Esquire 11/2015 Marian Rivera

WOMEN WE LOVE

MAN AT HIS BEST NOVEMBER 2015

PHILIPPINES

WOMEN WE LOVE

PHILIPPINES

MAN AT HIS BEST NOVEMBER 2015

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ISSN 2243-8459

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MARIAN RIVERA

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Marian Rivera.indd 5

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ISSN 2243-8459

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ISSN 2243-8459

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MARIAN RIVERA

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19 Man at His Best: ESQ&A Author of Etiquette for Mistresses, Jullie Yap-Daza, opens up to Erwin Romulo about her own encounter with infidelity, the meaning of sexual death, and the problem with divorce.

30 MaHB: Books Sasha Martinez reviews two homegrown books: one which spans the globe to focus on the stories of overseas Filipino workers, the other the first Filipino crime novel ever written.

32 MaHB: Television Finally, online-streaming sites like iFlix and HOOQ are entering Philippine territory—making TV binge-watching all the more possible.

34 MaHB: Cars Jason K. Ang takes the BMW M series for a spin on a wet and wild speedway.

116 Woman of Steel Oliver X.A. Reyes profiles Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, about her four years of investigating and prosecuting errant public officials.

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40 MaHB: Drinking Another hidden bar in the metro has got well-dressed people forming snaking lines outside a 7-Eleven.

47 Style: Unboxed A gift guide for the women you love.

69 Notes & Essays Xiao Chua on enclaves, Yvette Tan on curses, and Philbert Ortiz Dy on cachet.

82 It Must Be Tadhana Congressman Leni Robredo sits down with writer-director Antoinette Jadaone to talk about hugot films, 10-hour bus rides, and the difficult decision she made with her children.

90 Strong Female Protagonist The renowned actress Marian Rivera talks to Philbert Ortiz Dy about the one role she has yet to play: motherhood.

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88 What I’ve Learned: Mich Dulce “If I knew that in one year I would die suddenly, I would probably fuck around and be promiscuous.”

96 I Don’t Give a Damn ‘Bout My Reputation We round up a bunch of girls (and one guy) to talk about the F word: Feminism.

124 What I’ve Learned: Celine Lopez “What was difficult about writing my book was knowing that I was writing a shit book and that I had to finish it.”

126 A Woman’s Touch Three female stylists dress up the Esquire man.

108 Image is Everything A sneak peek at fashion photographer BJ Pascual’s debut book.

BEFORE WE BEGIN N Ov E m B E R 2 0 1 5

A LET T ER FROM T HE EDI TOR

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

10 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

it would be words written by Oscar Wilde, a man: “Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.” (To which I may add something that German photographer Ellen von Unwerth, a woman, said perhaps better: “Women are not just there to be admired, they are there to be enjoyed.”)

Although we are a men’s magazine, this issue is about women. (It’s perhaps also interesting to point out that there are more women than men on Esquire’s editorial staff.) We let them do most of the talking, only because if there’s a lesson I’ve learned about women, it’s that a lot of times they just want us men to listen.

As the following pages prove, they’ve got a lot to say. also In thIs Issue, we asked three Filipino writers of Chinese descent to illuminate aspects of the Filipino-Chinese community in a special installment of Notes and Essays.

A couple of months ago, National Artist F. Sionil Jose ran a series of columns that perplexed even admirers of his work as to why he would disparage members of a significant number of our population. It got those of us here thinking that maybe we needed to understand a little more than we do before adding or making further judgments upon him.

For his contributions and the title he holds we treat him and his opinions with respect, even if we don’t agree with him.

— ERWIN ROMULO

PHOTOGRAPH MM YU

I’ve read and reread Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying— in fact, as proof of this, many of the pages of my copies are dog-eared and several passages throughout are diligently underlined. I also own copies of Patti Smith’s Horses, The Slits debut album, and PJ Harvey’s Rid Of Me in different formats (i.e. cassette, compact disc, vinyl) and can even present the tearstains on their album covers as evidence of my devotion. I am for divorce, not against abortion, and have worn T-shirts sporting manifestos supporting women’s issues. And if I ever sign up for an account on social media, I know I wouldn’t hesitate to like or repost articles supporting any of these artists or their advocacies. Does that make me a feminist?

I don’t know. Perhaps not necessarily. Or maybe it’s not for me to say.

After all, I was born and raised male in a largely patriarchal society. I was also educated in a Catholic school exclusive only to my gender and didn’t have any friends who weren’t boys until I was 13 years old. Even now that I’m almost 40 and have made up for the deficit in female friendships since, I can’t say that I understand women, much less really know what it’s like for them. I doubt I ever will.

They fascinate me though, maybe because women are an enduring mystery to me. Every one I’ve known is unique. So it’s hard for me to make generalizations.

Not so with men. They’re pretty much the same the world over. They’re also easy enough to figure out. (It does baffle me why a lot of women can’t see that.)

If there were anything I’ve read so far that’s helped me appreciate women more,

BEFORE WE BEGIN N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 5

E D I TO R-IN - C H IE F

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BEFORE WE BEGIN N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 5

T HI S MON T H’S

Contributors

Oliver X.A. Reyes is a writer and a lawyer. He teaches at the Institute of Law at Far Eastern University Institute of Law and at the College of Law at the Lyceum of the Philippines University.

Kristine Fonacier is a travel writer and editor whose works have been published in magazines such as Lonely Planet, Smile, and Mabuhay. Currently, she holds the positions of editor in chief of Entrepreneur and editor at large of Grid.

Yvette Tan, a two-time Palanca awardee, is one of the country’s most celebrated horror fiction writers. She has also interviewed—“in giddy schoolgirl mode”—some of the entertainment industry’s most renowned celebrities like Kris Aquino and Sarah Geronimo.

Nikki Luna is one of the recipients of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Thirteen Artists Awards for 2015. Her works are often associated with the concept of woman as an idea that comprises the displaced and the wronged. She holds a Master’s degree in Women and Development Studies from the University of the Philippines and attended the Cooper Union Art Residency in New York.

Antoinette Jadaone is the Palanca awardwinning writer and director of the independent film That Thing Called Tadhana. She also co-wrote English Only, Please, and is lauded for her contributions to Pinoy rom-coms. For this issue, she sits down with the Vice Presidential-candidate Leni Robredo.

Philbert Ortiz Dy is no stranger to this magazine. The resident film critic for Clickthecity.com won 2nd place at the first Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards and was a finalist at the 2007 Cinemanila Scriptwriting contest. He has also written and produced short films and contributed to numerous publications.

16 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

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“Men are liars.

Men are deceivers.”

— JulliE Yap-Daza

MaHB

Man at His Best

P h O t O ga P h S B y Ta m m y D av i D

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NOVEMBEr 2015

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MaHB

ESQ&A

Etiquette for Mistresses author, Jullie Yap-Daza, talks to Erwin Romulo about sexual death, the problem with divorce, and of course, cheating.

E R W I N R O M U L O : Did you come up with a title first or the book for Etiquette?

J U L L I E YA P - D A Z A : This is unusual. Usually, when I write my column, the title comes last. You know that. But this time—this was 1992—this time, I was just staring at my typewriter. “What do I write about?” Sabi ko, “It’s a Monday, it’s a slow news day.” And then something went into my

20 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

head, and I said, “mistresses,” because it was an election year. And all the candidates... there were rumors about the candidates having mistresses.

Imelda Marcos was the only candidate who didn’t have the burden of that rumor.

E R : At the time we had— J Y D : Never mind. Diba, diba?

Everybody knew, eh. So I said, “Oh, what an interesting collection of candidates.”

Then I started writing. I didn’t have to invent anything.

That’s why they ring true, eh.

Madaling isulat.

E R : Was it easy to talk to them?

J Y D : You know how women love to talk. It’s one form of therapy.

E R : And you were trying to write a book?

J Y D : No. I wrote a “tribute” to Joker Arroyo, where I ac-

knowledged that he was the first guy who called me up when I wrote that column.

“Hoy! Ano bang ginawa mo?”

Takot ko, diba senator, eh. Sabi niya, “Hoy, anong ginawa mo?

Ay nako, everyone is reading your column here, your Rules for Mistresses.”

E R : At the senate?

J Y D : Sa office in the senate.

Sabi niya, “You’ve got to turn it into a book.” CONTINUED

CONTINUED

Syempre, tawa ako, “A book?! About mistresses?” Then, two hours later, during the same morning, my men friends called me up, “Hoy! Gawin nating libro yan! Maganda yan!” There must be something about this. And the more I thought about it, “Oo nga, my friend liked this... my friend liked this...” It was written on a lark. On a lark, I’m not judgmental; I’m not passing judgment...

E R : No, that’s the best thing about the book. It does not pass judgment. It does not have a condescending or moralizing tone.

J Y D : Yeah, I’m telling a story and now that you mentioned it—moralizing—I have a member of the family who was a priest... he’s out [of the priesthood] now after 14 years. When he was still in the priesthood, he asked for a copy of my book, he wrapped it, and he would read it in the bus, in the jeepney, for inputs.

You’re a priest, you’ve been in the seminary since you were nine years old, what do you know about men and women and their relations and their relationships and the problems? So it was a good [guide] rin. And I have another friend, guidance counselor, psychologist, it was a help daw. It broadened her vision of this kind of problem if you consider it a problem.

E R : Is it always a problem for the wife? That the husband has a mistress?

J Y D : That’s why the husband tries very hard to keep it from her. There was this guy, I can’t remember the name of the writer or philosopher, who said, “The man who will not resort to telling a lie to a woman has no consideration for her feelings.” Because they try to hide their sins in order not to hurt the wife. I think primordially, that’s the reason they lie. They know they’re wrong. They know they’ve committed a violation, offense…whatever; they’ve broken the vow. What can you do about it? You own up to it, she’ll cry and be in anguish for 25 hours of the day. It has been done.

And she will ask you, “Her or me?” Another problem, you don’t tell her the truth because you yourself might not be able to bear the truth. But my next book should be about men. We should collaborate.

E R : Yeah, why not? Also I want to ask you, the subtitle of the book, “What Wives Can Learn From Them,” and of course it’s been tackled in many of your interviews and your columns themselves, but what can men learn from your books?

22 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

J Y D : How to balance their lives. The man who has a mistress leads a double life but his mistress lives only half a life. So be considerate of her feelings. Be considerate of the wife’s feelings. You’re hurting both of them.

E R : The cardinal virtue of the book is that you never say: “You know you shouldn’t do this.” Rather, it accepts it. It accepts the phenomenon.

J Y D : I accept it as a subculture. I’m not here to change society. But as long as I can advise the mistress or the wife, then... oh look, the vocabulary has changed, it’s called the kabit, or the number two mistress. So there’s a foreign flavor and once you inject a foreign flavor into it, there’s an

They were in a hotel very near my house. So I went there, and I told her, “Please tell him to marry you, get him off my hands.”

aesthetic curtain between you and reality. I don’t know if that’s good.

E R : And as you point out, it’s not exclusive to the rich.

J Y D : No. Jeepney drivers, taxi drivers.

Have you seen the movie?

E R : Yes. Were you happy with it?

J Y D : I’m happy with the movie because it could have been bad. It could have been a flop. It could have been a failure, in which case I’d feel part of the guilt.

E R : But it’s Etiquette for Mistresses in name only.

J Y D : Ah, it’s not a faithful [adaptation].

The structure is not, how could it be? My book has more than 50 mistresses. How can you put [that many] mistresses in one movie?

E R : After talking to so many women about this topic, what have you learned about men?

J Y D : Men are liars. Men are deceivers.

E R : All? J Y D : The ones with mistresses. Sometimes they go so far as to say, “Hiwalay na ako sa asawa ko.” Or, “I’m married but my wife

doesn’t understand me. Matagal na kaming emotionally estranged.” I tell you, they’re good liars. Sometimes, the lies they tell are kind. Kind lies.

E R : How do you mean?

J Y D : To protect the mistress and the wife.

The mistress, to stop you from dreaming that you’ll ever marry me. And the wife, so they’ll think that it’s just a fling. That’s the thing about wives. They can take 500 girlfriends or flings, but they will not be able to take one mistress that the husband loves.

E R : There was a study that said what was more devastating for a woman is emotional infidelity rather than physical infidelity.

For men, it’s the other way around.

J Y D : That’s true, the double standard. You know why men cannot take the idea that their wives might be unfaithful to them?

E R : Why? JYD: Because she might bring a child into the marriage that is not his.

E R : You document a lot of men cheating. But have you talked to a lot of cuckolded men?

J Y D : Not a lot. Because the proportion of women cheating is much smaller.

Wives have this thing programmed into their brain, to be faithful, unless the husband is really a bad guy.

E R : But I’m sure there are so many other things about the men.

J Y D : Wait for my next book, “And What Husbands Can Learn From Them.” Let’s collaborate. Because I just know that men were born to be polygamous. My husband... my god. Our children knew more about him than I did, because they didn’t want to hurt me.

