Magazine by Wagner Lucio

JULY - A UGUST 2016

r t a y f e v e

YASS I PRESSMAN

r S C OU T M AG . P H

FREE M A GAZINE!

I S S U E NO . 2 1

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CONTENTS

music

run d o ro t hy

12 food

millennial rest aurants

portfolio

a a ro n q uint o

behind the scenes

portfolio

kevin kunishi

profile

johan aguilar

essay

art + feminism

art + design strive

profile

ivan c ara pie t

portfolio

alfre d marasigan

on the cover yassi pressman

market

kick start e rs

under cover

market

the gospel of demna

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fashion

ju ke b ox h e ro e s

humor comics

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the digital cover

w w w. scoutmag .ph GROUP

PUBLISHER

EDITOR

CREATIVE

DIRECTOR

Niña Muallam

FEATURES

EDITOR

Romeo Moran

GRAPHIC

ARTIST

EDITORIAL COPY

CHIEF

BEA J. LEDESMA JED GREGORIO

ASSISTANTS

EDITOR

Grace de Luna Denise Fernandez Nico Pascual Patricia Romualdez

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Monica Cope, Sofia Cope, Marika Callangan

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chissai Bautista, Cru Camara, Shaira Luna, Hub Pacheco, Patrick Segovia

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTR ATORS

Julienne Dadivas, Jao San Pedro

INTERNS

Danice Abril, Asia Alcid, Allana Aldea, Jill Baniqued, Patty Ferriol, Reason Fortun, Maureen Gonzales, Ja Ilagan, Nicole Matheus, Jose Mojica, Pauline Nacar, Coleen Ramos, Katrina Tiu, Armaine Yapyuco

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Ria Francisco-Prieto

BOARD CHAIRPERSON

Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez

C HIEF OPER ATING OFFIC ER,

Julie Alfaro-Santiago

FINANCE ADVISER AND TREASURER

J. Ferdinand De Luzuriaga

LEGAL ADVISER

Atty. Rudyard Arbolado

V P/ G R O U P H R H E A D

Raymund Soberano

VP & C HIEF STR ATEGY OFFIC ER

Imelda C. Alcantara

HR DIRECTOR - SHARED SERVICES

Chuchi A. Gracia

HR MANAGER

Ma. Leonisa L. Gabrieles

HR A SSISTANT

Reynalyn S. Fernandez

EXECUTIVE A SSISTANT

Nathalie Presillas

SVP & GROUP SALES HEAD,

Felipe R. Olarte

AV P FO R SA L E S

Ma. Katrina Garcia-Dalusong

SALES SUPERVISOR

Polo Dagdag

KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST

Angelita Tan-Ibañez

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Thea Ordiales, Abby Ginaga

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Charm Banzuelo, Andie Zuñiga, Sarah Cabalatungan, Liza Jison, Hiromi Jurado

SALES SUPPORT A SSISTANTS

Rechelle Endozo, Mara Karen Aliasas

MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER

Jellic Tapia

EVENTS SUPERVISOR

Bianca Dalumpines

M ARKETING A SSISTANT

Erle Mamawal

EVENTS A SSISTANTS

Kim Mariano, Merjorie May Young

MARKETING GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Janine Dela Cuesta, Roi De Castro

BUSINESS & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Rina Lareza

C IRCUL ATION SUPERVISOR

Vince Oliquiano

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jan Cariquitan

PRODUCTION A SSISTANT

Maricel Gavino

FINAL ART SUPERVISOR

Dennis Cruz

FA ARTIST

Kristine Paz

HINGE INQUIRER PUBLICATIONS

INQUIRER GROUP OF COMPANIES

On our digital cover, Yassi plays with this disco ball, which she wanted to buy for herself. (It wasn’t ours, sadly.) Photographed by SHAIRA LUNA Styling by GRACE DE LUNA Makeup by SARI CAMPOS Hair by SYDNEY HELMSLEY

things you need to read on

If you’re not following our site Scoutmag.ph religiously, then why are we even friends? Here are the best stories from the past month you might have missed: FIVE FRANCHISES WE HOPE TO SAY GOODBYE TO IN THIS YEAR’S MMFF The MMFF no longer has commercial viability as criteria for Best Picture. This is great.

AFTER 30 YEARS, THE HOLE IN THE OZONE LAYER IS CLOSING BACK UP There is hope for this Earth, after all.

THIS GIGANTIC COMMUNITYWIDE ARTWORK IN LA TRINIDAD IS STUNNING It’s the first artwork in the Philippines that’s the size of a neighborhood.

@scou t m a g p h s c o u t m a g p h @ g m a i l.c o m

oh snap! Add us on Snapchat to see behind the scenes from our shoots, exclusives, events we’ve been to, or even just what we’re up to while we make the magazine!

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on the cover

s e v a f ’ s r o t i the ed

We took a look ba ck at our past stor ies and picked out our fa vorites

Photography by JA ILAGAN

ladies & gentlemen,

may 2015

“This was when we first started casting kids to model for the fashion editorials. I’ve grown to love this way of shooting. Sometimes our shoots would last for weeks, just so we can round up the perfect set of people. We would always have a bunch of new friends afterwards. It’s wonderful.” —JED GREGORIO, editor in chief

d o n’t ki l l my vi b e , gone to the dogs,

apr il 2016

“I’ve long wanted to put dogs on the magazine, because why not? When I told (former art director) Martin Diegor that we could pull this off if I fleshed out this idea I had for an essay about dogs, we jumped right at the chance.” —ROMEO MORAN, features editor

“Paulo Avelino has been one of my favorite Filipino actors since I got to see Ang Sayaw Ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa back when I was in college. It was an absolute delight reading his Scout interview and learning about his thoughts on acting, art, and both independent and mainstream entertainment. He’s a gem in the local industry.” —DENISE FERNANDEZ, editorial assistant

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t h e s o l d i e r,

“I’ve always admired Curtismith and his music even before I became part of Scout. It’s really nice that a lot of new local artists are putting their own thing out in the open, turning local music into something totally different.” —GRACE DE LUNA, graphic artist

nov em ber 2015

november 2015

t o u c h t h e s k y,

mar ch 2016

“I feel the heart behind the monochrome images more than makes up for the lack of color. Alejandro’s story about how he documented the lives of those people who were forgotten and shunned by society needed to be brought to light. I also have to hand it to him because he kept his cool in the bleakest of situations.” —NICO PASCUAL, editorial assistant

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music

Math rock band Run Dorothy is giving the local scene a run for its money

Interview by DENISE FERNANDEZ Photography by CRU CAMARA

a rush of blood

THE WORD “sanguine” is an adjective that means cheerful—a synonym for positive, vibrant, and confident. It is also known for being one of the four temperaments, the representation of a person filled with optimism and hope. Weeks after meeting them in an incredibly relaxed Sunday shoot at the office, I eventually learned that Filipino math rock group Run Dorothy had named their debut EP this very term. Sanguine. It rolls naturally in speech when said out loud. I repeat the word on my lips, and decide that I like it. And honestly, I can’t think of anything else to better describe the band members—Dorothy “Dee” Cruz (vocals), Felix “Basi” Basilio (guitars), Christian “Bogs” Del Rey (guitars), Genesis “Ino” Tiglao (bass), Mark “Jepoy” Santos (drums)—and everything that Run Dorothy stands for. They joke around on set as easily as they catch each

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other’s rhythm and vibe when they play live onstage. People who’ve watched them at gigs can vouch for the latter at the very least, the group’s chemistry being undeniably present. In the independent Filipino music scene, math rock is a genre that a few bands have only recently picked up. Run Dorothy stands out even further by adding Dee’s calming female vocals in contrast to melodic, complicated guitar riffs in the background. If there is any group on the rise to keep an eye on, it’s this one. Run Dorothy is taking the high road and there’s no stopping them from going anywhere but forward. From the naming to finding band members, how was Run Dorothy formed? BASI: It’s very complicated, but here’s a barebones version of our origin story. We started as a four-piece indie pop band. We then transformed into a five-piece alternative punk

band, then went back to do indie stuff again. After a year of genre changes, we decided to stop playing as a band until we really had a solid grasp on how we wanted to sound. We were inspired by the awesome stuff we discovered while on hiatus. I decided to round everyone up, then we got back to playing! The only original founding members left are Dee and me. Bogs, Jepoy, and Ino are from different bands that I’ve played with before. A lot of lineup changes have happened prior to this current incarnation, pero ‘eto na ‘yong pinaka solid. We’ve been playing together for about five years. I got the band name from Dee’s real name. I added “run” kasi mas may dating ‘tsaka bagay don sa dating sound namin. Nothing deep behind it, really. Did you already know what kind of music you wanted to play when the band started? Why math rock, out of all genres?

