Contributors
LALAINE CHU-BENITEZ Editor-in-Chief “almost superwoman” Lalaine has been driving Illustrado’s mission to uplift Filipinos in the region for almost a decade now. A former corporate dynamo living in Dubai for over 20 years, her natural knack for marketing and mass communications makes her a formidable authority in any dialogue regarding the rebranding of the Filipino image on a global scale.
NICHOLO JALLORES
Associate Editor Nicholo is a generalist, realist, and cultural reprobate. He does not have a lifestyle – he has a life, and he will not choreograph it around a blog post, an Instagram account, or a contributor’s profile. #GetIntoIt
KRIP YUSON Esteemed writer Krip Yuson has earned distinctions as a literary author of over 20 books – from poetry, short stories, children’s stories, biographies, and translation. A Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall-of-Famer, Krip regales us with his musings on the Filipino condition via his column, “Illuminati.”
CONSUL GENERAL PAUL RAYMUND CORTES When not performing his duties as the head of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, or the obligations of a dutiful dad, passionate patriot Paul Raymund Cortes mulls over how to further enrich the local Filipino community by promoting a more progressive mindset.
FRANCISCO COLAYCO
KRISTINE ABANTE
LOUISE MONIQUE
ROSAN KATLEA REODICA
Rosan is a Desert Mermaid who always wants to stay wet wherever she goes. She tells impatient people that she is a Practicing Misis – a woman of hits and misses. Being told she won’t be able to get married without learning how to cook Adobo, she has now learned how to make her own pesto, guacamole, and her own flavored taho. She has a cookbook, but she still doesn’t have her own kitchen.
Louise Monique is an allaround female version of a hustler. She is a make-up artist by profession, brand ambassador for the make-up brand, Giella Custom Blend Cosmetics and a beauty & make-up content creator. Coming from an Advertising & Communications background, she is working towards developing her brand The Louise Monique. She has a certain je ne sais quoi that gives a personal touch to her chef d’œuvre. Get in touch with her via her website: www.thelouisemonique.com.
ANTONINO BENITEZ
A straight-A student whose hair often gets him into trouble, Antonino is a quirky character, well-versed in both the academics and the arts. He never strays away from his individuality. As he (not so)secretly fulfills his dream of becoming an astronaut, Antonino continues to walk through life hungry for new knowledge and in search of all things epic.
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Francisco Colayco is an entrepreneur, venture developer and financial adviser who has written many books that advocate Filipinos to financially prosper. He is Illustrado’s resident money columnist and personal finance guru.
Backed with over 10 years of entertainment industry know-how, Kristine Abante heads the Sales and Marketing Department of Rhythm Records, a major distributor of music in the Middle East. And when she’s not busy marketing records, she works as a Freelance PR and contributing writer to various publications, including Illustrado and Illustrado Go.
KENNETH SURAT
Ain’t nobody got wanderlust like the energetic and charming travel blogger Kenneth Surat. One of Illustrado’s 100 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf, Kenneth is also the owner of Surat Journals, and the “imaginator” of #TheTravelingJournalProject. Follow his adventures at www.kennethsurat.com.