E R : And how’d you take it?

J Y D : I found out because the guy told me where they were. They were in a hotel very near my house. So I went there, and I told her, “Please tell him to marry you, get him off my hands.” She was dumbfounded. And my husband was so nervous. He didn’t know if I was carrying a gun or a knife or a bomb.

E R : You do point out in your columns that divorce will never pass here.

J Y D : The men in Congress will never pass it. They have their own little chickadees.

E R : And they don’t want to pay alimony.

Anyway, how does it feel to be a “scandalous” writer?

J Y D : Nobody threw eggs at me.

E R : Do men and women cheat CONTINUED

CONTINUED

father or you’re without a mother. How can that make anybody happier? Except when you think that when they were together, husband and wife were together, they were quarreling, they were at each other’s throats the whole time. e R : They’re unhappy.

J Y d : Oo. But once the divorce has happened, are they any less? e R : Yes. I’ve talked to a lot of children of divorced parents and they said that it was the best thing that they actually divorced because it was intolerable having them in the same house.

After you’re married five years, you don’t feel like having sex every day. The wife doesn’t feel like it...after you’ve bathed your child, fed him, gone over his homework with him, you cook dinner for your husband who’s late coming home, you’re wondering where he is, and then he wants to have sex. Our anatomy is different eh, that’s why we receive. You give, we receive.

You initiate, we accept. Diba? e R : Is it inevitable?

J Y d : No, but it’s a condition, very human and very understandable. I had a short conversation with somebody. We were talking about the book, and she said, “Ah, this girl you have to interview,” she told me, she learned from a psychiatrist or a psychologist, very active in her profession, she says, “Why is it that many of the young married couples have stopped having sex?” Sabi ko, “Why?” Sabi niya, “Look, it’s a two-income family. Sometimes the wife’s work is more hectic.” You’re in Hotel and Restaurant Management, you go home 12 o’clock after an event, you have to take care of the household, the marketing, the maids, the kids, driving them to school. Wala na. And the wife smells another woman’s perfume on her husband’s neck. Parang, we’re not romantic anymore. Text nang text. “I love you,” text. “I’ll divorce you,” text. e R : Are you for divorce?

J Y d : I used to be. Now that I’m older, I see a lot of its effects. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just that I don’t see how the members of a divorced family are any happier in the long run. You’re without a

JYd:

JYd:

24 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

But once you’ve had one divorce, what’s to stop you from having another one? Except, in the wisdom of the Catholic Church, once your marriage has been declared null and void, you may not be allowed to marry another woman in the future because that incapacity would be carried onto the next family, the next union. e R : Married couples, when it’s dead, do you believe that they should stay together?

J Y d : What’s the harm? Just stay in separate rooms. Miriam Santiago told me, “The secret to a lasting marriage is separate bedrooms.” In my case, I would even suggest that they take two different houses. Magkatabi o malapit to each other. e R : Like Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. Of course, that’s not a good example. But isn’t sex a vital component of a woman and a man’s life? At least that’s what I’m told.

J Y d : At that age, I don’t know how much sex you can have (laughs). We’re not sex robots. Where they turn on a button and you’re ready to go. e R : But women do have desires.

J Y d : We have. We have needs. But we also have busy hours. We also have stresses and strains. We have our menstrual cycle, our moods. e R : You don’t moralize about men having mistresses. But what’s your view on married women having lovers?

J Y d : I’m against it [but at the same time] I’m not against it, I would fear for them.

Baka patayin sila ng asawa nila. I fear for them because men consider it such a big

thing na, “Ang asawa ko, nangangaliwa.” eR: It’s embarrassing.

No, more than embarrassing. It’s a slight to their masculinity. It’s a stain on the family honor, especially if they belong to a clan like yours, prominent family name.

Yung mga jeepney driver, maybe they’re not so concerned about these things. eR: But you would not say the same thing to a man taking on a mistress?

JYd: Take it for granted that they do it all the time anyway. I don’t believe in the 100 percent equality of men and women. eR: You don’t? Do you consider yourself JYd:

a feminist?

No, I’m not. In fact, I think the less you talk about feminine this and feminine that, the more you’re emphasizing the differences, the more the gap is widened.

Why can’t you say, “a male chef?” You only say, “She’s a female chef.” eR: I gotta ask, is it strange, despite your career as a journalist and a writer, that you may well be most remembered for this book?

JYd: I don’t mind because this one is a mass invasion. My book is 20-something years old then it gets a second life. Well, that book had 15 or something reprints. I was my own publisher. Then here comes this second life—a movie. eR: Do you believe in true love?

JYd: I did. I think love comes in stages depending on your age, the circumstances at the time you fell in love. You can be deceiving and deluding yourself. eR: Could you explain a little more?

JYd: I’ve been living alone for a long time now, and I cannot imagine at this stage, having to share a bathroom with a guy. Except [with] my husband. My husband was mabango all the time. And he had very clean habits and he had the most elegant feet. His feet were more elegant than mine...it comes in stages.

And then after you’ve been disillusioned by love, you begin to look for another model, another type. What would you be looking for? If you’re wise, you know that there’s no such animal, the one that will fill the shape in your mind.

JYd:

IMagES cOURtESy Of Neil daza

for different reasons?

J Y d : Of course. Everyone is different. And they don’t call it cheating. e R : Okay, what do they call it?

J Y d : They don’t call it anything. They drifted into it. I don’t think there’s a conscious desire to hurt your husband or your wife. If you’ve been a neglected wife...ah, I made a quote in my second book. I quoted an article from The New York Times, written by one of the great counselors, or shrinks yata, American, where he talks about sexual death. e R : Sexual death? What is that?

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MaHB

MUSIC

Bow Down

HOw BEyONcé aNd TaylOR SwIfT cONQUEREd THE wORld wITH pOp MUSIc

By Tom Junod

On the 21st day of 2006, I bought two songs from the album #1s by Destiny’s Child on iTunes. The first was a Destiny’s Child song, “Independent Women Part 1,” and the second was “Check On It,” credited solely to Beyoncé, with a guest appearance by Slim Thug. Since then, according to iTunes, I have played “Independent Women” 399 times and “Check On It” 387.

I have about 25,000 songs on my computer and play them mostly on shuffle, which means that the songs I’ve played the most are the songs that have been on my computer the longest. But I’ve played “Independent Women” and “Check On It” eight times more than Genesis’s “Carpet Crawlers,” the first song I bought on iTunes, back in 2003, and ten times more than “Cold Cold Ground” by Tom Waits, the second.

I’ve played them five times more than their closest competitor, Del Shannon’s “Runaway.” They are—they must be, by many multiples—my favorite songs.

Except that they’re not. Sure, I like “Independent Women” well enough, and my daughter, when she was young, liked it even more. But iTunes recorded me playing “Check On It” for the last time on July 13, 2007—and 386 times in the year and a half before that. I have no memory of “Check On It”; what’s more, I have no memory of ever playing “Check On It.” I don’t even like “Check On It,” and yet a forensic excavation of my laptop would suggest that I’m obsessed with it. All of which is to say: It’s real. The Beygency is real, man, and it has rejiggered the supposedly inviolate iTunes algorithm. It has gamed the system so that the system puts #1s at number one in my own personal countdown.

Who cares how many times I listen to “Check On It”? It does. She does. It doesn’t matter that I’m just one listener outside of her generational demographic. No victory is too small for her. She has to win. . . .

Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been thinking of “The Beygency”—the brilliant Satur-

26 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

day Night Live skit that demonstrates Beyoncé’s cultural preeminence is actually a matter of collective surrender—ever since I saw the press conference unveiling Jay Z’s recently acquired streaming music service, Tidal. There was something dystopian about it, as the biggest stars in what’s left of the music business trotted onstage to announce their participation in Jay Z’s venture and ended up looking like contestants on a celebrity edition of Survivor.

With their product radically devalued by the very technology employed to disseminate it and their music marginalized and pushed into the background by its very ubiquity, they responded by asserting their stardom, sort of like actors and actresses in the heyday of the studio system. Does anyone remember any actual songs from Madonna’s or Coldplay’s or Jack White’s last

album? No—but they remember Madonna, Chris Martin, and Jack White, who were all on hand to extol their new platform, along with Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Usher, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Calvin Harris, Daft Punk, and, of course, Queen Bey. Taylor Swift wasn’t there, but she showed up in the post-event coverage anyway, as her decision to pull her music from Spotify was identified as a precipitating force behind the Tidal rollout. Tay and Bey: In many ways, they couldn’t seem more different; in many ways, they appear to embody the opposing principles that have always energized pop music, with Taylor playing the Apollonian counterweight to Beyoncé’s Dionysian force. But the Tidal press conference, with its Apalachin overtones, served as yet another reminder that the world of pop exists now to ConTInuEd

MaHB

MUSIC

continuED

be consolidated and carved up in the guise of cooperation. Faced with powerlessness, the last pop stars are making music as a means of gaining and keeping power, with Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Knowles the most powerful among them. Far from being the Beatles and Stones of the age when the medium is the message and the streaming service is the song, they are the performers who demonstrate that all paths lead to the same place: the world divided between them and everybody else, whom they invite to applaud their triumph.

Yes, Taylor is cheerily confessional, Beyoncé aerobically organized. Taylor cultivates famous friendships, Beyoncé the loyalty of those who knew her when. Taylor makes a show of singing along with other artists at awards shows, Beyoncé of going on last and reminding other artists of her preeminence. Taylor’s gift is for apparent approachability, Beyoncé’s for apparent perfection. Taylor is the J. K. Rowling of pop music, singing songs that both

13-year-olds and their mothers find irresistible, Beyoncé the Oprah or the Whitney Houston who instead of marrying Bobby Brown married President Obama. But then they both have SNL sketches devoted to the zero-sum nature of their success, the aforementioned “Beygency” (which is real!) poised against “Swiftamine” (which is necessary!). They both are abetted by a compliant critical apparatus—writers who think that the proper perspective for a reviewer to assume is one of prostration and who try to outdo one another in the extent of their devotion. And they both have a relationship with the camera that is more important than their relationship with the microphone: with Beyoncé apparently documenting every instant of her life on video and Taylor apparently never seeing a lens she can turn away from, her slinky sidelong gaze preternaturally steady.

Of course, they both move a lot of product, selling more music than anybody this side of Katy Perry. But everybody knows that nobody makes money off music anymore—that recorded music exists as an

What I’m Listening To by tED tE

Atty. tEd tE IS thE PUBlIc INfORMAtION chIEf Of thE SUPREME cOURt ANd A fORMER PROfESSOR Of lAw At UP. thIS IS whAt hE lIStENS tO whEN hE’S NOt BUSy BEINg A cONdUIt Of INfORMAtION fROM thE Sc tO thE PEOPlE.

“EvEry LittLE thing” DishwaLLa

I think it’s one of the coolest but most unconventional love songs ever written; can’t argue with “I wish I could be every little thing you wanted” as a line.

“EvEry LittLE thing DoEs is magic)”

(hE

shawn coLvin

One of those covers that somehow sounds refreshingly different and, in some ways, better than the original. This one, from the female POV, is great and Colvin’s vocals and the

28 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

spare instrumentation make it sound much better. “my FavoritE rEgrEt” gigoLo aunts

I was fascinated by the name of the band until I heard this song, which is on continuous rotation on my playlist. I thought, “What a way to describe a one-night stand.” “tonight thE strEEts arE ours” richarD hawLEy

First time I heard this was at a wedding—the groom sang to the bride as she was walking

adjunct to ticket sales and merchandising— and Bey and Tay, the latter of whom is currently touring the world to promote her latest album and sell 1989™ Taylor Swift® shirts for $49.89, know this best of all. They are famous for singing about what makes them famous—Beyoncé powering through her songs of empowerment, Taylor being indiscreet about her supposed indiscretions. It’s not simply that they make music about their own celebrity; it’s that they make music synergistic with their celebrity, their music deepening their celebrity and their celebrity somehow deepening their music. Music has always enhanced our experience of life on earth by seeming to give us access to something larger than ourselves—the strings of the universe. The music of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé does the same, by seeming to give us access to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. They’re big, sure: the biggest of that class of artists termed “new-school fucking plutocrats” by the guy who plays banjo for Mumford & Sons. But it’s not just Tay and Bey who got big. It’s the music that got small.

down the aisle in Intramuros.

The back story was they had eloped and had met up at Intramuros, and later were persuaded to get married—the song was their theme song.

The song has stuck with me since. Whenever I want a feelgood vibe, the mood is amazing, and it calls to mind many a John Hughes and Cameron Crowe ending.

sign-off song. But what a signoff song! “kaLEiDoscopE worLD” Francis m

Have always loved the idealism behind this song, and the guitars of Perf De Castro on the original recording. This one showed how far ahead Francis M was, musically.

“wishing wELL” tErEncE trEnt D’arby

Very funky, very nice. Can’t argue with the bass lines.