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music

Math rock has been gaining a lot of traction both locally and abroad as of late. Would you say that you’re one of the local pioneers of the genre? Which other math rock bands do you think have a lot of potential in OPM? JEPOY: I wouldn’t say that, knowing that there’s tide/edit and Tom’s Story in the scene. But I’m still proud and thankful that we’re considered as a part of the math rock scene. BASI: Yeah, there’s even Musical O who has that math rock vibe but doesn’t even claim it as their sound. So I guess being a pioneer would be a very bold thing to say. But we really would want to be part of that local music movement. That’s to say, if there’s any. What is your songwriting process like? Where do you usually find inspiration to make music? BASI: Sometimes, ideas hit me during the most inconvenient times and/or at the most awkward places. Sa MRT, sa elevator, sa gitna ng tulog, kumakain. Ganon. So, I hum the tune that was in my head, record it on my phone, and then translate it with my guitar once I get the chance. Tapos ayon na, I skim through the ideas, and if there’s a riff that I like, I build up on it then start filling the gaps and make it as cohesive as possible. I then relay it to Jepoy for the drums, which will define and make sense out of all the mess I came up with. I: Once Basi and Jepoy [are] finished with the main arrangement, Bogs and I color the spaces in between and make sure we don’t drown anyone else in the background. The common inspiration is usually pressure. (laughs) D: I usually write the lyrics separately. When they’re in the process of combining their ideas together, that’s when I try to figure out how to place the stuff I wrote beforehand, making adjustments to the words to have them sit better with the instruments. I also, find inspiration at random moments and places! BOGS: Sina Basi and Dee talaga pagdating sa lyrics, ‘di na kami nangingialam doon kasi sila lang ‘yong okay sa writing. (laughs) What can fans expect from your new EP? D: It’s entitled “Sanguine.” We are releasing it by the end of July! But don’t expect anything! Just kidding. Expect that it will be full of feelings, art, feelings, and feelings. I: An EP embodied with both art and music. Experiential. BASI: It’s a five-track EP with songs about what your heart went through on that certain phase of your life. J: I say, wait for it and hear it for yourself. Who are some of your musical influences, both locally and internationally? I: This is a funny question because I have so

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many influences both locally and internationally but I’ve never been able to incorporate their style into our music because what they do is too damn difficult! (laughs) BASI: Collectively, we share the same love for these bands: Tangled Hair, TTNG, Toe, Tricot, American Football, Colour, Foals, Coheed and Cambria, Dance Gavin Dance, Deftones, Urbandub, Up Dharma Down. But personally, a few favorites are Tubelord, Moneen, Alexisonfire, The Early November, Gesu no Kiwami Otome, and Asian Kung-Fu Generation. D: I have a lot of musical influences both in music and songwriting. Aside from those that Basi mentioned, there’s Death Cab for Cutie, Foxing, Daughter, Paramore, Paramita, Outerhope. Ang gulo ‘no? J: Emarosa, A Lot Like Birds, Hiatus Kaiyote, Chon, Faspitch. BOGS: Hillsong United, Vasudeva, Underoath, Funeral for a Friend, Rufio. Most of them are the reasons why I played in a band. How do you guys work as a band? Can you give us an idea of how your group dynamics go? D: We schedule practices and songwriting days depending on Ino and Bogs’s schedules, since they both have changing shifts. But we always try to talk through our group chats to plan ahead for the band! I: Due to limited availability of the members, we don’t get to write or practice as a whole for the most part, so it’s usually in pairs or threes then practice it collectively once we find a common schedule we can work on. BOGS: ‘Pag may nabuo na, isa-isa na kami sa pag-overnight kina Basi para matapos’yong mga kanta. Do you have any pre-gig rituals? BOGS: Dasal lang, double-check gamit (pero madalas may nawawala) kiss kay girlfriend. (laughs) I: It doesn’t happen as of late, but we used to do last minute practices inside my car without amps! J: To be honest, I always get nervous before we play on stage. I can’t seem to switch it off so I tend to down a bottle of beer before I play just to calm myself a bit. BASI: Yeah, those last minute car practices are essential. Nasusuka ako ‘pag uminom pa ako ng beer eh, so a quick refresher ng parts ko ‘yong pantanggal kaba talaga. And ‘yong “calm myself a bit” ni Jepoy—kadalasan hindi a bit, amats na talaga siya. (laughs). What’s your assessment of the current state of our local music industry? D: It is evolving! And there are now a lot of people who are eager to know and listen to new music! I: Evolving. The industry composed of performers and listeners is now more open minded. Then have more appreciation for different genres of music. BASI: The audience is getting smarter. We’re in this age where you really have easy access to new music and you can really personalize the content that you want to consume. And with the local scene getting healthier and more versatile, ang dali mag-explore. Sobrang daming magaling, not just in the capital, mas madami pa sa labas. If your listeners could take away one thing from “Sanguine,” what would you want it to be?

D: The experience. We want them to feel that it is their story. BASI: The comfort, knowing that we all went through the same thing. I: That it felt that we tapped into a part of them they wanted to express but only recently found out how. What’s next for Run Dorothy? D: We will continue to write songs and play more gigs! And you never know, we might be ready for another launch! I: Hopefully we get to release an LP that continuously expresses the love we have for what we do. BOGS: We’re gonna write more stuff for the next EP/LP. At saka team-building! (laughs) J: Well, this is just the beginning for us. So I think the plan is to make and play more music! BASI: It’ll be a long road measured by heartbeats.n

CURRENTLY PL AYING

DEE: We’ve been through different genres. Some of those never really felt like home. We really were just jumping blindly on whichever genre we liked until we landed on where we wanted to be. We actually never thought that we’d end up playing math rock. INO: By the time I joined Run Dorothy, it had a more indie and pop sound. The math rock element was from a different band which is composed of everyone in Run Dorothy except Dee. We decided to focus on a single band because it was weird to be playing the same gig with Run Dorothy, only to see the same band without the vocalist. We just worked on how to incorporate that particular genre into how Run Dorothy sounded.

The band’s playlist is a good little mix, including post-rock must-listens from both here and abroad.

I’m Calmer Than You Are Tangled Hair

Your Bed Is Kind of Frightening Tubelord

Cat Fantastic TTNG

Art Sick Tricot

The Medic Foxing

Strongthany Delta Sleep

Breathe, Desperately From Indian Lakes

Downside Risk Nyctinasty

VL Raza Tom’s Story

Whatever Floats Your Boat tide/edit

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portfolio

In his first photobook, photographer Kevin Kunishi explores the many lives that are still being affected by the Nicaraguan War By NICO PASCUAL

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portfolio

KEVIN KUNISHI CONFESSES that he never imagined that he would be taking photos for a living. After graduating with a history degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a brief stint as a history teacher there, Kevin sold everything he had and traveled around the world. It was only after he returned to California six years later that he fell in love with the medium. He chanced upon his friends assisting some Sports Illustrated photographers in California and ended up doing gigs with them. He showed up early, worked hard, and it basically took off from there. “I eventually began doing my own thing, went back to grad school and my path further developed from that experience,” he says. Kevin is now living with his family here in the Philippines and as he recuperates from his projects. He tells me that all of his work is rooted in the idea of “aftermath.” He is interested in “how people individually and collectively navigate and move beyond the psychological, social, and physical landscape of loss.” I ask him the story behind the publication of his first book, Los Restos de la Revolucion, which roughly translates to English as The Remains of the Revolution. He tells me that he was deeply affected by US foreign policy and the way it manipulated people living in Nicaragua. “In Nicaragua, I was focused on very specific individuals who were all directly affected by the US-backed Contra War,” Kevin shares. “I was able to focus on very specific locations with a large population of individuals to interview and photograph. I wanted to meet people who were affected by those policies, and lived through those times.” Kevin describes his approach to photography as methodical, preferring to work slowly within the norms of the community in order to gain their trust.

“When I came home from school, they had hung my brother from a tree along the street. They killed him and lit his body on fire. When I saw his body I wanted to kill as many of those fuckers as I could.”

“They dragged me into the woods.”

(left) CIA Interrogation DocumentsPantasma, Nicaragua exposed atrocities committed by the Contras and created significant political backlash in the U.S. As a result, the CIA issued human rights directives and interrogation procedures to Contra commandantes. (opposite page) “The first grenade got me and killed the guy in front of me. You could see his intestines. On the way out, another grenade hit me and blew me back and cost me my sight. Dirt and smoke landed on me.”

