participated in a charity beauty pageant for the Sheraton Hotel in Manila and was crowned queen. Jun Ikalav, a playboy with a bad reputation, started dating Isabel. This worried her parents, and at the age of 18, she was sent to live in Madrid with her uncle and aunt to study at Mary Ward College, an Irish Catholic university in Spain, where she studied Accounting. It was at a party in 1970 that she was introduced to a family friend by the name of Julio Iglesias, who at the time was not yet a famous singer. The couple had their wedding just seven months later and were married for seven years, during which time they had three children, Chabeli, Julio Jr. and Enrique. In accordance with their rising careers, Julio as a singer, and Isabel as a model in Spain and Europe, they exploded onto the scene in 1971 and became overnight superstars in Spain and Latin America.

Following their divorce in 1978, Isabel launched her own career as a journalist for Spanish magazine ¡Hola! and her first interviewee was Julio himself. She also interviewed Richard Chamberlain. She married the Marquis de Grignon, Carlos Falcó, on 23 March 1980, a short-lived marriage resulted in the birth of a second daughter, Tamara. She later married former Spanish finance minister, Miguel Boyer, with whom she has another daughter, Ana. This marriage symbolized for critics the alliance of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party, part of the leftist opposition to Francisco Franco, and to the "beautiful people" (aristocracy and bourgeoisie).

Often dubbed "La Perla de Manila" by the Spanish media ("The Pearl of Manila"), readers at Hola magazine have voted Isabel as the most elegant and best-dressed woman in Spain for 1991, 2002, and 2004, and she has consistently topped the best-dressed lists over the years in various Spanish magazines.

In 1984, she hosted the Spanish lifestyle TV programme, "Hoy." She has been chosen by several companies to be an image sponsor for their products, including Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, and, most notably, the Spanish tile company, Porcelanosa.

In 1987, her two sisters moved to Spain with their families to be closer to Isabel.

Her father, Carlos Preysler, has passed away. Her mother, Beatriz Preysler, still lives in Manila where Isabel is known to visit frequently with her children. She is close friends with Maurice Arcache, a local Philippine journalist and socialite. She frequents social events in Manila, including events hosted by the Spanish Embassy of the Philippines. She is also friends with Miriam Quiambao, Miss Philippines-Universe 1999, ever since they met at a party hosted by the Philippine Daily Inquire, a national newspaper, and with fellow Filipina and acclaimed fashion designer Monique Lhuillier, who she met in Los Angeles during a trip. She is known to wear Lhullier gowns at social events in Spain.

In May 2001, she was Prince Charles' guest of honour for the opening of his Spanish Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. She was his guest of honor again in 2005 at a garden party during a trip to Spain by the Royal Crown.

In 2004, the became Spain's welcoming host for David and Victoria Beckham when she hosted a welcoming party at her house for the celebrity couple. She became close friends with Victoria and was often photographed shopping with her during their stay in Madrid. ^[2]

Most recently she launched her official website at the suggestion of her son Enrique, who is one of her biggest fans. She continues to be the national spokesmodel for Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, and Porcelanosa, for which American actor George Clooney recently joined her in Fall 2006 to represent the brand in a new advertising campaign. ^[3]

As Enrique points she is noted for conserving her beauty in spite of her age. She, her family, and her home are frequent presences in Spanish magazines. She also helps participate in events for the Philippine Embassy in Madrid.

References

1. ^ "Hormigas blancas" Isabel Preysler - TVEspañola http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe2IMgnY04s
2. ^ www.20minutos.es/noticia/234551/0/vicky/bree/desembarco/
3. ^ Hola! Magazine November 8 2006 http://www.clooneystudio.com/articles/hola110806.html