“EvEryDay i writE thE book” ELvis costELLo

I always thought that this should have been the theme of 50 First Dates. “ang huLing EL bimbo” ErasErhEaDs

Only because the kids keep asking “sino si Paraluman” and because NU107 signed off to this one. Cannot listen to this other than as a final or

“morE to LosE” sEona Dancing

Have always loved the way this song intros, even during those RT days when no one knew the real title but would wait until the DJs deigned to play it.

Books

Homecomings IMMIgRaNt NaRRatIVES, aNd thE fIRSt fIlIPINO cRIME NOVEl REISSUEd.

By SaSha Martinez

In the Country b y M I a a lva r

How much of the Filipino is the diaspora? The displacement and the transience, the ever-moving, the pushand-pull between home and one’s adopted country? How much of our people have been shaped and defined according to those of us who’ve chosen— or have been coerced, through circumstances, through an unavoidable legacy—to leave or to be left behind?

Mia Alvar’s short story collection, In the Country, spans the globe to focus on overseas Filipino workers—going beyond the usual overwrought confrontations in tearjerker films, and grounding the ennobling tag of “modern-day heroes”—as well as their loves who remain home. One story has a son, returning home from New York, risking both his career and his new life to care for his dying father. Another focuses on an enclave of Filipinos who’ve made a cozy community in a hostile country, with friendships and marriages put in jeopardy with the introduction of a misfit. And perhaps the most powerful, and most beautifully wrought, of the stories is Alvar’s riff on the marriage of Ninoy and Cory Aquino. It’s a mildly subversive retelling, doing away with the popular image of housewife-thrust-into-thepolitical-spotlight: Alvar’s Cory is of quiet steel, Alvar’s Ninoy is arrogant in his genius,

30 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

their children are as-yet untethered to any noble cause.

In short: This version of the Aquinos—familiar to each and every Filipino—shows them as family, and with all the attendant allegiances and hurts and secrets.

The nine stories collected in Mia Alvar’s In the Country read like those of a writer who already has a lengthy backlist to her name: all of them carry an uncanny assurance. Alvar’s voice, confident, calls to mind the best of literature from a time that conscientious craft was key. And perhaps more admirably: Alvar’s stories individually, collectively, move us from the question, “How much of Filipino literature should be about the immigrant experience?” and straight to, “How much does home matter— and what will the homecoming cost?”

SMaller and SMaller CIrCleS b y F. h . b ata C a n

Originally published in 2002 and republished five years later, F.H. Batacan’s Smaller and Smaller Circles has earned modern-classic status in the local literary scene (and in many a college syllabi), by virtue of it being the first Filipino crime novel. Up to the present, in fact, it stands in most readers’ minds as the only book to hold that title. This year, U.S.based publisher Soho Crime

is releasing a new edition, thus bringing the groundbreaking work to a much wider audience, and especially its scoring critique of the country’s justice system circa 1997.

Father Gus Saenz, one of the few forensic pathologists in the Philippines, and his

protégé Jerome Lucero, a psychologist, are on the hunt for the man responsible for a series a gruesome murders. Opening at the Payatas dumpsite sheltering the mutilated bodies of young boys, and zipping through Manila’s back alleys and government offices that modernity forgot, Batacan’s novel is fast-paced, uncompromising with grisly detail and the more twisted corners of a deranged man’s mind. There’s also a deeply rooted cynicism in the narrative, as well as a distaste for a largely incompetent bureaucracy that only hinders justice and mistrusts science— and seemingly only for the hell of it. One wonders how Saenz and his ilk will fare with an up-

dated setting—a different sort of challenge, to be sure, but one that can more faithfully reflect a Manila nearly 20 years from when we first meet them.

Do hunt down the Manila Noir anthology (edited by Jessica Hagedorn), and not least because Bata-

can’s story “Comforter of the Afflicted” reintroduces us to a Saenz at a later point in his career. (The job has taken its toll on him, and world-weariness has seeped into his bones. It’s a darker blend of Saenz solving crimes, which themselves have grown more brutal and more senseless. It’s a view into a future Saenz that only manages to convince the reader that Batacan should just give in to the narrative’s clamor and turn Smaller and Smaller Circles into the first of a series.) The Manila Noir anthology sheds light on the grittier and grislier side of the capital, with stories on sex and drugs and criminals and too many lost souls.

Available at Fully Booked branches.

PhOtOgRaPh Kara ortIga

MaHB

MaHB

TELEVISION

Internet Stole the Television Star WATCH WHEN YOU WANT WITH IFLIX AND HOOQ.

BY ALYANA CABRAL

These days, when you want to watch a good series, you go to the Internet. But downloading torrents comes with either a tinge of guilt (because it’s illegal), or puts a huge damage to your computer’s nearly full hard drive. And YouTube is now infested with rick-rolls and advertisements.

While the rest of the world have the luxury of indulging in videos-on-demand sites like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Apple TV, and HBO Go—most of these sites cannot be accessed from the Philippines. How many times have our hopes been crushed when we encountered the notification “this service is not accessible in your country,” just as we’re about to stream the latest episode of The Wire?

Thankfully, iFlix and HOOQ have entered the scene, offering a large catalogue

32 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

of US-based TV shows and blockbusters so that you can binge-watch all the Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad you want. And with recent trends leaning in favor of Internet TV, now might be a good time to say goodbye to the idiot box and hello to a legal online video streaming system.

The entrance of iFlix to the Philippines is also further proof that everything is moving toward cyberspace. Look at Spotify: It changed the way people consume music. Now they’re downloading music less, and listening online more. Similarly, viewers can ease the burden on their computer storage with iFlix’s relatively cheap subscription of P129 per month. This acknowledges that if some people can go out of their way to pirate a film or a TV show, they’ll find it even easier to just pay a little

for a lot, which is unlimited access to a library of shows and movies. To boot, the site usually uploads complete episodes and seasons, for those days when you want to coop up in your room and just watch one show after another.

There is no doubt, our viewing habits are changing, and cyberspace seems to be the place-to-be if you’re talking about fast and reliable entertainment. One takeaway from the thriller drama series Mr. Robot (which is exclusively available on iFlix) is that whatever a person puts out on the Internet might reveal more of his or her character than how that person presents himself or herself in real life. No wonder we’re always online. There’s nothing wrong with that— just watch out for spoilers. www.iflix.com

MaHB

CarS

A Drive on the Wild Side OUt fOR a SpIN ON a wEt aNd wIld SpEEdway wIth thE BMw M SERIES.

If you want to go somewhere fast and in style, you think of the BMW. That mission aside, the brand has a streak of controlled fury hidden behind that twin-kidney grille.

Back in 1986, BMW modified its 3-Series sedan to go racing in the German Touring Car championship. The result was the M3, a full-blown racecar that dominated circuit racing. To have the car qualify according to championship rules, BMW also built an M3 for the street. That first M3 road car soon became the stuff of legend, and still remains highly collectible today.

The latest of BMW’s M cars are ultimate driving machines based on regular series cars, but with a healthy boost of horsepower and torque, and the chassis upgrades needed to deliver all that power to the road.

These include the M3, M4, X5 M, and the X6 M cars. There are also a couple of cars badged as M Performance Automobiles like the M135i and the M235i.

The current BMW M3 carries a level of sophistication and luxury that makes the first generation seem Spartan. Yet it has the soul of a racecar: an inline-six engine with 431 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque.

With twin turbochargers, the six-cylinder engine responds instantaneously, pushing the M3 to 100kph in 4.1 seconds. The M4 is the coupe version of the M3 with the performance configuration.

The M3 is deceptively civil, behaving much like a regular M3 while idling or puttering slowly down the pit lane. It is quiet, comfortable and relaxed. But once released from the pits, its extraordinary factors begin to show.

34 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

The car’s responsiveness can even be dialed according to one’s task for the day, with modes going from Comfort to Sport to Sport Plus. Think of the Comfort mode when you’re driving to work, while the raucous Sport Plus helps you clip apexes with precision.

BMW M cars are not just about power, but overall performance—a harmonious balance that leads to faster lap times.

Specifically, the engineers wanted to reduce weight to enhance handling and acceleration. Thus, in the M3, the choice was made to shift from a V8 engine to a lighter inline-six. With the twin turbos, the engines delivered nearly the power of the V8, and more torque to boot.

The chassis of the M3 is tuned to deliver quick response on the track, even as it remains comfortable on the road.

The car’s electronics are a key part of its handling ability. The cars’ dual nature of track machine and road warrior is part of their appeal.

The M3 and M4 are trimmed as luxury cars, built with leather seats with memory function, climate control, and a Harman Kardon sound system. The lightweight roof lowers the car’s center of gravity, helping it hug the road better. For those who want a more track-oriented car, the M3 and M4 come in a Pure Edition, which is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and is lighter thanks to some deleted features.

If the M3 and M4 are the ballet dancers of the group, the M-badged SUVs—the M5 M and the X6 M—are the football players: big but surprisingly quick.

Despite being heavy, midsized SUVs, BMW decided that they could make track vehicles out of the X5 and X56. The X5 M and X6 M go for full V8 power, generating 575 hp and 750 Nm. Paired with an eightspeed automatic, they are nearly as quick as the M3 and M4, getting to 100kph in 4.2 seconds. The X5 M was surprisingly agile on track, thanks to reworked steering and suspension. It was positioned at the tail end of the driving convoy, falling behind slightly at the corners, but catching up quickly on the straights thanks to the monstrous torque of the V8.

Then there are the M Performance Automobiles, the M135i and M235i. These are based on the company’s smallest vehicles. Each gets styling upgrades, and are more aggressive in the front and rear bumpers, the wheel arches, and the side sills. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels house M Sport brakes painted Estoril blue.

The M compact cars also come with turbocharged inline-six engines. The 3-liter powerplants produce plenty, 326 hp and 450Nm. The M135i and M235i prove their superb handling on the slalom course.

Even driven in pouring rain, the cars made the trip through the orange cones with control and confidence.

The M cars are all about precision and balance, so picking a favorite is a tough choice. The sheer acceleration of the X5 M is addicting, and the agility of the M135i and M235i is a joy. We would pick the M3 for its sound and fury, and appreciate that it has four doors. So that at least you can bring along more friends for the ride.

IMagE cOURtESy Of bmw

By Jason K. ang

MaHB

Gastro

Pump Up the (Alcohol by) Volume It’S all aBOUt aMERIcaN NOStalgIa. cOME fOR thE claSSIc cOcktaIlS, Stay fOR thE hOtdOgS.

By Patricia Barcelon

fusion that struck Owen Wilson in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. A long glass wall of alcohol, curated by ABV’s Lee Watson, is the first thing that greets you. Peer inside and you will find a treasure trove of whiskeys, gins, vodkas, and the like from all over the world. Some are familiar names, others more obscure that the well-traveled tippler may recognize with some excitement.

We sit at the bar while we wait for the rest of our group to arrive. The bar menu is promising, most of them a homage to classic cocktails like the Moscow Mule (served in a copper mug) and the Whiskey Sour (done with egg whites). I choose the Whiskey Sour while another friend asks for the Gin Basil Smash. The bartender suggests that she try the Gin Basil Smash with whis-

key instead after overhearing how much we enjoy a good whiskey cocktail. I like a bartender that pays attention, and the bartenders at ABV know their stuff. The result was a surprisingly refreshing mix, which took away some of the heaviness that whiskey usually leaves on the palate.

The menu in ABV reflects that of its “front,” The Lazy Bastard. Burgers, hotdogs, and tater tots, the ultimate in American comfort foods, take up one whole page of the menu. My eyes zero in on the macaroni and cheese. We must have that!

Bacon wrapped tater tots? Yes, please. We order three kinds of hotdogs—the Chili Dog (for we always start with a classic), the Good Morning Dog (topped with cheddar cheese and a fried egg), and the Honey

PhOtOgRaPhS Gabby Cantero

“I wish to be irresponsible. Let’s get drunk,” I declare to my friends as we sit down on a tufted leather booth inside ABV, a speakeasy tucked away behind The Lazy Bastard, a joint known for American comfort food, which in turn is tucked away in a corner of Jupiter St. in Makati. In other words: this place is not easy to find. But therein lies part of the fun of going to ABV and introducing the bar to your friends. To get in, you must first go through The Lazy Bastard, and through a small door that hides what looks like an old-fashioned elevator shaft. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the dim lighting inside ABV after the bright lights of Lazy Bastard, but once they do, you are suddenly transported to another time with the same delightful con-

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Peer inside and you will find a treasure trove of whiskeys, gins, vodkas, and the like from all over the world.

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DAMN, BAStARD. tAtER BOMBS, BAcON chEESEBURgER, AND hONEY PARMESAN hOtDOg.

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cREAtINg thE PERFEct IcE cUBE: thE SPhERIcAl ShAPE ENSURES thE DRINkS StAY cOlD lONgER wIthOUt wAtERINg DOwN YOUR cOcktAIl.