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portfolio

Remigio

He recalls starting out with close to no money, and that he had to hitchhike or take the bus the entire time. “The buses were packed really thick. And some of the places I was going up near the Honduran border were pretty remote, like eight hours from Managua, the nearest city. When I first went down there, I was all geared up with camping shit, stuff with North Face labels on it, and I stuck out like a sore thumb. It wasn’t until I got rid of all that stuff, picked up some old blue jeans, T-shirts, and grew some facial hair that I started to blend in.” When asked about his process of documenting the Nicaraguan community, Kevin said that he took his time reflecting on what had been done before photographically, and what new insights he could offer. “At the beginning there was a shortlist of things, sketches, visual threads, and ideas I looked for and collected. Back then, it was imperative for me to be open and respond to these ideas.” When you look at his photographs from Los Restos de la Revolucion, you’ll come to notice an assortment of seemingly random images: a portrait of an elderly man, a group shot of a family carrying a weapon, a small empty room with its walls half-illuminated by light, and others. But then you’ll notice the accompanying captions that either validate or eliminate your assumptions. The stories behind these images are shocking: the small room used to be a war prison, the portrait shows a man blinded by a grenade blast, and many families hid their weapons fearing further conflict. But then you’ll come to appreciate the way Kevin framed those images and how he sequenced them all into one cohesive series.

“In the area I was visiting, there is this beautiful, ethereal mist that hangs in the mountains, and drifts down into the cobblestone streets at night.”

(above) Following the ceasefire of 1990, many Contras did not turn in their weapons, instead burying them in their yards for protection, fearing Sandinista reprisals or a return to hostilities. (left) Julio’s Cell at El Fortin, Leon, Nicaragua

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portfolio

Waikiki, Oahu, 2013

“They would go to homes to gather the families and would burn their houses down. Those who did not leave the mountainside were considered Contra so they would kill them by burning them with gas, we saw what they did.”

“The idea [for the book] stemmed from a very profound experience I had when I first got to Nicaragua,” he continues. “In the area I was visiting, there is this beautiful, ethereal mist that hangs in the mountains, and drifts down into the cobblestone streets at night. I met this older man on a bus. He pointed out the window and told me that those mists hide many horrible things, but also many wonderful things. ‘The more time you spend there,’ he said, ‘the more they will be revealed to you.’ That really stuck with me. I shot everything down there in that soft light. I was interested in that idea of things lurking in the haze of the past, that fog of war. I embraced the idea and incorporated it in the vision for the book. As for the sequencing, I wanted the book to be almost dream-like, going from image to image.” But it wasn’t long before the emotional stress took a toll on Kevin. After returning to the US after his travels, Kevin promised that he would provide help to the families living there long after his documentation was over. “We were able to get some money down to Nicaragua from the book’s sales proceeds to provide counseling services to individuals from both sides of the conflict.” When asked about the future, Kevin says that most likely his ongoing work on Hawaii will be released next. “The title Imi Haku is Hawaiian for ‘the search for the source.’ The project delves into issues surrounding memory and post-colonial identity.” As of the moment, Kevin is content with taking his time now that he’s settled down in the Philippines, but he is excited nonetheless about the possibilities of creating something here. “Right now the Philippines is my home. My wife is Filipina. We just had our first child and decided to move back here for a while. Photographically, it’s exciting because now I have time [to work]. I now have time to really commit to creating work here. Time to immerse and invest myself in this extremely complex place. Time to challenge myself and evolve, to try different things, to allow myself to fail and learn from those mistakes.” n

Pahoa, Hawaii 2012

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10 profile

the

running

After spending most of his adult life so far in depression and addiction, actor and triathlete Ivan Carapiet is fighting every day to chase his redemption

man

Interview by ROMEO MORAN Photography by CHISSAI BAUTISTA

NOWADAYS, Ivan Carapiet is pretty chill. The Filipino-Armenian Formula One driver-turnedtriathlete and actor can casually stroll across a park a little late in the middle of a warm Monday morning for a shoot, and his disarming charm will make everything seem like it’s okay. We’re here to live a little. Even if it’s stuffy, and even if we all have to surrender and scurry back to the office after all this is done. He, in that familiar South boy way, greets me with a “what’s up, my [n-word]?” and tells me about a huge slab of bison meat he just scored. It’s the leanest beef out there, he says, and I’m free to come over so he can cut me a frozen slice. He’s celebrating his birthday soon at this popular gastropub in the Fort, and we’re all invited. Everything, every little bit he lets go in all of our correspondence so far, tells me that his life is going pretty well right now. Despite all that he has to do, all he’s trying to fight for, and everything he’s trying to fight back, it can be claimed that it is, indeed, all good. Baron Geisler makes a lot of waves every now and then as this generation’s Mainstream Bad Boy, but if Ivan had been a little more famous at least four years ago, he might have given Baron a serious run for his money. The Ivan Carapiet we see before us now is an Ivan who fought his way out of depression, alcoholism, and addiction. Even though he’s been sober for four years, every day he lives is a personal crusade for redemption, a tightrope he knows he has to walk carefully.

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10 profile

the

running

After spending most of his adult life so far in depression and addiction, actor and triathlete Ivan Carapiet is fighting every day to chase his redemption

man

Interview by ROMEO MORAN Photography by CHISSAI BAUTISTA

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12 food

business time

Fact: millennials actually make some of the most efficient and creative restaurant owners. These people are why By DENISE FERNANDEZ Photography by PATRICK SEGOVIA

All six restaurants featured below were shot in a span of two working days. In between each shoot, each dish served, and each enlightening interview, we (Scout ’s editorial staff) asked ourselves, “What are we doing with our lives?” Some people are so put together that it’s almost unfair and impossible not to feel jealous. The successful modern entrepreneur isn’t some middle-aged man in a frumpy suit. It is, quite contrarily, the millennial. The young professional who isn’t afraid of taking risks and wading into new, unfamiliar territory. He who is adept in social media and the trends of now. The bright-eyed dreamer who dares to experiment, who dares to create, who rarely has anything to lose. Scout meets up with 12 young, talented individuals who spill the secrets of running a good business.

ADA Ä M & Y VES

sean go,

Being a former stylist and design student, Sean has always had a keen eye for good interiors and taste. Adaäm & Yves, located in Bonifacio Global City, was a thesis proposal that he eventually spun into a reality. When a visitor first walks into the restaurant, the first thing they’d definitely notice is how stylistic and well thought-out everything is: the food, the furniture, the space, the peculiar installations strewn about the area—they all just look good. “Millennials are quite narcissistic,” Sean smiles. “They’re very particular about whether something is Instagrammable or not. Everything to them is about authenticity as well. I make sure all the ingredients that the restaurant uses have good quality and are 100% organic.” Adaäm & Yves Organic Bistro is located at Icon Plaza, 25th St. corner 5th Ave., Taguig City.

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food 13 THE LOST BREAD

patty marabut, emil ongchuan,

24 25

It’s hard to believe that The Lost Bread’s owners Patty and Emil are actually manufacturing engineering graduates from De La Salle University. Much like true creatives, both grew weary of corporate jobs and decided to pursue their mutual love for food—French toast and milkshakes, to be specific. Patty and Emil are firm believers in interacting with their customers, with the two of them starting out as servers and cashiers of the very first Lost Bread branch in Maginhawa. They screened everything, from the design of their second branch and the sourcing of their furniture to the conception of their famous milkshakes to capture the standout and youthful vision that they had in mind. The duo even managed to insert their own specific interests in their restaurant as well, with Emil into artisan coffee and Patty into art and design. Their larger second branch is also along Maginhawa. The Lost Bread is located at 91 Maginhawa St., UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City.

RB CT Y

aya gonzalez,

Aya Gonzalez did not enjoy the confines of a four-walled office job, so she decided to take her family’s passion for business (and ribs) and turn it into a concept that she’d be able to fully immerse herself in. Each tiny creative detail that you see in RB CTY in Maginhawa is all thanks to Aya’s innovation: the Lego blocks people tinker with while waiting for their orders, the full/empty fuel tank design on the bathroom doors, the photo mural of its many satisfied customers on the wall that she handpainted along with her friends. “Anything simple can be creative,” she notes with a grin. With its affordable ribs, fresh design, and a whole chunk full of creativity, RB CTY is friendly to both millennials looking for a meal on budget and families searching for a good place to bond. RB CTY is located at 63 Maginhawa St., UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City and at Upper Ground, Pioneer Highlands North, Pioneer corner Madison Sts., Mandaluyong City.

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14 food

OUTRÉ

neslly bretaña,

Though Neslly initially came home from Australia because she missed her family and friends in the Philippines, the chef and owner of Outré couldn’t help but also miss the cuisine down south that she’s grown so very fond of. After taking up culinary arts in Sydney, Neslly brought her skill back home by putting up Outré, which is famous for its nitrogen ice cream and Australian-style burgers. “Outré is different. And I think people like different,” she elaborates. Neslly cites her openness to new concepts and possibilities as a strength that she has as an entrepreneur. While she thinks creativity is a high factor in a business’ success, she also values a daring, open approach to dealing with change. “We aren’t afraid to take risks and that in itself contributes quite largely.” Outré is located at 169 A. Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque City and at GF Circuit Makati, AP Reyes Ave., Makati City.

LE PETIT SOUFFLÉ

kristine lotilla, 26 miko aspiras, 29 If there is something that Kristine and Miko have in common, it’s that they’re both gogetters, already seasoned names in the food and beverage industry despite their age. Japanese-French inspired Le Petit Soufflé, in Century City Mall Makati, is simply one of their many planned concepts, one being Hole in the Wall’s Scout’s Honor. Teamwork is key to the pastry chef pair, with Kristine as the “right-brained” half and Miko as the “left-brained” half. What one cannot do, the other makes up for. Being pastry chefs, both love experimenting with new creations in the kitchen. Le Petit Soufflé’s menu thrives on variety; Miko and Kristine cannot sit still with one fixed menu. New dishes usually get released every other month or so to satisfy the modern and versatile diner looking for something fresh. Le Petit Soufflé is located at L3, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave., Makati City.

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WALRUS

joanna kennedy, 23 zachary riskin, 23 braulio de castro, 22 emilio tan, 23 paola bettita, 22 A group of friends’ drunken conversation by the sea—who would have known that this was the beginning of Katipunan Avenue’s biggest bar (conveniently located across Ateneo de Manila University, two floors above the undying Flaming Wings) to hit since Cantina’s abrupt closing? It does certainly explain Walrus’s obvious beachside vibe. The dining area is decked with wall art and colorful wooden accents. There is the popular saying about too many cooks that end up spoiling the broth, but this is exactly the opposite for the Walrus gang. The five friends and business partners each tackle separate aspects of running the establishment--logistics, finance, human resources, you name it--making sure to be as transparent and upfront as much as possible to avoid unnecessary clashing. Aside from its atmosphere of natural liveliness and fun (the more you drink, the cheaper your tab gets!), Walrus makes sure to keep its customers happy by duly taking note of their personal tastes and preferences. n Walrus Bar is located at 318 Katipunan Ave., Quezon City.

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JOHAN AGUILAR WANTS YOU to “think different” about him. That’s in his own words. He is a superstar swimmer that’s racked up gold medals, shattered old records and replaced them with his own, but he refuses the old connotations that you might draw when you find out he’s an athlete. He is no playboy, he is no dumb jock, he is no party-every-day fratboy, he is none of the stereotypes that come with his athletic build. And that is the first thing he wants you to know about him. He’s been defying (but not in an aggressive way) the ideas that someone like him should be this or that ever since his school days, when he was also performing well academically in a demanding college course. He’s gone into business, freelancing, and investing in the stock market, pretty much making good use of his hardearned business degree, on top of still being an international competitor. In his latest swerve, Johan is also a lifestyle blogger, sharing stories of his travels at johandoit. com—from the home peaks of Pulag to as far as the cobblestone streets of Venice—waxing philosophical about life lessons, and getting into a bit of fashion blogging as well. It’s also a thing he’s been doing since his college days, but now, as with all the other endeavors he’s undertaken, he’s decided to take it to another level.

uncharted waters Champion swimmer Johan Aguilar switched his life up by navigating the completely different course of being a travel blogger Interview by ROMEO MORAN Photography by HUB PACHECO

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Why does an award-winning, record-setting varsity swimmer decide to become a blogger? Short story. I was in college, I was swimming for La Salle, swimming for the national team, studying, getting honors, I was kinda pegged [a certain way]. Some of my friends told me, “Why don’t you share your stories through a blog or something?” Because I love to travel and I love to take photos. All the elements were there to start a blog—what I’m doing, some tips on how to live a better life, probably. I really started from that. I wanted to inspire people. I wanted to share a bit of myself, but at the same time, probably make other people realize some things they might not know that I can give. I was under the impression that you’d stopped swimming. Actually, after college, I stopped for a while. I had to figure out what I really wanted to do for a few months. And I found a career that would enable me to still swim. That’s the main problem when you graduate college: you don’t have time to swim, you’re more focused on your career. But I really wanted to be different and still have that work-life balance. Most people, [they’re mostly at] work. I still wanted to maintain that part of me; it’s pretty hard to part ways with a sport I’ve been doing since I was eight. It was kinda different going through a day or a week without swimming, without going to the pool. It started out like “if I have time, I’m gonna train.” And eventually, when I was back training, I was still hitting my time from before, which still qualified me for the national team. [It would have been a shame if I didn’t take] the opportunity, it’s still there, technically I’m still young; swimmers usually peak at 23, 24, 25. So it’s not really the

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age to quit, per se, except in the Philippines, it’s the other way around. People graduate from college, and they have to focus on other things. Honestly speaking, it’s not a career sport. It’s not like basketball where you have a career ahead of you.

something to share, I would blog. It’s not like every day I would write something and post. I love taking photos so one of the things I really appreciate is Instagram. Every time I travel and go to a different place, I try my best to capture good shots. One day, [my current manager] Danel e-mailed me, asking if I was interested to be part of a management team. I was like, why not? It was also a good opportunity to publicize your blog and to get more exposure.

Was the path of you going corporate the expectation for you before graduating? I was really weighing things in college. I was really torn between pursuing a corporate career, or basically doing freelance business and anything in THREE TIMES JOHAN between. What really STOKED OUR WANDERLUST happened was I took up corporate As a travel blogger, it’s kinda his job to management, so [I make us actually want to go places. He didn’t want to waste] the course. I got in a succeeds mainly through his photos of good company with a picturesque views, and here are a few of good starting salary, his best destinations: so why not take it? [If not, I would waste] what I studied in college and graduating magna cum laude. I had several internships, three internships, and I got a feel of how working in corporate was. It got to a point when I felt I could do more things outside of the office. That’s when I decided that VENICE maybe I will be more productive when I A little clichéd, but it is what do business and it is for a good reason. freelance on the side. So you never expected to continue swimming. I really wanted to continue swimming, honestly, but time didn’t permit. Schedule-wise, I was really packed. No time to swim whatsoever. So expectation-wise, no. At first, I started out thinking that when I had free time, I would exercise just to keep fit. It started like that, and as I went back through the motions slowly, I could still do it. So why not pursue it? It was really just a step-by-step process. Eventually it reached that point. What about blogging? You’re under a talent management agency, so how did that happen? Actually, this is very recent. I wasn’t really super-active in blogging, but if I had

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HOBBITON, NEW ZEALAND It looks just as good in his travel photos as it does in the movies.

THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD, AUSTRALIA This one’s especially for suckers for scenic drives.

How far do they plan to take it? So far, we haven’t discussed any longterm plans. Basically now, we’re just beefing up my content. I have to post more content, then align it—if it’s a travel, fashion, or sports blog, I’ll post more on those parameters. Getting to know more people, knowing a network of bloggers. You get to ask them, talk to them, ask questions and tips on blogging. Why was the [original blog] header “Think Again?” I think that back in college, I always wanted to be different. People think this way, I think the other way. I had this different notion because it isn’t normal that a student-athlete would be really career mode in acads and career mode in sports. I’m a hybrid type of person. I always wanna be different. I thought that way, but not to provoke or to challenge people to think different. What was the biggest misconception people had of you? I think, especially in my first few years of college, people would say, “Oh, you’re a swimmer,” and people wouldn’t expect my course was a double degree, that I would make the first honor Dean’s List. They would assume that since I’m an athlete, I’d party a lot. But I wasn’t that type of person, honestly. I’m different in a way that I’d rarely go out with my teammates, who would go out and party almost every day. I have other stuff that I do on the side. That