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A glASS OF gIgglE wAtER PlEASE! clOckwISE FROM tOP: whISkEY SOUR, MOScOw MUlE, AND NEgRONI.

Parmesan Dog (which had real honey and arugula leaves)—I was skeptical about the last choice but Lee promised this was their best seller and I wouldn’t regret it. I didn’t.

True to my promise to be irresponsible, I kept a steady stream of cocktails by my side.

My favorite was the Jupiter St., another whiskey-based concoction with ginger ale, served in an amber beer bottle, wrapped in a brown paper bag. Unglamorous, yes, but it seemed to fit in with my agenda to leave ABV three sheets to the wind. At the table next to us, an excited bunch of twentysomethings ordered a bottle of absinthe. I raised my eyebrow, remembering my own experiments with the notorious liqueur when I was a twenty-something wanting to meet the green fairy. In ABV, however, you will not find the bright green liquid that popular culture tells us is absinthe.

The good stuff has a tinge of green, nothing more, and ABV does its best to educate the neophytes on the traditional way of serving and drinking absinthe, complete with absinthe water fountains. I watched the spectacle while popping another bacon wrapped tater tot into my mouth.

Eight cocktails later and I’m barely tipsy. It could not be due to weak drinks.

The bartenders were quite generous with their pours. “Have we forgotten how to get drunk?” I ask. Not quite. A glance at our table showed not just every kind of cocktail glass available in the bar but also a number of wooden chopping boards with the remnants of hot dogs and burgers, attesting to the comfort food feast we partook of as the night wore on. With all the grease, carbs, and cheese we consumed, it was nearly impossible to get sloshed. We didn’t mind.

Each bite was well worth it. Bacon lovers will rejoice since nearly everything—hotdogs, tater tots, burgers—comes wrapped in bacon fried to crispy perfection. We ended the night, dignity still intact and sated by alcohol and fat, not minding that even the teetotalers left pretty sober. As we exit the bar through the brightly lit Lazy Bastard once again, we return to the present albeit reluctantly, wishing that the next car that passes us by contains the ghosts of writers and raconteurs of the past, ready to whisk us away back to midnight.

Basement floor, 22 Jupiter Street corner Galaxy Street, Bel-Air, Makati City.

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MaHB

DRINKING

Let’s Vault In that lINE Of wEll-dRESSEd PEOPlE yOU SEE SNakINg OUtSIdE 7-ElEVEN? It’S NOt fOR thE SIOPaO.

By Audrey N. CArpio

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One thing it’s not, however, is a speakeasy.

PhOtOgRaPhS Sam Lim

Bank Bar may be The Moment Group’s crowning achievement. Even though there are 92 owners in all—that’s right, 92—this is the bar that TMG partner Abba Nappa had been dreaming of putting up ever since cocktails replaced clubbing in her adult life. Moving at a hair-raising pace and opening 26 establishments in the last three years, The Moment Group finally unveiled their first bar, found in the same building as their much admired collaboration with sashimi savant Bruce Ricketts. While Mecha Uma was being constructed, they asked about other free spaces in the RCBC Savings Bank building and were shown this warehouse on the ground floor that no one wanted, because it was inaccessible.

“It looked like an empty ballroom of some decrepit old hotel in London,” Abba says in her droll manner. She immediately began envisioning it with huge mirrors, arches, candles, and graffiti, and the legend of Bank Bar was born. Consider it more of an origin myth, the mood board that gives a provenance to a brand new bar: during World War 2, a brigand of revolutionaries broke into a cathedral, vandalized the interiors but left behind these antique bottles.

Abba and her partners Eli Antonino and Jon Syjuco swept in and repurposed the derelict space into the lounge you see today. The story keeps changing as often as the projected art on the arched concrete walls do. One night it’s Amsterdam, another night it’s Prague. You’re anywhere but a two-year-old building in the middle of BGC. One thing it’s not, however, is a speakeasy. “A speakeasy is dark and broody, with low tin ceilings. This is an old hotel in Berlin that got taken over.” Abba laughs at how deep she can get into her confabulations. Even the speakeasy-reminiscent entryway to the bar—you have to go through

MaHB “I wanted it to be Ally McBeal.

You’re supposed to meet your future spouse there.”

PhotograPh NAME

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ROOM wIth A VIEw: thE GlASS hOUSE kEEpS SMOkERS IN thE lOOp.

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YOU’RE SO MONEY: thE NUttER clUB IS ONE OF thE SIGNAtURE cOcktAIlS wIth A FINANcIAllY thEMEd NAME.

the 7-Eleven—is intermediated by a fake 7-Eleven stockroom. So when you do finally pull the curtains back, you are delivered, astonished, into this cavernous room with a large candle-lit altar to alcohol. The gilded tables and velvet-clad chairs in plush jewel tones add gravitas to the high exposed ceilings and raw walls scribbled with spray-paint— bombed-out elegance at its most lush. Gorgeous, rebellious and comfy, it naturally draws in its targeted clientele, the mid-30s and above crowd, at least from Mondays to Thursdays.

The bathroom, you will find, deserves its own velvet rope.

“It’s the cornerstone of Bank Bar,” explains Abba about the shiny black unisex commode where penis and breastshaped handlebars denote which stall you belong to. “I wanted it to be Ally McBeal.

You’re supposed to meet your future spouse there.” Maita Quesada, group PR head, attests that the bathroom has indeed been a center of action and is often mistaken for the VIP room (the real VIP room is hidden behind some more heavy curtains). The Glass House, found at the far side of the room, is another fantasy altogether. The area intended for smokers is a glass-partitioned atrium with a James Bond alpine-hideaway feel that lets its occupants still feel part of the main room. On the walls, old black-and-white Italian movies or freaky Japanese films enhance the atmosphere.

“I wanted it to be a lazy bar for old, grown-up, has-been party animals,” Abba says. And that’s exactly what she got.

G/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center, 26th Street, BGC, Taguig.

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MaHB

TECH

Look Again

THE NEW HUAWEI MATE S IS WORTH A SECOND GLANCE.

BY KARA ORTIGA

It looks and feels good—sturdy in your hand with a curve that glides smoothly in your palm. For a brand that offers smartphones below the P10,000 range, this Huawei Mate S is a lot pricier, but positions itself as a notch above the rest. In fact, it is the most expensive model that the brand offers at approximately P32,000. But you get what you pay for.

Besides the dual sim option, which is perfect for when you’re traveling, the Huawei Mate S has features that let you interact with the device in completely new ways, allowing the phone to have a more seamless connection with you, the user.

For example, the Smart Fingerprint Sliding

system, which is a small track pad at the back of the phone, makes it possible for you to answer calls, take photos, or browse pages with just the subtle movements of your finger on the censor. Or check the Knuckle Censor on the touch screen—it lets you crop photos, edit images and open applications with the tap of your knuckle.

Need to open the camera? You won’t find an application on your screen. Instead, knock on your phone; scribble the letter C with your knuckle, and the camera will pop up immediately. There is a 13 megapixel builtin camera at the back, and an 8 megapixel front camera, which can be adjusted with ISO and aperture settings.

Another notable highlight is the voice recorder, which gives you the option to reduce background noise and capture the voices of everyone in the room for when you need to document an important board meeting or interview. They’re pretty cool offerings for a reasonable price.

Available in metallic hues of gold, cham-

pagne or grey, and boasting a slim frame with a Gorilla Glass screen—the Huawei Mate S definitely looks like a doable stunner. It won’t cost an arm and a leg, either.

It is, at the very least, reliable in both function and style.

a point when audiophiles could choose from a palette of colors like viridian blue, cinnabar red, charcoal black, or bordeaux pink? Sony’s new h.ear on headphones and h.ear in earphones brandish these lustrous monochromatic designs, and promise crystal clear sound and utmost comfort. They also re-launch the new Walkman—now

an audio powerhouse that can play hi-res audio formats like FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless. Why haul in a full highgrade sound system when you can carry exemplary music in your pockets? And why settle for dull gear when you can strut sophistication? www.sony.com.ph

Color of Sound NO EFFORT NEEDED TO STAND OUT WITH SONY’S NEW AUDIO GEAR.

BY ALYANA CABRAL

With music becoming more and more integral in our daily lives, it was natural for our listening equipment to step up their game, too. Even if once upon a time, we were already satisfied with the birth of Sony’s oversized headphones and chunky cassette-playing Walkmans. Today, the brand innovates with their new hi-res audio range. They enhance the listening experience and re-design to contemporary aesthetics. Who knew we would reach

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Style S T Y L I N G C L I F F O R D O L A N D AY P H O T O G R A P H S P A U L D E L R O S A R I O

NOVEMBER 2015

UNBOXED

Here are what to give to the many women that you love.

the woman The hardworking wife. the situation This lady boss of Important Corporation (and your home) has been busy making bank all year. the gift The enveloping embrace of a thick sweater will remind her to slow down.

Turtleneck (P30,100) by Escada and belt (P26,500) by Salvatore Ferragamo.

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the woman The seething wife. the situation It’s been scarily quiet at home. Did you forget to do something? the gift A luxury beach set with an accompanying ticket to a month-long tropical cruise will make her forget what you forgot.

Bikini top and bottom, bag, scarf, and bracelets, all by Hermès. Fish server at AC+632.

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the woman The fashionable sister. the situation Her 2016 resolution is to break her Like record on Instagram. the gift The quirky accessory (Aztec print! lapis lazuli mosaic! pineapple!) is an OOTD click magnet. Like!

Clockwise from top left: wood-carved clutch (P19,000) by Aranaz, lapis lazuli clutch (P12,000) by Kit Silver at Bonne Bouche, t’nalak clutch (P6,800) by Aranaz, and envelope chain wallet by Louis Vuitton. Silver tray and fish server, both at AC+632.

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the woman The bored girlfriend. the situation You’ve been going through the motions in your relationship. the gift Sky-high heels and a sexy pair of hosiery will shake things up.

Heels by Louis Vuitton and hosiery (P1,600) by Falke at Van Laack. Cheese platter at AC+632.

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the woman The octogenarian grandma. the situation She has lived a long life and expects no more surprises (read: she has everything). the gift Surprise! With a slide of the cover, a bohemian necklace reveals a cache of solid perfume.

Solid perfume (P8,500) and earrings (P5,250), both by Tory Burch.

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the woman The happy wife. the situation The two of you are so in love. the gift Make the happy wife an ecstatic wife. No doubt, an on-trend bag garners the biggest reaction.

Clockwise from top left: bucket bags by (P101,500) Ralph Lauren, (P29,950) Tory Burch, (P21,650) Michael Kors, and (P120,000) Joanna Preysler. Fish servers, bread fork, and cheese knife, all at AC+632.

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the woman The spirited daughter. the situation She cracks jokes like a mini Lucille Ball. the gift It’s all in the presentation. Emerald green clutch plus oversized sunglasses equals googly eyes and more laughter.

Sunglasses (P15,600) by Michael Kors and clutch (P5,000) by Aranaz.

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Style Put this On A ready-to-wear jacket offers the fit and feel of bespoke.

BY JOHANNA POBLETE

Even the most die-hard sartorialist wouldn’t want to be seen as “trying too hard.” Any guy, and not just the normcore type, would like to fill his closet with no-fuss items that he can just throw on and then forget about—because he knows for a fact that he looks good in them. Quite easy if the clothes are made-to-measure or bespoke, but admit it, it’s far easier if you don’t have to spend a significant chunk of money to be a dressmaker’s dummy for a day (or two fittings).

Enter Ring Jacket, renowned Japanese clothier, with its killer value proposition: the quality and fit of a bespoke garment but in ready-to-wear form. You take a Ring Jacket suit off the rack, wear it, and it feels tailor-fitted to you— and you pay only a fraction of what it would have cost to personally travel to Italy, hunt down that special craftsman who has been sewing since his teens (the tradition is dying out among Italians, but some young Japanese tailors are trained in Italy before setting up shop in Japan), and have something made to your measure.

Ring Jacket has been at this sartorial game since 1954, when founder Jhoichi Fukushima became a fan of European tailoring and decided to bring the Ivy League look back home. Thus began their meticulous production of beautifully-crafted suits, using a combination of hand and machine work. Until today, you’ll find that they still handsew collars to the lapels, for better balance and optimal fit, as well as hand-stitch seams, buttonholes, and other design elements.

Jhoichi’s son, Kunichi, is cut from the same cloth as his dad, joining the company in 1983 and continuing the family tradition of excellence when he took over management in 1995. “Style changes, but not policy,” the president of Ring Jacket tells Esquire during his recent visit, together with sales director Hidetoshi Sasamoto, to introduce their latest collection at local men’s specialty store Signet in Makati. “We have to change mindset, style—but despite the different seasons, the different years, our policy is very good sewing.”