was a big misconception. The swim team had a reputation of being partiers, very active in those social gatherings. And what did your teammates think about your blog? Nothing much, honestly. But there would be some who would tease me. Typical stuff, when you post fashion posts, because those aren’t usual posts, they’d tease me. But nothing personal. I would do the same. If I see people, I’d joke, “Oh, you’re a model of this or that already.” Very casual. If anything, I don’t take it personally; it’s not a big deal to me. Some people are more sensitive. This is something I chose to do. Whatever content I post, I feel it’s gonna help the readers somehow. What’s your advice for sensitive people who choose to put themselves online? Anything online is public, technically, so you have to filter what you put out there. It’s not like you’re posting your whole personal life. You really have to choose which photos or which content you’re gonna post online. It’s hard when you post something scandalous; it’s forever gonna haunt you. What’s your opinion on how Filipinos behave online? I think it’s no secret that Filipinos are one of the most active [groups] online. They’re always online, they probably post so much stuff that sometimes, in my opinion, they don’t filter what they post. Especially with younger people, they think it’s for fun. As they grow up, I hope they realize that you can’t really post anything you want. Sometimes it hurts people. Right now, I have friends who are really into Snapchat and that app is full of funny stuff, because that’s their outlet when people want to make fun of other people. Mostly the posts are like that, because they aren’t Instagram- or Facebookworthy, so they just post it on Snapchat. Sometimes, it’s scary, because before, in our time, Snapchat didn’t exist. We really choose photos that we post. Advice? Think before you post. Sometimes, our emotions get ahead of us; we wanna post this because it’s funny or something without knowing that maybe, we’re insulting someone or bullying someone. If you don’t want that to happen to you, just don’t do it to others. If you were to come up with a rule or law, just one, for the Internet, what would it be? I don’t know if there’s such a feature, but one that automatically filters out stuff that shouldn’t be seen by kids. I think kids these days, they’re exposed to so much stuff they’re really not supposed to see yet. Twelve-year-olds, they know so much for their age. I don’t know if there’s a way, because I suppose most of that would come from online content, because print is pretty strict, on TV there’s parental guidance. Online is so hard to filter, especially Facebook— stuff just randomly appears on your feed. So I don’t know if there’s a way to regulate that. There’s too much violence. It’s funny, but the younger people might interpret it in a different manner. So I think that part is pretty hard to regulate. If anyone has a brilliant idea on how to regulate content being shown to younger people, especially teenagers, that probably could help. I think that’s the problem nowadays, because the big thing is online content.n

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Visual artist Alfred Marasigan’s newest exhibit brings the concept of placelessness to the outside world By NICO PASCUAL

WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP, Alfred Marasigan already knew what he wanted to do for a living. “Anything that entails drawing, basically,” he jokes. He tells me that as a child, he started drawing on the back of his mom’s test papers (she used to be a biology teacher) and anything that he could get his hands on. This was Alfred’s first foray into molding his bakuran aesthetic—only using makeshift or local materials for his artworks. His recent exhibit, Places, recalls those earlier years of experimentation. This exhibit, which opened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last March, is the 24-year-old artist’s first solo show and biggest assemblage of work yet. He tells me that this is also the most important event in his life since graduating from college, and I noticed the enthusiasm in his voice. “It is also hopefully the beginning of many more shows in this artistic path I chose to pursue. As with all my works (and personally, with all art), Places began with my story—who I was, who I am, and who I want to be.” But growing up in a sheltered subdivision in Lipa, Batangas made it hard for the young artist to cultivate his newfound love for art. He tells me that he longed to find resonance in those familiar places, so creating art became an escape before he could truly get away and make it on his own.

While in Ateneo studying information design, Alfred participated in an exchange program that would both mold his perspective on art and provide a foundation for his Places exhibit. While traveling across Australia, he developed a macro view of where he came from and how the concept of home shaped him. It was when he finished his artwork “Pilgrimage” in 2012 when he first felt homesick. He later tells me that the piece, which depicted riders traveling through a fragmented desert landscape, brought about a much-needed sense of clarity. “I recognized the isolation I felt back home as a call for me to navigate the self. I’d like to think that I found my voice, right there, and decided that I wanted to make art for the rest of my life.” If you had the chance to view his artwork installed on the bare walls of the CCP, you may have noticed that his work stands out from the onset. It’s not only the contrasting colors,

“[Place 33], was based on was San Jose, Batangas, when I was on an annual lenten procession. I guess I was looking for God somewhere else that day.” Place 33 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 36 in 2015

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Even the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division was unsure about an installation that large. “Flight” (detail) Painting and gravel 600 x 132 in 2016

he tells me, or the sparse application of paint, but rather it’s the use of the venue as his own personal canvas. Instead simply decorating the walls of the iconic building, his brightly colored installations mesh with the building’s glass windows, and seemingly empty hallways become frames where he hangs his numerous unnamed paintings. Drawing his influences from various artists such as Mark Rothko, Edward Hopper, and Jarek Puczel, Alfred aims to balance landscape painting with the unpredictability of abstract painting. Places can be seen as an homage to those artists by translating their views into something that the public can understand. He mentions that his fascination with space and non-spaces also stemmed from earlier experimentations in photography. He recalled that when he was a child, he would take pictures

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of everything that he found interesting. By revisiting these earlier pictures—which were mostly disjointed snapshots of landscapes—he was able to find the foundation for Places. “I think it’s the most authentic thing I can talk about,” he says. “Right now, a lot of artists have various advocacies, impressive struggles, and unique identities. I thought, why try to be like them when it’s crazier to be me? For me, context, landscape, and narrative are aspects of ourselves that we can never fully detach from. Spatiality makes up half of our lives; basic human experience is rooted in time and space, after all. Besides, I am really tall, and I keep joking how I barely fit most PUVs, chairs, rooms, and beds, among others. I rationalized that these made me long for spaces.” When you look closely at his work, you’ll see bright colors symbolizing the various places that Alfred has visited as well as places he wishes to visit in the future. Some of the images depicted are familiar to us: crisscrossing power lines beside a highway, an empty billboard frame, a row of palm trees. When I notice this, he tells me that this was deliberate, as he wanted to convey the idea of “placelessness” to the audience, and to make them think about the spaces they currently inhabit. But this idea was almost cut short during preparations for the exhibit. While putting together “Flight,” a huge 50 by 13 feet installation hung inside the inner atrium of the CCP, Alfred mentioned that his biggest worry was not the impending deadline, but the

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“My work consists of color fields, makeshift landscapes, and everything else navigable in between. Overall, they attempt to convey placelessness.”

Three days after the exhibit launched, the installation was ripped apart by the wind. He grieved that night when they were taking it down.

Place 21 Acrylic on canvas. 12 x 16 in 2015

“I loved CCP’s charm and how it was able to accommodate my ideas. Art spaces are always fluid in that sense. They will always shift and it’s the artist’s job to maximize that property.”

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“When I made Places I realized that in itself, something unfinished can be beautiful.” “Place 28” Acrylic on canvas 24 x 36 in 2015

complexity of the task. “I really wasn’t equipped to do it,” he says, “but I seized the opportunity to complement my indoor exhibit.” In addition to the countless hours of painting, he also had to contend with the environmental variable present: wind shear. He circumvented the danger of the canvas installation being ripped to shreds by adding rocks and sandbags to anchor the artwork in place. “All of us, including the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division were quite worried that hoisting an installation that large had never been done before. But everything went well during the opening. We were all happy with how it turned out.” Life continues to surprise Alfred even after all his hard work. Three days after the exhibit launched, the installation was ripped apart by the wind. He tells me that he grieved that night when they were taking it down. “I felt that that was the world’s way of telling me not be too ambitious, to not always go after what I want, to keep playing safe. I honestly felt like a failure, having one of my biggest works fall apart on my first show.” It was only after a few days that he decided to get himself together. He still had three weeks left to exhibit in CCP, and he wasn’t going to let that singular mishap define the show. Great artists, he tells me, have faced worse odds and if he hoped to join them someday, he had to pick up the pieces and move forward.

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He took what was left of the installation and set it up in another atrium. He named it “Icarus (After Flight).” “It felt right, even if the draped painting kept shifting because of the same wind that ruined it. We worked on Icarus during the penultimate day of the exhibition. That was when I embraced the fact that my project will always remain unfinished, and in that regard it embodied the whole show. Art and life will always be in medias res, works-in-progress, developing, changing, and ongoing.” But when talking about Places as a whole, Alfred tells me that he is just doing his small part for the betterment of local culture. Moving forward, he wants audiences to take an active part in reimagining Metro Manila and the country in general. “I want to continue exhibiting so that all the people who will see my work will eventually be immune to the oddities of art and surprised at the normalcy of life. Whenever people ask what my advocacy is, I always say that I’m for art. Art offers an alternative mindset that can change the way we look at the world and live our lives.”n

Alfred had to add significant weight to the long piece of canvas to keep it from being blown away by the wind (which still happened). “Flight” Painting and gravel 600 x 132 in 2016

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Architect/photographer Aaron Quinto is on a quest to find Hong Kong’s iconic neon signs before they disappear Interview by GRACE DE LUNA

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S H O P F O R C A R A N D ’A C H E AT N AT I O N A L B O O K S T O R E G L O R I E T TA 1 A N D S H A N G R I - L A P L A Z A M A L L .

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This project is Aaron’s attempt to immortalize something that fades away in time.

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Aaron’s introduction to Hong Kong was in 1996, when his father had to leave Manila to work there and he spent vacations visiting him.

The signs are disappearing because of new regulations and better LED alternatives.

Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei

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Neon signs were in high demand in Hong Kong around 30 years ago, characterizing the look of the city in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

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THE STREETS of urban Hong Kong are lined with various establishments that are usually illuminated with bright neon lights during the night. These neon signs cast a spell over people passing by, luring them in. I can easily recall movies directed by Gaspar Noe and Wong Kar Wai when I come across neon lights. Some find the night scary, but I beg to differ. There is beauty in the dark night. This is probably what architect and self-taught photographer Aaron Quinto feels whenever he passes by Hong Kong’s gleaming streets. His architectural background brought about his fascination with patterns, spaces, geometries and the urban city life. He started with photography in his freshman year in college, getting hold of his first DLSR camera. He taught himself the basics of photography with the intent of preserving moments as they happen. Aaron tells us just why he was so fascinated with Hong Kong’s neon lights. What’s the story behind this project? Hong Kong is my second home. For the longest time, I’ve always been charmed by its streets, especially the gleam of their iconic neon signs. I’ve seen the decline of these neon signs because they’re being threatened by LED, a more practical and cost-effective (but less charming) alternative. For the past five years, every time I visit, I see the more iconic signs disappear, leaving the streets dimmer and listless. What do these signs mean to you exactly? Some of these signs predate us. These signs are placemakers and have defined Hong Kong as what it is now. It gave life to Wong Kar Wai’s films and presented Hong Kong as a charming neon-lit metropolis to the world. For me, it’s more than just a sign; it is heritage, and I am one of those who champion preserving heritage and the memory of a place. These signs are the last reminders of a once vivid past. What ideas and notions of life in the city, or even the city itself, do you think these neon signs represent? Transience, impermanence, and inevitable change. These signs are as fleeting as the chances we encounter; the moments silently fading before us. How is the city’s character going to change without them? Lights illuminate the city’s volume, convey depth, and serve as identifiers. These neon signs give life and character and without them, the streets are bound to take a turn to a dark back alley of being lifeless—reducing it to an uninspired urban jungle. n

“These signs are as fleeting as the chances we encounter, the moments silently fading before us.”

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visual lemonade From the greatest female artists of the world to a girl struggling to discover her true place in society, two essays on how women’s ordeals fuel their art

when the muse strikes Text and artwork by SOFIA and MONICA COPE IF MONA LISA were given a chance to redesign her portrait, how would she paint that smile? If Venus were offered the upper hand to recreate the image of her well-celebrated birth, how would she interpret and make known to man her oceanic and godly origins? If the girl in “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” saw her tronie 350 years later, would she be pleased that it was taken at an angle where she was caught off-guard? Or a more important question is: how would she feel that she wasn’t even acknowledged by her real name? That people only know her as the girl with that pearl earring? Now that it has been brought to the light of day, we can’t help but speculate—if these women of art lived today where feminism is in full swing, they’d probably tell us how tired they are of being gazed at. Perhaps they’d even proceed to let us know that they are worth far more than just being someone else’s muses and that they are more than just simplifications of beauty, love, and fertility. We assume they’d even go beyond defending themselves; they would most likely take the higher seats of redecorating and retelling their respective stories and tales from the past. And just as we imagined it to be, this is what happens when the muse strikes—she becomes the master of her own life. When asked about the role of women in art, oftentimes in the pursuit of finding the perfect words, it takes an ocean to get the message across. But Mao Zedong needed just six words: “Women hold up half the sky.” The modern woman as an artist is a creator. An innovator. A collaborator. A storyteller. And an orchestrator. She swarms all light for the purpose of scattering it, and this is why, the art that we know today has never been this colorful. If Atlas is the god bearer of heavens, then women must be the conjurer of light—and this is how the women today hold up half the sky. As sisters zealously venturing in the arts ourselves—both of us using collage as a medium through which we share our stories and illustrate our advocacies—we often get asked about who, for us, are the most inspiring women. It’s always a struggle drawing lots from a myriad of supreme female figures. There are just so many heroines to include. When we ask each other this question, though, with expected ease and candidness we’re able to tell right away who those women are. Among others, it’s got to be Maya Angelou, Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo, and eternal poll-breaker Beyoncé. It’s likely that these personalities are topping others’ lists as well, and almost self-explanatory as to why. Clearly, these women are much coveted for being the creative wunderkinds that they were and are--among the finest in the fields of literature, fashion, music, and visual arts. Still, to us, there is something more fetching about these women that stretches past their being firecrackers and geniuses. In fact, it’s what we think has turned them into those things: they have been, just like many of us, victims of unfortunate events such as objectification, discrimination, abandonment, assaults, posttraumatic stress, loss, and/or defeat which likely largely inflicted in them a sense of inferiority and self-doubt. And yet, these women refused to remain sufferers of their smaller stories. They fiercely defied being casualties of their circumstances. They are not even just survivors who merely chronicled and lived through their monstrous pasts. They are women who repainted their lives with vitality. Each recycled her pain and turned her experiences into a work of art. As if to life’s harshness, she retorted, “Take whatever the hell you want from me, just give me back my canvas!” Writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is an eminent figure in the performing arts and literature at large. She excelled as an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, and poet; in fact, it is said that her versatility in the arts is an understatement for the vast expanse of her accomplishments. Illustrious as her achievements were, Maya had quite a disquieting childhood. At an early age, from being so traumatized by racial prejudices and discrimination, sexual assault, and bearing witness to violence, Maya spent several years as a virtual mute. However, with an insane amount of courage and monumental support from her loved ones, Maya broke ground by translating her life experiences into literature. This brought her to put on

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paper and in spoken word her most popular autobiographical work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. And the most striking of all lines speaks volumes of Maya’s life and how she walked through the fire and rose from her ashes: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” One can never know the eternal beauty of self-portraiture if he or she is not acquainted with Frida Kahlo’s works. Her masterpieces are reflections of how Frida really was a woman of her time: bold, lively, beautiful, and highly spirited. What most of us do not know is that her artwork tells of how she endured her dark sufferings from the past. At the age of 18, she was involved in a bus accident. Skewered by a metal handrail that pierced her hip and exited through her vagina, she was not expected to live. It was after several medical interventions and while bed-ridden that Frida began to paint. And as if her artwork are telling us stories, it was because all her physical, emotional, and spiritual joys and pains were translated into masterful paintings. Her husband Diego Rivera once said about her, “Frida is the only example in the history of art of an artist who tore open her chest and heart to reveal the biological truth of her feelings. The only woman who has expressed in her work an art of the feelings, functions, and creative power of woman.” The lover of the classic little black dresses can’t thank Coco Chanel enough for her alteration and re-creation of the modern woman. Prolific and revolutionary as she was, Coco Chanel was known for deviating from the “corset era” and liberating women by creating and designing clothes that were loose on the waist (but still elegantly fitting), Chanel was raised in an orphanage for the poor and the rejected. However, for what she has braved through and how she has persevered, Chanel will always be an emblem of hard work and determination. With the legacy she has brought upon the world of fashion and women, what she said still rings true: “Hard times arouse for an instinctive desire for authenticity.” Of course, there’s the one who made us question the worth of the 24 hours we’ve been endowed with daily due to the immensity and intensity of things she’s been able to accomplish with her own. Fan or not, we can all agree it’s quite an understatement to say that Beyoncé is bionic and iconic at what she does. Otherwise, would a concept of a visual album ever be realized in the history of music—two albums at that—with her latest giving us a little history lesson on the hard lives of black women, calling out infidelity, and yet ultimately teaching us about forgiveness? There is a reason that the general consensus about Bey is always that she is goals. There is a reason there’s a so-called BeyHive. There isn’t only real work behind the “magic” that she produces, there are also real emotions, and in the case of “Lemonade,” real pains. Through it all, her creative resilience burns harder and wins. True enough, she told Elle in a recent interview, “I hope I can create art that helps people heal. Art that makes people feel proud of their struggle. Everyone experiences pain, but sometimes you need to be uncomfortable to transform.” And so these women—Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo, Coco Chanel, Beyonce, and hundreds of other unapologetic heroines of the arts—are the women we pictured to be the essential muses who would gladly strike if only to own and share their stories in the most authentic and most artistic ways they know how. We reckon that the challenge for feminism, then, and for womanhood in general, is to not only expose and wallow in the oppression we’ve experienced, the boxes we’ve been placed into, and the silencing they’ve had us women taste for centuries, but to ultimately take creative responsibility for our lives, to design for ourselves a more palpable reality, using our experiences as raw materials versus remaining a victim of our injured pasts, because when the lights go out, it’s still much better to blaze up a candle than to curse in the dark. We are most fortunate that we live in an era where the world—and the chance to recreate it—is at the tip of our fingers. The only thing that stands in the way is our refusal to believe it. And you know what they say when a woman finally tells the truth about her life? The world will split open. You’re more powerful than you think. n