When Italian clothing rose to prominence in the 1980s, Ring Jacket embraced the ever casual and quite popular Neapolitan style, heralding an era where Japan arguably became the new mecca of sprezzatura (that Italian catchword for careless or nonchalant cool); nowadays the company makes some of the best Neapolitan suits outside of Naples.

While the look itself projects effortlessness, there’s actually a history of hard work behind Ring Jacket’s adoption of “softer” tailoring. “We worked closely with the tailoring masters of southern Italy to learn and adapt their craft to Japan,” Kunichi says in Ring Jacket’s brand book. “Today, we offer a Japanese garment with an Italian flavor. Our clothes are beautiful but never stuffy, lightweight but with a clear and rakish shape.”

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Made in Japan “Our clothes are beautiful but never stuffy, lightweight but with a clear and rakish shape,” says Ring Jacket president Kunichi Fukushima.

For Kunichi, “the jacket is the ultimate item a man can own,” as it not only makes him look more attractive, but also “highlights his personality in the best way possible.”

A mark of the Neapolitan jacket would be “soft shoulders,” a tailoring trick where the natural line of the shoulder is showcased (no false advertising of your physical attributes here, just clean lines and a bit of shirring). The generous use of fabric also provides freer movement, without sacrificing the just-right fit of the jacket. The focus is the shoulder, lapel, and chest, and there’s very minimal lining—“just the canvas,” says Kunichi—so that the coat fits like a second skin. You’ll also find that every Ring Jacket piece on the rack have basted elements, to adjust as needed for the end-customer.

“We do only minor alterations because usually Ring Jacket is perfect, the fit is perfect,” says Kelly See, one of the trio of gents behind Signet store’s curated mix of artisanal and heritage brands. He also points out that the use of open-weave, high twist fabric in the unstructured, minimally-lined jackets gives the wearer extra comfort and room to breathe, particularly because the tropical weather here can be stiflingly hot if not sultry. Plus it can be rolled up and packed—crushed, actually—and still emerge without creases. “The fabric doesn’t wrinkle much. And it’s sturdier, tougher,” says See. Ring Jacket is very particular about its cloth; they design and manufacture their own fabrics, sometimes in collaboration with renowned mills from around the world, such as Carlo Barbera from Italy. For fall/winter 2015, for example, they created the Balloon, a lightweight mix of wool and linen, decorated with a windowpane of fine nylon. A jacket made from this breathable material, held up to the light, almost looks see-through.

It’s usually a limited run per season, as Ring Jacket would use only two rolls of original fabric to make 32 CONTINUED

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ny cool The Public School X Tumi collection includes a 21-inch carry-on, 24-inch check-in wheeled bag, travel satchel, backpack, day tote, and Dopp kit, all in the New York designer’s trademark monochromatic color scheme.

Below: Public School designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow.

CONTINUED

or 33 suits. In the Philippines, Signet carries a full run of two sets, or two pieces per size. (So if you buy two of the same suit, you’ve just deprived every other Filipino male of your body type.) Signet carries sizes 42 to 52. A Ring Jacket sport coat could cost P55,000 to P65,000. Suits, meanwhile, could go up to P80,000, which is still nowhere near the production of bespoke suits, which Signet also offers (sometimes flying in tailors for their clients), that could cost around P200,000.

“In the past, we just import fabric from Italy and England. But now we make fabric in Japan. We especially make our original fabric, and an original product is very important,” enthuses Sasamoto. An adventurous bloke, he has a fondness for vintage fabric, culling the company’s stock for his suits— he even has a jacket made out of six different plaids, and has been known to wear short pants (each leg in a different print) to complete an ensemble.

In fact, all three gentlemen have a keen sense of fashion. Sasamoto indulges his flair for color and print yet avoids looking clownish. Kunichi stands out in an understated way, by wearing a white tuxedo in a roomful of black-clad men, or a seersucker sports jacket in summery powder-blue to a business meeting. And See sports a vintage sort of class in his gray suit, with his preference for braces (or suspenders, as my kindergarten teacher would say), because they hold up trousers better than a belt, with none of that pulling-up action whenever you rise from your chair.

Ask them for advice, and they’ll tell you exactly what suit to try: Ring Jacket’s 184 model, which has had a 50-year best-selling run, only getting “slimmer” through the decades. Sasamoto will push you to try something “fun to wear,” or anything with an “H” (meaning handmade). Kunichi would pick a classic peaked lapel for your tuxedo (a special line of tuxedos for Signet is forthcoming, watch out for it). And See would remind you to cover your butt—literally—as the current trend of shorter jackets is neither classy nor elegant. He sums it up with a maxim: “The right fit, the right length, and good fabric.

That’s it. Very simple.”

Signet, Makati.

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Travel capsules for The global nomad In an endeavor to bring their own brand of New York to the world, Public School designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne join forces with luggage expert Tumi to create a six-piece collection of travel essentials. For the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) awardees, it is a huge step in advancing their passion for travel. “Public School is influenced by travel,” they say. “It’s about getting to that journey.” —ALYANA CABRAL How did tHe collaboration witH tumi come about?

We were really interested in collaborating with Tumi after working with them during their sponsorship of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Americans in Paris. We used our first Tumi travel collection for the trip. We fell in love with the pieces, and it got our creative juices spinning. It was then that we started talking about possibilities with Tumi and our friend George Esquivel. can you describe your design process for tHe collection?

The thought was to make something textural using hard and soft materials. The collection is based on an architectural idea of mimicking the weave of a garment and applying it to man-made materials… We wanted it to not only to look nice, but also live up to the Tumi standards. The collection had to be functional and had to keep its lightness. During the design process, we learned all the ins and outs of the production of the different bags, including the stringent and rigorous tests they go through. We learned how to make luggage! wHat tecHnical innovations are featured in tHe collection?

The wheeled pieces are crafted from Tumi’s patented Tegris material with a laser-cut netting overlay, which created a weave pattern effect on the exterior of the cases. This pattern is infused into and extends to the hardware and luggage tags of the day bags and accessories, as well as the 2-D netting texture effect on the bottom of the travel satchel. wHat is tHe significance of tHe key cHain featured in tHe collection?

It’s more of a memory. The key chain is reminiscent of growing up in New York. We used to have strings on our book bags, and we used to collect them and take other people’s strings to have a lot more.

It was a badge of honor. This is our interpretation of those strings as an adult. wHat are your favorite destinations? maxwell: An island down south during the winter, somewhere close like Jamaica.

We don’t take long vacations. We don’t mind traveling through Miami on our way to Europe. dao-yi: London, Hong Kong, Tokyo—big, street-based cities where you can move into multiple neighborhoods on foot and where interactions are really happening. wHat do you like to do wHen traveling? dao-yi: We really look to experience the city, and you can only do that in the local areas. We check out the art scene, museums and galleries, and music. wHat are your travel essentials? maxwell: Black T-shirts, one to three pairs of shoes. I’m an easy packer. I have to make sure I have my Dopp kit and a candle for the hotel room for longer stays. dao yi: Public School everything! A great pair of pants on the plane. A couple pairs of trainers, great outerwear jacket, and a couple of hats off the plane. any packing tips? maxwell: Stuff your socks in your sneakers.

Fold and roll. Don’t forget your Dopp kit. Always leave a little bit of room to bring something back home. And don’t pack what you don’t need. wHat’s tHe most impractical item you’ve packed? dao-yi: We were the winner of the Woolmark prize in London and the actual trophy is this big glass cylinder with a metal base. It weighs about 100 lbs. We wrapped it in a ton of bubble wrap and checked it in. We almost didn’t make it back! tumi.com.

Style

EASY BREEZY

THIS IS A REMIX People Footwear employs water repellant, shock-absorbing, easy-to-clean, odor resistant, and best of all, ultra comfortable performance foam in their shoes.

Shoe classics are remade with ultimate comfort and leisure in mind.

BY JOHN A. MAGSAYSAY

Esmé Smith likes to observe people’s feet. “Even today, when I arrived at the airport, I looked at everyone’s feet and noticed a huge sandal culture here,” she admits. Smith, the co-founder and director of operations of People Footwear, is really no stranger to our sandal-wearing country.

The Vancouver-based company launched in the Philippines this year and she returns (this is her fifth trip) with a new collection that, despite the cooler season, still offers the slip-on favorite.

Their take, the Lennon, riffs off the double-strap “Jesus sandal,” but is updated with the use of high-tech elements: a triple-density compression-molded EVA outsole and nubuck-finished polyutherane straps fastened with powdercoated aluminum buckles. It feels lighter, arguably appears more handsome, and “lends itself to this sort of climate, being comfortable and easy.”

With the goal of making shoes more comfortable, People Footwear reinvents the classics or “shoes that have proven to have mass appeal and can withstand the test of time” through the use of lighter and softer materials and new construction methods.

That magic material known by sneakerheads as EVA or ethylene vinyl acetate, a polymer that is as porous and pliable as rubber, is at the core of this revolution. It’s been

around for a long time, notes Smith, but no one was making an entire shoe out of it. So People did, transforming, for example, the driving loafer into the Senna, a style that appears to be constructed from a single piece of Skylite, their own blend of EVA-based foam (all their shoes are made with this).

Digital weaving is employed in other models. High-performance leisure is at the core of People, so they looked to running shoes and even athletic wear and their construction methods to create the knit variations of the Stanley and the Phillips (these are reminiscent of the Vans Authentic and Converse Chucks). Both are digitally knitted, and have no stitching from the change of the weave to the sock liner.

“Where there were traditionally stitching, where there would be normally metal eyelets, we used 3-D printing,” adds Smith.

The no-sew Ezy-Brzy construction creates shoes that are soft, super lightweight, and sleek as hell. Each pair comes out of the digital weaving machine and takes an hour to knit from start to finish. “It’s really one of the coolest, most innovative things we see from the footwear industry, and we could say that we’re the first brand to use it for casual footwear,” she says. “…The future is happening.” And it’s happening on your feet.

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An UnexPected JoUrney A contemporary digital guide reveals the saper vivere of Italy.

MILAn

BY GUGLIELMO MIANI SUrPrISeS At LA ScALA La Scala is our pride and joy, the world famous temple of music and opera. You should go at least twice a year, not forgetting its museum next door.

Two surprises on the first floor: You can look into one of the theater’s boxes and also admire, in rotation, some of the sumptuous stage costumes.

BeSt tIrAMISù My ideal lunch break is at the Bacaro del Sambuco, in via Monte Napoleone. Time has stopped in this beautiful little courtyard garden with tables. The cuisine is exquisite and the management is a family—the father welcomes the clients, the daughter serves the table, and the mother is at the stove in the kitchen. Some say that their tiramisù is the best in Milan, and who am I to deny it?

QUIet tIMe At least one afternoon should be spent at Villa Necchi, in the heart of the Quadrilateral of Silence; perfectly preserved, it reminds us what Milan used to be, secret and elegant. Even if you haven’t got time to visit the building, at least take a break in the garden; it’s regenerating, magical.

TAKE ITALY Clockwise from above: It’s best to visit Giacomo Bistrot in the evening after the theater or cinema; Spazio Rossana Orlandi’s iconic establishment has a two-floor store and gallery, offering vintage and contemporary design items; Deus Cafe is a meeting place for lunch, dinner, drinks, and motorcycles.

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It is as if you’ve received the best recommendations from a close friend: an unexpected path in the countryside, a seaside spot with a restaurant perched on the rocks, secret shopkeepers, and private tailors. Italian Notes, the new digital lifestyle guide from Tod’s, reveals places or resources that may be inaccessible to most.

Knowing these hidden and fascinating destinations for food, drinks, art, and more is what it means to truly live in Italy, and the guide reflects the lifestyle through notes, photographs, and videos, all of which will be constantly updated and soon compiled in a downloadable e-book.

Each city (Milan, Como, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Montalcino, Rome, Naples) features invaluable tips from someone born and bred in the country, a true insider.

Guglielmo Miani, CEO of luxury tailoring house Larusmiani, suggests a magical afternoon, perhaps reading a book under the shade of centuries-old magnolias, at Villa Necchi in Milan, while style icon Maria Mantero leads you to the best croissants and “an ice cream that blows your mind” from Cremeria Bolla in Como. Elsewhere, art patron Toto Bergamo Rossi highlights a six-room hotel with a romantic garden, while pasta purveyor Ottavio di Canossa describes a weekend spent at Salaborsa Library (and the archaeological site beneath it) in Bologna.

And what should you wear on your journey? The guide offers style notes like, say, monk straps for Giacomo Bistrot or suede sneakers for Spazio Rossana Orlandi, so that you can fully immerse yourself in the Italian lifestyle and maybe pass for an insider, as well. tods.com.

Style SKY AND SEA Clockwise from left: The Aero Club in Como has the oldest seaplane flying school in the world; in Venice, the fastest way of moving around is aboard a water taxi; Rodrigo’s restaurant in Bologna is a favorite haunt of actors, politicians, and industrialists; roam Italy in Tod’s footwear.