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28 essay

divine masterpiece Text and artwork by MARIKA CALLANGAN GROWING UP as a ’90s kid, my little girl childhood was greatly spent surrounded by classic Disney women in frolicking gowns, songs in their heads, colors in the wind, the whole shebang. My favorites comprised of Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Princess Jasmine (Aladdin) and Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). They embodied strong-willed, epic women who knew what they wanted and did whatever it took to claim the adventure they felt they deserved. The men who fell for them for these traits were a bonus they all probably didn’t expect. Compared to the ’80s princesses like Cinderella, Snow White, and Princess Aurora, the ’90s Disney women were damsels who dealt with distress quite well. Pop culture back in my day also introduced this super girl group anime widely known as Sailor Moon–princesses from other planets trapped on Earth who garbed themselves in color-coordinated schoolgirl mini-skirts, crystal perfect nail polish, and fancy whirlwind magic powers, armed in absolute girl power to defeat the forces of evil while discovering the depth of their true identities and finally, strength. The original peg for #squadgoals, in my perspective. And amid all this empowering femininity, one girl in all the ’90s world stood out the most for me: her name was Buffy Summers (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and her character was this radical chick who slayed, not just vampires, but world standards with a wooden stake and a perfect set of heels. It was so empowering to watch. I rattle on about these fictional women characters because, as early as when I was five years old, these were the kinds of characters that first shaped my worldview on women and introduced me to the notions of feminism. They were captivating femme-fatale characters guised in girly outfits but who embodied strength and grace, despite flaws and shortcomings. More than being able to snag a Prince Charming, these were women characters who kicked evil in the butt—all in a fancy dress with a casual shrug and a witty quip on top. In my point of view at age five, that is how I believed the modern woman should be. At age 25, I firmly retain this stand. Adolescence, however, became a time where I began to question why I couldn’t be any of these character pegs I set for myself and all womankind because I began to compromise most of what I believed was right because of societal dictates on how a woman ought to be. Princesses have come and gone, but Buffy remains the character I always turn back to. She was a super girl, empowering but relatable. Despite being the “one girl in all the world,” she struggled to be just like every other girl in the world. She openly desired to be a princess garbed in a frolicking gown, a song in her head and all the colors of the wind flitting about her. While the plotline always showed us how she chose the greater, selfless good, her heart also always remained firm in its need: to be seen, to be known, to be captivating as a woman. Viewers like me would end up watching how she mistakenly thought that being these things made her the Prom Queen or part of the popular, pretty crowd—all flawless, skinny, and attractive. She had to “fit in” to society standards in order to be deemed a woman worth looking at, saving the world and having a good soul be damned. It was probably one of the most devastating things I ever watched as a child. I didn’t understand it fully until I went through these kinds of doubts and started compromising my identity as a woman. Most of us can relate to this particular stigma of not living up to a certain standard that is not our own. Media and society and institutions have dictated how both men and woman ought to be—from physical appearance to stature to a person’s behavior and demeanor. My path to becoming a woman consisted mostly of afflictions that drummed around the lines of “never being enough, but also being too much,” made felt by family, friends, boys, random strangers, and other alien forms. Every day I asked why I had to compromise my Buffy and Disney princess femme-fatale pegs. Every day I asked how it was even possible that without even trying, I had already failed as a woman and needed to be corrected almost immediately. Oddly enough, despite all these expectations, no actual guide was offered while I was on this journey of becoming an actual woman. It was incredibly frustrating to always receive a how, when all I sought for was the why.

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I wanted to understand why I felt the need to compromise part of my heart for a set of ridiculous standards that were meant to up my image but would eventually kill me as an authentic human being. None of these questions were ever genuinely answered by these dictations; they were only trampled upon. A couple of years back, I discovered I had a tumor in my ovary—an endometriosis cyst that gently suggested a lifetime disease that would involve many surgeries, many complications, and my potential infertility. This news devastated me on a whole new level. All my life I was trained to think that the woman was designed to create life. To have that right taken away even at a time I wasn’t looking for it felt like something was being ripped from within. I have never felt such fear and darkness for a future I felt was threatened. Ultimately, I resigned my dreams of being seen, being known, and being captivating as a woman at that time. Because (if following societal standards for being the right woman), how exactly would I explain this to my future husband? Who would actually want me now after discovering this damaged package that was me? All I thought about was how my chance at being a “princess” or being “that right woman” was drastically becoming slim to none. Art came in, unexpectedly. It was like a love story. It came unexpectedly, and it filled me so cataclysmically—this sudden newfound passion I refused to let go. In the middle of my womanhood crisis, it made me forget all about trying to be the right woman and made me think about finding my purpose. Art gave me the opportunity to start anew on a blank canvas. It gave me the opportunity to create things out of nothing, most things I never thought I would be able to do. This was a surprise to me—coming from being told that I may not be able to create what I was designed to as a woman in the first place. Like in art, being a woman must come with a certain sense of freedom in order to achieve authenticity, value, and beauty in its purest form. There is a profoundness in the moment you realize your ability to create from nothing. As a woman, it is as empowering as it is liberating. No societal standard has ever mentioned that divine ideal. Seeing your ability to create one small masterpiece can empower you to create the next big thing both for yourself and perhaps, others. The possibilities begin to list themselves down until they eventually become an endless stream of newfound hope and unintended dreams. This self-empowerment is paramount to any woman used to compromising her authentic potential for society’s version of the ideal woman. And while art might not exactly be the answer to many problems women face to this day, it does have the power to stir forces within that can start something revolutionary and something extraordinary. And the participative act in creating returns to you, in an attempt to affirm the idea that you have not failed in anything, most especially in being a woman. There is this potential existing within you that desires to free you and explore the bloom of your true becoming. Ultimately, art can help current notions of feminism progress and stir you to create your Being, not according to how society wants you to be, but according to how you paint it to be on your canvas. It is from all these things that I founded Woman, Create, a movement that aims to empower and engage young women through art, creativity, and discourse. It was birthed by these concrete principles and continues to be grounded in them. By creating more, you become more. It is the platform that aims to tap potential to rise and inspire change through art. It empowers women with the call to create and change perspectives, compel beings to taking courageous leaps of faith, and break standards both for themselves, and eventually, for others. It aims to build a community that shares the idea that authentic femininity can be created like art, and not merely derived from a generational textbook. It believes that the woman’s empowerment and becoming begin with the self and the act of art is such that is done in solitude, heavily banked on seeking the depths within the self, and then, naturally made to flow outward. The point of feminism, as told through art, illustrates truths about finally being seen, being known, and being captivating as a woman. Art comprises these attributes by nature. And all art is a mere reflection of the artist you. Tell me, how can you not find empowerment in your creation? n

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essay 29

“Like in art, being a woman must come with a certain sense

of freedom in order to achieve authenticity, value, and beauty in its purest form.”

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30 on the cover

FOREVER 21 T-shirt and accessories. UNIQLO bucket hat, belt, and pants.

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on the cover 31

there is a light that shines Yassi Pressman is living, walking, breathing proof that the cruel world does not have to beat you into the ground if you fight back and don’t let it

Photography by SHAIRA LUNA

Styling by GRACE DE LUNA

Interview by ROMEO MORAN

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32 on the cover

yassi pressman is d e f i a n t l y h a p p y.