VENICE

BY TOTO BERGAMO ROSSI

BologNA

BY OTTAVIO DI CANOSSA

AVoId thE throNg My first trip recom-

Como

BY MARIA MANTERO lIVE musIC At the top of the peninsula of Lavedo, lies the Villa del Balbianello, a sort of mini-Versailles, evocative and romantic. During the summer there are lots of concerts, and I honestly can’t think of a better setting. Staying with music, Como’s Teatro Sociale certainly deserves a visit. Not everyone knows, but when La Scala was bombed during the 2nd World War, the opera season was moved here. lIght fANtAstIC If you happen to pass by in Christmas time, you’ll see it at its best. The lighting is amazing and the music is always ex-

mendation would be booking the small but

PAy homAgE A real Bolognese knows that

delightful hotel called Oltre il giardino. It’s just

home is close when San Luca, up on the hill,

a block away from the city center, near the

can be seen from the motorway. It is a sanc-

Chiesa dei Frari. It is a little oasis of peace with

tuary dedicated to the Madonna of San Luca,

only six rooms and has a beautiful and very

the city’s patron saint. People say she comes

romantic garden. Clearly it’s better to book in

down to visit us at times; we certainly go up

advance, but it’s worth it.

and see her often enough—up those never-

thE rEAl VENICE Among the city’s artistic

ending steps and into the other hills too. I go

wonders, I’d choose the Ca’ d’Oro. Its façade

up there a lot whenever I need to switch off

on the Canal Grande is breathtaking even

and recharge my batteries.

though I see it every day, and the museum

stArt EArly The best aperitifs are to be had

inside, which few know about, has an impor-

at Casa Minghetti, which has tables outside

tant art collection including Mantegna’s “San

in the square. It is a place where people of

Sebastiano.” The odd thing is that Ca’ d’Oro

all ages and backgrounds come to enjoy an

is right opposite of the Rialto, therefore very

aperitif, partly thanks to the superb profes-

central, but somehow it remains isolated. It’s

sionalism of the barmen and staff.

one of those places that allow you to experi-

CoNsIdEr Books Finally, a suggestion for

ence Venice as if it’s your home.

the weekend, however unlikely it may seem,

drINks ANd A VIEw My last recommenda-

the Salaborsa Library. Apart from being in an

tion for a breakfast or a cocktail is a place that

incredibly beautiful building, below which is

few people know, a secret place called the

an archaeological site that can be visited free

Settimo Cielo Terrace in the Hotel Bauer. It’s

of charge, it also has a very full program of

one of the highest points of Venice, so there’s

cultural activities.

always a bit of a breeze. It’s never crowded and the view is breathtaking.

cellent! An initiative which I really appreciated was merging the old parks of three of the most beautiful villas in Como and using them for cultural, artistic, and scientific activities in a location called Chilometro della Conoscenza. thE BEst CroIssANts I’ll conclude with a sweet note from the Cremeria Bolla pastry shop, an institution since 1893. They bake the best croissants in Como and have an ice cream that blows your mind, a must for breakfast and snacks. And in summer, they put tables outside—you can even have lunch there.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 • E S Q U I R E 65

Style License to thriLL Clockwise from leftmost: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra James Bond Limited Edition; the Aqua Terrra’s oscillating weight resembles a gun barrel; Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition.

FOR YOUR WRIST ONLY Dress your wrist with two watches from the world of James Bond.

James Bond has always had an affinity for beautiful timepieces. In the novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963), Bond scribe Ian Fleming lists “a heavy Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an expanding metal bracelet” as the spy’s only weapons apart from his hands and feet and a Gillette razor.

On the screen, the fictional spy has worn Rolex, Breitling, Hamilton, and Seiko. But for the past two decades, 007 has chosen Omega as his watch of choice. Its first appearance was in Goldeneye (1995) where Pierce Brosnan as Bond wore a Seamaster Diver 300M. The watch with its distinctive blue dial perfectly echoed the spy’s naval history and passion for diving. Brosnan would wear the same model thrice in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). Fun thing to know: the Seamasters were fitted with gadgetry, a detonator, a grappling hook, and a laser, respectively.

With a new Bond, Daniel Craig, in Casino Royale (2006), two new Omegas were chosen: the Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial and the Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial. In Quantum of Solace (2008), Craig sported the Planet Ocean once more, while in Skyfall (2012), the Aqua Terra was introduced.

Now, as Spectre (the 24th Bond film!) hits the screens, Omega presents two watches fit for the world’s most beloved spy and you, too.

With the release of the Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition, you can finally dress your wrist with the 66 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

exact watch used in the film. Features to look out for include a bi-directional rotating diving bezel, a LiquidMetal 12-hour scale that keeps time in any country in the world (ideal for a person on the move), and the “lollipop” central seconds hands.

Of course, the watch is chock-full of Bond details, from the black-and-gray strap aka the James Bond NATO strap to the 007 gun logo engraved on the strap holder. Wearers are also given their own serial number (there are only 7,007 pieces), which will be printed on the back. This personal identity is complemented by the engraving of SPECTRE, as well.

Not to be outdone, the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, limited to 15,007 pieces, features the Bond family coat of arms.

The symbol is repeatedly interlocked to create a dynamic pattern on the blue dial. It also appears near the tip of the seconds hand, a nice touch.

But the most striking element of the Aqua Terra is the oscillating movement that can be seen on the watch’s back.

The component is cut to resemble a gun barrel, another iconic Bond motif.

No spy would be complete without his gadgetry. The Spectre is powered by the Omega Master Co-Axial calibre 8400, while the Aqua Terra is equipped with the Omega Master Co-Axial calibre 8507. What will you choose? omega.com.

Grooming NOVEMBER 2015

PLAY TO WIN To embody a new fragrance that transmits vitality and athleticism, there’s no better choice than tennis superstar Rafael Nadal. Not only is he the youngest tennis player to nab a Grand Slam, Rafa is also the second male player to complete a Career Golden Slam (that’s wins from Wimbledon, the French, Australian, and U.S. Opens, and a gold model from the 2008 Olympics). The raging bull of the clay court also holds the most French Open victories with nine titles, including five consecutive wins. No doubt he is perfect for TH Bold, a scent that fuses the energy of citrus elements (pomelo + tangerine + grapefruit + orange flower) with the power of cedar and vetiver. Light and at the same time confident, we imagine this will work well both off and on the tennis court. Forehand not included.

TH Bold (P4,090 for 100ml, P2,090 for 50 ml) by Tommy Hilfiger, Rustan’s.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 • E S Q U I R E 67

Grooming NO TICKET REQUIRED A tailored scent transports you to the Mediterranean coast.

Whiff it Unlike the orange or mandarin, bergamot is a citrus fruit used only in perfumery and flavors. The fruit is harvested in the winter months and the oil is extracted through the cold expression of the peel to ensure its quality. The bottle is an architectural pillar of glass, simple, square, sensual, and as refined as a Zegna white shirt.

Too busy to hie off to southern Italy, that paradise of coastlines, mountains, and green fields? This maybe the next best thing. “When I smell Acqua di Bergamotto, it brings me to the Mediterranean, sailing on the crystal blue waters or riding a Vespa along the narrow roads of the Amalfi Coast,” says Trudi Loren, the nose of the Estée Lauder Companies. The Italian connection is anchored on bergamot, the citrus fruit that is exclusively cultivated in Calabria and, as Loren points, at the heart of the newest fragrance from Ermenegildo Zegna. As this is by the Italian fashion house, the scent follows their tradition of tailoring. Its bergamot is grown only for Zegna and then, together with other ingredients, is carefully constructed so that the citrus stays always at the fore, “…crisp and tonic, while the other notes of rosemary and neroli bring an element of freshness.” But does it feel like walking along the beaches of the Med? Loren says her Italian husband loves the fragrance “…because it reminds him of his childhood.”

P5,400 for 100ml and P4,200 for 50ml, Rustan’s Makati.

DO NOt EAt

TasTy

What happens when you ask a renowned French pastry chef to whip up a fragrance and skincare collection just the way he wants? You get unusual combinations of “raw materials

that conjure up pleasures” and smells good enough to eat. “When I created these fragrances, it all came down to taste,” attests Pierre Hermé. And so imagine: Slightly bitter grapefruit (the white inner skin is used) combined with crisp rhubarb and a dash of piquant clove and nutmeg. Or effervescent Mandarin orange intertwined with honey and the holiday flavors of spun sugar and almond. There is a mischievous quality in the first and a caramelized undertone in the second. In other words, both are irresistible, a pleasure for the palate as it is for the nose (the ladies will love it on you). These profiles are distilled into a cologne, bath products, hand cream, and even a lip balm. A third concoction of jasmin, immortelle, and neroli is also available for women.

Rustan’s Makati.

68 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

Pamplemousse Rhubarbe soap (P260), Pamplemousse Rhubarbe shower gel (P1,100), Mel Mandarine hand cream (P510).

nOVemBeR 2015

Notes & essays Xiao CHua oN eNClaves yvette taN oN Curses PHilbert ortiz Dy oN CaCHet

ARTWORK BY IsABel sAnTOs ImAges cOuRTesY Of WesT gAlleRY

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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Notes & essays

i

LOOKING DOWN ON EACH OTHER: THE FILIPINOS AND THE CHINESE, A HISTORY OF RACISM This is not exclusive to the Chinese.

Our telenovelas can attest to that.

Xiao Chua I am a Filipino with Chinese blood. My great grandfather, who was pure Chinese, married a Filipina, making me more Filipino than Chinese—I wasn’t able to acquire the culture and the language simply because I was raised by already Filipino parents. Yet recently, my historical articles in a network website were flooded by comments basically saying, “Why should I listen to him, he is Chinese?”

I have been doing public work for years now and it’s the first time I’ve been confronted by this. I was shocked and hurt by this at first, since nothing is more important to me than my Filipino identity. It’s my only treasure.

A lot the racist sentiments understandably

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stem from the West Philippine Sea debacle.

This is despite the fact that in the past few decades an educational campaign, largely made by Kaisa Heritage Center, had stated that the Chinese and the Filipinos with Chinese heritage in the Philippines are “Tsinoys” and Filipinos. They emphasized the Chinese in Philippine life and their contribution to the building of the nation—from the Chinese who traded with the ancient kingdoms of the Philippines, to the Sangleys who provided goods and services during the colonial period, in which we shared a painful history (i.e. Chinese massacres); the participation of the ethnic Chinese and the “Tsinoy,” in the struggle for freedom—during the Philippine Revolution and the Guerrilla Resistance Movement of the Pacific War; and the continued impact of the “Tsinoy” in the Philippine economy. They emphasized that “Tsinoys” are Filipinos.

Racial slurs against the Chinese and the Tsinoys are not new. An old cartoon reproduced by Ambeth Ocampo in his book Aguinaldo’s Breakfast and Other Looking Back Essays shows the “Apat na espesyalidades ng Mga Intsik,” presumably from the early 20th century: “Para sumarap ang pancit lang-lang” shows a stereotypical Chinese guy with pig tails putting a cat in the soup; in “Para sumarap ang tsokolate,” a Chinese guy sweats himself on the drink; in “Para sumarap ang chicharon” and “Para sumarap ang tira-tira,” the Chinese guy spits on the food.

Seeing archival copies of local newspapers in Tarlac from the early 1970s made me realize that the intense nationalism and anti-colonial sentiment during that time were also directed toward the Chinese in the Philippines. Political cartoons showed big Chinese figures taking over the islands, the bed, and the dining table from small Filipino figures, with calls to uphold Philippine independence and patrimony from “aliens.”

It seems that we have been mean to the Chinese for quite some time.

But according to some Filipinos, the Chinese are also racist toward Filipinos. They point to the fact that traditional Chinese families refuse to intermarry with the local population, very similar to the Jews’ exclusivist attitude of not intermarrying with their host peoples in Europe, which eventually contributed to the anti-Semitic sentiment that would lead to the injustices and atrocities of the holocaust.

I asked my ethnic Chinese students if they were aware that China is not called China by the Chinese but Zhongguo, for Middle Kingdom. In the time of the emperors, the Chinese considered people from other lands as barbarians. I was asking them if this has something to do with their culture. They said they were unaware of this.

So if it’s not in their culture, could it be that this came as a reaction to centuries of negative racial attitudes, not just by the Filipinos, but

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by the Spaniards?

“You are right to say that the objection to intermarriage is partly a kind of defensive ethnocentrism that was reinforced by the historical racism the Chinese experienced in the Philippines under Spanish rule,” says Prof. Caroline S. Hau, professor at Kyoto University and author of The Chinese Question: Ethnicity, Nation and Region In and Beyond the Philippines, but according to her there is a more compelling reason.

Answering my questions, she said that indeed the ethnic Chinese here have a sense that they are a separate and distinct “people” (lannang), hence their “enclave”

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mentality. But this is actually a more recent phenomenon because the ethnic Chinese migrants, who for a long time were mostly men, intermarried a lot with the local population, giving rise to the large Chinese mestizo population in the country. If the Chinese were originally exclusivist, there would be no large portion of this country today exclaiming “I have Chinese blood.”

But China was wracked with turbulent historical occurrences from the late 19th century and for the next 50 years: the Chinese Revolution, the Civil War, the brutal Japanese occupation (1937-1945), and the communist takeover by 1949. Many of these Chinese migrants, which now in-

cluded women, found haven in the Philippines. For the first time it became possible to produce “Chinese families.” According to Hau, “This trend also coincided with the rising Filipino and Chinese nationalisms (backed by state policies on citizenship, education, immigration, as well as popular attitudes toward ‘Chinese’ and ‘Filipinos’) that further hardened the ‘identities’ and ‘self-identification’ of people who in earlier years would not have been so inflexible.”

But the more compelling reason for the “enclave” mentality (and according to Hau this plays “a more crucial role”) is class prejudice. The ethnic Chinese who had made a fortune would not want to marry

liberal attitude, or the Chinese who, in increasing numbers, had gone to university and as professionals get exposed to Filipino co-workers, and… fall in love. And then of course, in 1975, the state granted Filipino citizenship en masse to the Chinese population.

We Filipinos are offended when foreigners throw racist remarks our way. But we have to remind ourselves that we also have racist tendencies (toward the Indians or the blacks, for example). And this ethnocentrism is shaped by history, policy, and contemporary attitudes. Awareness that we are racist is the beginning of the solution. Avoiding racism shows our maturity as an individual and as a nation.

Speaking of the nation, it should not be defined by race, but by the feeling of wanting to be part of that nation. I dream of one nation that is also more inclusive to the many cultures and ethnicities within it.

As for my detractors, I have learned to ignore them.

I know who I am. I am Filipino.

Xiao Chua is a historian and writer.

ii

REQUIEM FOR DUCK: WHEN TRADITION REQUIRES AN ANIMAL SACRIFICE The big question, the one on everyone’s mind, was how to tell the duck’s ashes from my uncle’s. their daughters with people of the lower class—“the anxieties seem to focus especially on, for example, fears regarding a daughter eloping with the family driver, or a son marrying a dancer or waitress and such.” In other words, to keep the money in the family. If that is so, then, this is not exclusive to the Chinese. Our telenovelas can attest to that.

Despite the resistance of a certain part of the ethnic Chinese population to intermarry, it continued to happen, especially among those who moved out of the Chinese district of Binondo to have more chances of finding Filipino partners, the younger generation of parents with a more

Yvette tan We had to sacrifice a duck last year.

My uncle passed away on the same day my grand uncle—his uncle—was buried.

Two relatives from the same side of the family gone in one week. Surely, a third one would follow. This should not be allowed to go on.

Humans are hardwired to look for patterns; in a world of uncertainty, they are something substantial to cling to, as if our noticing them allows us mastery over them. The Chinese believe that things

come in threes. A string of deaths in particular, no matter how random their causes may be, must surely be cosmically linked. The word ‘curse’ never gets thrown around, except in people’s minds.

Death left unchecked, much like a virus, could be spread. Fortunately, there were ways to break the cycle, to prevent death from claiming a third.

Before we go back to the duck, I have to explain that this isn’t the first time we’d had to break a string of deaths in the family. The first time was when my grandfather died in ‘83 from lung cancer, barely three weeks after his brother passed away. The remedy, they said, was to chop a wooden plank just as the hearse left the funeral parlor. It had to be a clean chop, they said, to cleanly break the curse. My aunt remembered the employee tasked to do it (it can’t be done by a family member), how he nervously practiced on different pieces of wood beforehand. Needless to say, he did a stellar job, and no one followed.

Who ‘they’ are, exactly, and how ‘they’ determine what should be done to break family curses, remains a mystery to this day. Any Chinese funeral tradition expert in the Philippines (there are always one or two on the funeral circuit, ready to assist grieving families who have no idea what the dead require in the afterlife, mainly because to actively dwell on these things during times of good fortune was thought to invite bad luck, unless you’re making money off it, of course) will tell you that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Chinese funeral practices, and what should be done will depend on family consensus. Their job, they say, is simply to lay out the options. I don’t know who the family consulted with when my grandfather passed away, but I was there when we consulted with Uncle Tony, a freelance Filipino-Chinese funeral expert, when my dad passed away, and with a guy I only ever knew as Jason, connected with Sanctuarium, the hotel-like funeral parlor and columbarium along Araneta Avenue (different from another columbarium on the same road named The Columbarium), when my uncle died, 10 years later. They both said the same thing: That all they can offer are options; in the end, it’s what the family decides on that counts.

Uncle Tony said that this is because the Chinese in the Philippines, most of whom left the Mainland before it became what it is today (family lore says our Tan ancestor arrived during the Spanish era), brought a hodgepodge of traditions with them that, over time, many of their descendants forgot how to use, though they remembered that they had to observe them at some point. Though many Chinese Filipinos are still connected to the old ways, observing Chinese religious festivals and going

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to temple, our family, starting from my grandparents on both sides (and my greatgrandmother on my mother’s side), were Christians, so we had to rely on experts in Chinese tradition when unfortunate events like deaths arose, because even the most Westernized Chinese person will suddenly look to tradition if it means breaking a string of bad luck. And what could be more unlucky than the end of a life?

The second time we had to break a death curse was when my father died.

This time, the curse had been stretched out, so no one saw the pattern until my father had passed, and by then, he was already the third victim. My eldest uncle— my mom’s eldest sister’s husband—had passed away two years before, and my second eldest uncle—my mom’s second eldest sister’s husband—passed away a year before. When my father passed away— the third husband in three years—that’s when everyone started to worry. There were five girls in my mother’s family, all of them married, so even though my father was already the third victim (things come in threes, remember?) we had to break the curse anyway, just to be on the safe side. This time, an employee had to break a palayok filled with water that was tied to the back of the hearse before it left for the cemetery. A small argument broke out on who had to do it, because even the non-Chinese were afraid of being contaminated by what everyone now believed was death contagious. It was only after being convinced that it wouldn’t get passed on to them as long as they weren’t family members that a brave soul, I think it was my dad’s foreman Mang Lando, came forward and smashed the pot. It’s simple sympathetic magic—spill water as you break something made from earth, and you break the curse. I am happy to say that the remaining husbands are alive to this day.

Which brings us, finally, to the duck.

My dad’s uncle had passed away last

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year due to old age (extreme old age, by the way, is the only time the Chinese may ‘celebrate’ a death. Basically, a life lived past 90—again, the age will depend on the family—is a life well-lived). My mom attended the funeral, but us kids didn’t because we had work.

I was at work when I got a call from my aunt, looking for my mom, who wasn’t picking up her phone.

“She’s at your second uncle’s funeral,” I said (familial relationships are so much easier to explain in Chinese).

“Please contact her and tell her your uncle D. passed away,” she said. “We need her help.”

My uncle, my dad’s younger brother, had been bedridden for years after suffering a series of strokes. He passed away around the time his uncle was being buried. Clearly, this was a bad sign.

One last segue before we get to the duck: My mother works as a real estate agent, and as a funeral services agent, the latter an absurdly perfect calling for the mother of a horror writer. She had to take a job after my father passed away, something that she lamented at first, but later grew to love as working gave her confidence, self-respect, and most importantly, cash. This segue is also here because I’m going to get reprimanded if I don’t mention her work. She’s really good at her job so if you need a house for yourself or funeral arrangements for a loved one, please look her up and tell her I sent you. She’ll give you a discount.

My uncle had bought a funeral plan from my mom years before he died, so as the agent assigned to him (as well as being his sister-in-law), she had to make sure that everything was in place. That we found a beautiful coffin, that the room was well-maintained, and that long-forgotten traditions were followed. That a curse had to be broken was clear from the start; two blood relatives had passed away just a week or so from each other. Something had to be done so that a third would not

follow. At some point, a duck was mentioned. Nobody said no to that.

There’s a reason why it has to specifically be a duck. A duck is ‘a’ in Hokkien (pronounced kind of like the tail end of a quack). It also sounds like the word ‘a,’ which means ‘to send off.’ So by sacrificing a duck, a family is effectively sending it off. A life in exchange for a life. There you go, Mr. Death. Please leave us alone.

Jason okayed it.

A bun was placed on my uncle’s coffin the night before he was cremated, though no one could explain why. When you grow up Christian (and by this I mean Catholic and Protestant alike), you forget why you have to do things, you just do them because someone says so, and you want to cover all bases, not because you don’t have faith in your God, but because you want to show people that you did everything you could. Then it was time for the burning.

There are, apparently, people who specialize in this sort of thing. A funeral duck costs about P2,000, but that’s because

it comes with a handler, a guy who will hold it patiently while the funeral goes on, and later, place it, all tied up, next to the body on the cremation table. Our duck was quiet throughout the funeral ceremonies, only making a fuss toward the end, when the handler brought it toward the cremation table. It sounds, I remember thinking, remarkably like a frightened puppy. And then the oven was turned on, and we tried to forget about everything.

Animal sacrifice in Chinese-Filipino funerals aren’t uncommon. My maternal great-grandmother had a live chicken buried in the crypt with her, and a friend of mine said that her maternal greatgrandmother was buried with a live turtle, while ceremonies were performed on a duck, which was then set loose in the Manila Chinese Cemetery. She asked if the duck was in danger of being eaten by the people—usually caretakers—who lived near and within the cemetery, and was answered that the ducks were left alone because the one time someone caught and

slaughtered one such duck, the family that ate it all got stomach aches that lasted for days. It’s all the same principle: a life for a life, Mr. Death; please leave us alone.

Of course everyone felt sorry for the poor duck. But better a random animal bred for the purpose than another person, right? Right? The big question, the one on everyone’s mind, was how to tell the duck’s ashes from my uncle’s. Don’t worry about it, Jason said. And indeed we shouldn’t have.

Because after the cremation was completed, there was a small mound of ash next to my uncle’s scattered ash and bone. I’m not sure what they did with the duck’s remains, only that they were separated from my uncle’s, which were put through a bone grinder before being sealed in a plastic bag and placed in a velvet bag, which then went into his urn. And yes, no one followed after.

Yvette tan writes horror fiction and is a writer-at-large for esquire PhiliPPines.

III

SCREEN NAMES Mano Po doesn’t really count.

I’ve yet to meet the family that spends all their time dressed in cheongsams and hanfus.

PhIlbert OrtIz Dy My middle name is “Ortiz.” It is a naturalized name, and is no indication of any Spanish or Filipino blood among my ancestors, not that anyone could ever mistake me for a mestizo. It is a name that offers me little in the way of roots, “Ortiz” having been practically selected at random by my maternal grandmother decades ago. It is a Spanish surname that apparently means “Son of Orti.” I’m pretty sure there’s never been an Orti in my family. I’m not even sure there are any Ortis out there at all.

When I first became a professional writer, I decided that my byline would read “Philbert Ortiz Dy.” This was mostly done because I thought a longer byline would look better. I don’t think I was having a crisis of identity at the time, but in that choice is the implicit suggestion that I thought Chinese names weren’t aesthetically pleasing.

Because they aren’t; at least, in the way that we read them here in the Philippines.

There is implicit poetry in a European-derived name, the etymological roots apparent in the succession of syllables. There are stories being told through surnames. The simple name “Cruz,” for example, denotes devotion. “Villanueva,” indicates an ancestry of pioneers and settlers. And even when they mean little more than “son of Orti,” they offer lingering sounds that give them a sense of grace and musicality.

“Dy,” in comparison, feels diminutive.

It is one hard syllable, one that might be made on accident when you stub your toe.

There is, of course, a story to be told about the name, too, but it doesn’t come across in the Romanized version. The Chinese written language is made up of pictograms, and through that lens my surname is symbolic of the plum fruit, which legend has it, was what a mother and a son subsisted on while on the run from an especially cruel Shang dynasty king.

Of course, I didn’t know all that at the time. And even if I did, I honestly don’t put much stock in my connection to an ancient legend that may or may not be true. I have never been ashamed of my Chinese roots, but I have never really felt that much of a connection to them, either. My thinking

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couldn’t have gone much further than “my name looks short in print.” In choosing a version of my name that would represent me to a world of readers, it came down to how it looked.

But that’s not nothing. It’s probably the same reason that led Dennis Trillo to omit the “Ho” from his name. It’s probably the same logic that turned Love Ongpauco into Heart Evangelista. This might not seem like that big of a deal. After all, people change their names all the time in show business. But when I was a kid, there

community in our movies and television shows at all. And no, Mano Po doesn’t really count. I’ve yet to meet the family that spends all their time dressed in cheongsams and hanfus.