This much I know, after half an hour of speaking to her face-to-face. At this point, the 21-year-old British-Filipina actor/dancer/singer/ host has just wrapped up a five-hour shoot in the sweltering summer heat—the insufferable, scorching prelude to the storms you’re wading through now—but she is still spry and, most importantly, eager to talk. Although she’s allowing herself to relax now, I don’t find a trace of fatigue in her chipper voice. And almost everything she tells me is as bright as the afternoon sun that shines through the windows of this hotel. From the outset, Yassi’s demeanor surprises me. Showbiz, especially Philippine showbiz, is a jungle that swallows people whole—they either get spit out or get better. I was expecting a girl who was either subtly guarded (if there was a spot to protect) or relieved to speak a little freely about their disdain (if there was any, at all). It can get that cutthroat. As you might have already guessed by this point, Yassi Pressman is none of those things. I was seeking out anything, any pits and lows in all of her 21 years in this world that might have pulled her down a time or two. Not that I was wishing it on her, though—never that. I was just looking for an entry point into her world—a world that more and more people discover every day with each new endorsement, each new cover, each new movie, each new dance video— that could get us to relate to her even more. Sure, she had her usual quirks (“I always try to get yummy food!” she says proudly, when I ask her about the secret to her happiness) but nothing extraordinarily humanizing. Yassi’s been in showbiz for almost five years now, propelled to near-ubiquitous fame by viral Facebook videos, magazine covers, commercial endorsements, and starring in both movies with friends JaDine and her own vehicles. Not to commodify talents, but she’s becoming more and more wanted by the day; that, in my opinion, should be enough time to ferment some burnout or existential crisis. Things people my age constantly deal with, things that they’re looking up to better people than them for some answers. Or some suggestions, at least.

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So I spend my conversation with Yassi persistently prodding at her armor, looking for some chink or dent in that bubble of joy. Or a stream of deep consciousness I could unleash. Has there ever been a moment in your five years in showbiz that made you want to quit? “It made me look at my other options,” she says pensively, but never giving in to the Q word. Do you ever wake up with doubts? “No.” No regrets? “No, no regrets.” So everything you’re doing now is you doing what you love. “Yes.” I guess your management never has the problem of trying to get you to stay happy and smiling all the time. “I hope so! I don’t think so.” Instead, she gives me fighting words. Lucky you, you don’t have to reconcile doing what you love with doing things you’re told to do or things you have to do. “I think you just have to find a way to love what you’re doing. How do I explain that? There was also a quote about it. Try to be happy where you are, make yourself happy where you are.” I guess you don’t feel like you’re burning out yet. “Maybe when those non-sleeping days just go on and on and on and on, that’s the only time where I feel extremely exhausted. But then again, who am I to complain? These are all blessings coming to me.” “Don’t give up. You just really can’t, if you really want something.”

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FOREVER 21 top and choker. UNIQLO pants.

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34 on the cover

FOREVER 21 top, jacket, and accessories. UNIQLO shorts

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“The good thing about me deciding how to deal on a daily basis is that there’s always gonna be something that’s not perfect. There’s always gonna be something that might annoy you. You have no control over some things.”

In all of this, the most depressing thing she’s said is that she has days she wishes she could go out in public peacefully. “Sometimes I just wanna walk in a park and be with my dog,” Yassi muses. “On sad days, if you’ve just gone through something, you just want quiet time. You don’t really get that sometimes.” And she even manages to turn that loss into a win: “I love the love that everyone’s showing. One time, I was walking in Greenhills, I just wanted to—it was like a bad day for me. A little girl came up to me and she was crying. She’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, Yassi, you’re the reason why I’m dancing! Thank you so much! I won best in dance when I was grade four!’ she said. That made me love the craft even more.” And as though she’s succinctly explaining her attitude, Yassi sums up her life philosophy as such: “The good thing about me deciding how to deal on a daily basis is that there’s always gonna be something that’s not perfect. There’s always gonna be something that might annoy you. I don’t know, maybe a bird would like shit on your shirt, or something. You have no control over some things, and you just have to push it aside and just continue. Or you could just be badtrip the whole day. It’s your choice.” Going over our conversation in my head, I felt that maybe my standards of unhappiness in the showbiz industry are too grave. I’m probably

just a little too cynical, too negative for a guy who’s only ever given quick glimpses through whom I’ve been able to talk to. But even then, I figured that, hey, I could still relate more to the celebrities who have been too overworked and misunderstood, who’ve got more than a few pangs in their chests, those who’ve got something painful kept inside all waiting to be vented. For all I know, everything Yassi has told me is a put-on, a brave white lie she has to wear every day just to get through. But all throughout her telling me about the good things she believes in, I find that it honestly never feels artificial. Her most consistent affectation is her being blindingly positive. If it’s a lie, it’s a damn good convincing one, but I’m giving her a lot more credit than that and believe that that’s how she really is. It takes a few minutes on my 15-minute walk home that night to finally arrive at an important realization: contrary to whatever I believed in pre-Yassi, maybe the way that she is actually is possible. Maybe her impenetrable joy is a real thing, just as real as sadness and stress? That a person as busy and burdened as she is is able to embrace happiness every day in this harsh unforgiving city/country/world/life? All this time I was looking for a way to “humanize” Yassi, to make her “tangibly human,” but why had it never occurred to me that it could be just as human to tackle each day with unfailing optimism? Why couldn’t her happiness be extraordinarily human? I then become paranoid that I might have offended her in some way by indirectly insinuating, through the kind of questions I’ve thrown at her and the answers people can tell I wanted, that she could possibly be something other than her vibrant, beautiful self. That she may be incapable somewhere in there of experiencing sincere happiness. That she can’t not be like the rest of us, who allow ourselves to be bogged down by our lives. Because why can’t it be just as realistic that she’s chosen to take the higher road? Why can’t she teach us—and why can’t we learn, if we are able to learn—that it’s okay to not believe life isn’t all frustration and hate and jadedness? Or that it’s entirely possible to proceed triumphant despite it? You’re a beacon of light, Yassi Pressman. Never dim. n

Makeup by SARI CAMPOS for MAKE UP FOR EVER Hair by SYDNEY HELMSLEY Shot on location at HIVE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER and MY BROTHER’S MUSTACHE FOLK BAR

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36 behind the scenes

the photographer shaira luna the glam team sari campos & sydney helmsley A ’70s-inspired theme means over-the-top hair styles and vibrant, standout makeup. Scout tapped internationally trained Sari Campos for makeup and emerging talent Sydney Helmsley for hair to take on the challenge. Or what was supposed to be a challenge, anyway. The entire holding room sounded like girls partying it up at a sleepover instead of a frazzled glam team preparing for a big shoot. It turned out pretty well; in the end, Yassi emerged with blue eyeshadow and high ponytails, that looked like they’d gone on ever so seamlessly.

Bubbly and soft-spoken Shaira Luna is a popular choice for fashion and cover shoots after starting out in the industry almost 10 years ago. Recently, she’s developed a tender spot for vintage and retrostyle pictures. During the shoot, she couldn’t help but share her enthusiasm for pre-loved clothing, shopping at local ukay-ukay stores, and collecting costumes for personal projects she envisioned herself.

Breaking down the walls behind Yassi Pressman’s Scout shoot

the location

hive hotel and convention center + my brother’s mustache folk bar If you were ever looking for a place that’s all about fun and relaxation, the Hive Hotel and Convention Center is pretty much it. Whether you’re looking for the perfect spot for a staycation in the heart of the city or a swanky, impressive space for meetings, Hive is a convenient and stylish location fit for the modern millennial. Its quirky and retro interiors breathed even more personality into the cover shoot itself, thanks to its totally ’70s purple and orange color palette. Hive Hotel is also home to the refurnished My Brother’s Mustache Folk Bar, a vintage watering hole with a lot of charm.

Photographed by NICO PASCUAL and JILL BANIQUED

under cover

extra layers For more behind the scenes peeks at our shoots as they happen (and after the issue comes out) follow us on Snapchat at scoutmagph!

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38 art + design

Words from Strive by A$AP Ferg. Collage by JAO SAN PEDRO for Scout

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40 market

kick starters Want to wear sneakers but don’t know where to start? Here’s what you need to stand out on the street By ROMEO MORAN Photography by JA ILAGAN Illustrations by JILL BANIQUED

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CREDITS: Nike Philippines, adidas Greenbelt 3, Capital UP Town Center and Circuit Makati (facebook.com/CapitalPhils, @capital_ph)

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belt

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A starter pack for the budget Vetements fan—because aren’t we all? culotte

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PHOTOS: Vetementswebsite.com (runway), featured brands (products)

21 VER RE O F

t he gospel of demna

VISION THING by The Sisters of Mercy

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42 fashion

jukebox heroes Photography by PAOLO CRODUA Styling by VINCE CRISOSTOMO

On this page: OXYGEN top Opposite page: TOPMAN jacket and T-shirt

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44 fashion

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On this page: TOPMAN jacket and pants Opposite page: PROUDRACE T-shirt

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46 fashion

Grooming by SYLVINA LOPEZ Styling Assistant MIGUEL MANZANERO feat. SAM, TOM and LUCAS

On this page: TOPMAN top, LEVI’S jeans Opposite page: PAULO DEOFERIO jacket, LEVI’S jeans

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48 humor

on this day

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By JULIENNE DADIVAS

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