And so, it could be taken as progress that two of the biggest stars in the country right now are Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, two Filipino-Chinese actors with very Chinese names. “Chiu,” is a variation of “Zhao,” which is a very old Chinese name with links to a great dynasty. “Lim” means “forest,” and is another Chinese surname

These are the small victories that I celebrate in this time of weird conflict. There is too much to unpack in the arguments regarding the place of the Filipino-Chinese in society as a whole. There is too much history to consider, too many old attitudes that can’t really be reasonably explained or refuted. But there are these names out there right now that I rarely saw before.

This is probably a bit of a stretch, but there is the acceptance that being other isn’t really all that bad of a thing. Or maybe we’ve just gotten to the point where having a

were so few people I could recognize as being like me in the entertainment industry. That the handful that actually make it in would have to change their names felt somewhat significant to the young man searching for identity.

This goes into the attitudes of the entertainment industry as a whole, which actually involves plenty of Filipino-Chinese behind the curtain. This goes into the perception of the insular Chinese community, preferring to stay hidden away from the rest of the country. This goes into the idea that Filipinos didn’t want to see Chinese people, who they perceived as other and couldn’t relate on screen with. This goes into the fact that there hasn’t been a lot of representation of the Filipino-Chinese

that seems to have emerged because of people running away from the same crazy Shang king.

The meaning behind their names isn’t immediately apparent, of course, but the history is represented in the use. And though the two rarely play characters that reflect any meaningful Chinese heritage, just the fact that they’re using their Chinese names contributes to creating a new normal in the industry. As people who move within pop culture, these Chinese names enter the collective unconscious, making them sound less harsh, less indicative of whatever cultural baggage people attach to these names. They are simply the names of two people that are liked by a large number of people.

Chinese name isn’t so other after all.

I am no son of Orti, but I’m probably going to keep using the middle name in most of my bylines. I’ve used it enough over the years that it’s just become part of my own story. We do not choose our own names, and we have no say in the history that turned these syllables into families. But we are given every opportunity to impart our own meaning to these identifiers. And in my story, “Ortiz” is as Chinese a name as anything else. It’s still me, after all.

76 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

Philbert Ortiz Dy is a film critic anD a writer-at-large fOr esquire PhiliPPines.

STYLEAGENDA FIND TIME

POLISHED CLASSIC The Mexico 66 Metallic Pack is Onitsuka Tiger’s latest release that pays homage to its preOlympic roots. In 1966, they introduced a shoe, formerly known as The Limber, adorned with the distinctive crossed stripes that are now synonymous with the brand. Two years later, they would garner global attention during the Olympic Games in Mexico. Half a century later, the Mexico 66 is still as iconic as it was during the Pre-Olympic Trials, and shines even brighter with the new colorway.

There’s no such thing as lost time with the new technology installed on SEVENFRIDAY watches. The V-Series (and from now all new watch models) are equipped with a NFC chip. The device allows watch authentication with the SEVENFRIDAY mobile application. Scan the watch with a NFC-enabled mobile phone to check its authenticity. The app will immediately show a positive or negative result. Owners of chipinstalled SEVENFRIDAY watches can register via the SEVENFRIDAY mobile app. Watches can only be registered by one user. A number of other useful after sales services and community features for registered owners are already being planned. The V-Series also features a brand new case shape, new visual complications, and a fast strap changer.

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS

FOR YOUR GIRL Radley, the British premium handbag and accessories brand is in Manila. Founded in 1998 in the heart of London

by Lowell Harder, Radley was born out of a passion for making bags for women that just “work”. The brand has evolved over the years into a British icon of affordable luxury. Radley designs, retails, and distributes a range of handbags, small leather goods, luggage, workbags, eyewear, watches and accessories. Blending creative design, quality materials and immaculate craftsmanship, Radley products are colorful, surprising and achieve the perfect union of beauty on the outside and function on the inside. In the Philippines, Radley is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc. and is located at Shangri-La Plaza. Visit www.ssilife. com.ph for more information.

At Midas, upgrading to the Club Floor means upgrading one’s level of comfort. Guests staying on the Executive Floors have access to the re-stylized Midas Executive Lounge—a destination for relaxing and socializing while enjoying farreaching views over the city’s famous boulevard. It offers guests a relaxed ambience and host of complimentary benefits. The lounge is a private haven reserved for Executive Room and Executive Suite guests. Located on the 9th floor, the lounge offers amenities such as complimentary private breakfast, daily newspapers and lifestyle magazines, coffee table books, internet access and afternoon tea.

Guests get to enjoy the finest rhythms, chill out tracks during Sunset Session Cocktails from 6:00-8.30pm as you casually sip signature Midas handcrafted cocktails. Other Executive Floor benefits include personal check-in and check-out at the lounge, all-day complimentary beverages, a dedicated welcoming team, and Wi-Fi access. Book your future stay at the Executive Floor via midashotelandcasino.com or call 902 0100. To stay connected follow @midashotelandcasino for social scenes.

STYLEAGENDA ROLL TO RECOVERY

SIDESHOW STOPPER The Sipario sideboard is distinguished by its sleek essential design. Its elegant and practical lines are ideal for modern interiors. Designed for everyday use, the contemporary unit comes in a range of configurations with push-pull magnetclosing doors and drawers, and is the perfect storage solution for any home. The showstopping sideboard is part of this year’s collection from Calligaris Studio. Founded in 1923, Calligaris has become known for its ability to combine form and function while remembering the most important component: quality. Each Calligaris piece is treated with the same passion as those built under the handcrafting tradition of the company’s founder, Antonio Calligaris. To appreciate the Sipario and more exquisite furniture, visit Furnitalia at 30th Street Corner Rizal Drive, Crescent Park, West Bonifacio Global City.

Chris Sports, home to leading sports and fitness equipment, introduces the break everyone needs from their training program. The SKLZ Cold Roller Ball is an innovative recovery tool that combines targeted massage with ice therapy to reduce inflammation. It is made of smooth stainless steel so it glides smoothly over the skin, and has insulated gel that prevents the ball from getting too cold. Available at Chris Sports.

DESIGN-DRIVEN

HEAVENLY BODIES In its 2015 collections, Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre takes inspiration from the skies and pays high tribute to astronomy. The sky harbors the origins of time, while the sun, moon, and stars are the keys that enabled humankind to tame this impalpable phenomenon. In its new creations, Jaeger-LeCoultre illustrates the phenomena observed by ancient civilizations and which punctuate our daily lives. To embody magnetic celestial beauty, Jaeger-LeCoultre opted for materials such as meteorite stone and lapis lazuli. The artisans of the Jaeger-LeCoultre have crafted meteorites into timepieces. These rare and mysterious materials are an integral part in the design of the watches. Above and beyond their utility, the very nature of Jaeger-LeCoultre is to offer watches that are an elegant scaled-down interpretation of the surrounding universe. Each watch is destined to make hearts of devotees of fine objects beat a little faster. They can thus eagerly look forward to discovering models such as the Duometre Spherotourbillon Moon with its infinitely accurate moon-phase display.

Many well-designed spaces dedicated to the finer things in life are popping up. But British luxury menswear brand, Dunhill, realized that the millions of sports bars, cafes, or car dealerships, aren’t all what men need and want.

Dunhill understands that discerning motoring men also desire a showcase of exquisite driving accessories and apparel. Which is why the century-old shop that provides “everything but the motor”, has reinvigorated the Dunhill Motorities concept through pop-up stores the world over. These multi-dimensional spaces, which incorporate various aspects of the motoring man’s lifestyle, celebrate Dunhill’s heritage and modernity. Filipinos who want to step into the Motorities world and view the collections can visit the Dunhill pop-up at The Paragon on Orchard Road, Singapore. The Formula One Grand Prix-inspired space will be open until March 2016.

BY INVITATION ONLY

THREE STORES THAT CHARM

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Cortefiel has opened its third store in the Philippines. Created in 1946, Cortefiel caters to men and women with a youthful outlook on life and an open, inquiring mind. Through its collections, the brand lets one discover a fashion alternative of the latest looks and styles, yet still includes quality and comfort in mind. Cortefiel, the original Grupo Cortefiel brand from Spain, is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street, Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons, and Glorietta 3. Visit www.ssilife.com.ph for more information.

5 1. Cortefiel’s Franchise Director Ignacio Orusco; 2. Rob Navarro and Alexander Aronson; 3. Lexi Schulze and Javi Berenguer-Testa; 4. Models donning the sophisticated and contemporary Fall-Winter 2015 Collection of Cortefiel; 5. Cortefiel Flagship Store in Central Square

OKTOBERFEST FEVER Close to 4,000 guests flocked to the Harbor Garden Tent at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila to catch the 77th Oktoberfest fever. The two-night event had the GermanFilipino community and friends singing “Ein Prosit Ein Prosit” and dancing all night long with the world-famous Bavarian Sound Express band who flew in all the way from Munich.

Guests experienced an authentic Oktoberfest.

Musicians played all-time favorite Bavarian and English tunes to which guests danced and sang along. The Harbor Garden Tent was converted into an authentic Biergarten or beer garden with Oktoberfest tables and benches. Ladies donned the dirndl and gentlemen in their lederhosen adding to the spirit of Oktoberfest.

From the opening of the first keg, beer was freeflowing and a sumptuous Bavarian spread prepared by the Master Chefs of Sofitel for everyone to enjoy. The feast featured more than 9,000 liters of beer and two tons of German sausages that were consumed in a span of two days.

“The Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila is delighted to continue to be the home of Oktoberfest for the next three years. We have seen how Oktoberfest has helped promote camaraderie among the Filipinos and Germans and we are extremely pleased to have contributed to this. The German-Filipino community can expect more excitement and thrill next year,” said Adam Laker, Sofitel Philippine Plaza General Manager.

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1.Tapping of the barrel: German Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Thomas Ossowski, German Club House Committee Chairman Gerhard Zimmer, German Club President, German Club President Claus Sudhoff and Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila General Manager Adam Laker; 2. Sofitel team with Director of Sales and Marketing Alice Jenkins; 3. Entrance of the Bavarian Sound Express band; 4. Guests dancing to the Fliegerlied song; 5. The crowd dancing to the music of the Bavarian Sound Express; 6. (L-R): Bloggers AJ Dee, Rhea Bue, Kat Valdez, Vina Guerrero, David Guison, Niche Dumlao and Nikita Conwi

It Must Be Tadhana

Congresswoman Leni Robredo, the only female vice presidential candidate, talks to writerdirector Antoinette Jadaone about hugot films, taking 10-hour bus rides, and the difficult decision she made with her children.

PhotograPhed by Jake Verzosa

82 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

A

AnToineTTe

JAdAone :

Pa’no ko po ba kayo tatawagin?

L e n i R o b R e d o : Leni.

Leni lang.

A J : Leni lang? Di ako sanay.

Ma’am Leni.

L R : I’m not too old naman.

A J : Napanood n’yo na po ba ang Heneral Luna?

L R : Oo pero hindi ako nakapag-concentrate I was in the middle of so much. I watched it days before the announcement [of my candidacy]. So that was the time that I was dealing with the children.

Kaya sinasabihan ko sila, let’s watch it again.

A J : Inisip ko kasi, di ba ang tagline ng film: Bayan o Sarili?

L R : Bayan o sarili. To a certain extent, parang it jolts you. But the circumstances then were so much harder than they are now. Kung noon nga nakapagsakripisyo ng gano’n di ba? Although very quirky kasi ang character, parang iba naman ako do’n.

A J : Ano po’ng last Pinoy film that you’ve seen?

L R : Naku, matagal-tagal na, teka... A Love Affair? Mahilig ako sa Tagalog films.

Pero I wasn’t able to watch Etiquette ( for Mistresses).

Iyan ang hilig namin ng mga anak ko.

A J : Ah, you usually watch with your girls.

L R : With my kids, oo. Pero yung Love Affair, I watched with colleagues in Congress.

First day.

A J : Wow, first day!

L R : Nagkayayaan. It was a Wednesday. Parang first day,

maagang natapos ang session.

A J : How did you find it?

L R : Okay naman. Parang masyadong safe para sa akin.

Pero, ako kasi I’m not really fond of very serious films that will make you think. Hindi ako ‘yun e.

A J : What kind of movies po?

L R : [That Thing Called] Tadhana, English Only Please, movies that will relax you. I like very easy movies na intelligent ang take. Pero parang feel-good.

A J : Sa Hollywood or nonPinoy films, what was the last movie na napanood n’yo?

L R : Di ko na maalala.

A J : Ibig sabihin Pinoy films talaga ‘yung pinapanood n’yo?

L R : Ay oo, Pinoy. May recent pa pala akong napanood. ‘Yung Breakup Playlist ba ‘yun?

A J : Oo, sa amin din po ‘yun.

L R : Ah sa ‘yo din?

A J : Ako po nagsulat. (laughs) L R : Oh my god! Gusto ko ‘yon. Ganu’n ‘yung type ko, love story na parang comedy, ‘yung easy. Pero intelligent ang take. Ayoko namang masyadong pa-cute.

A J : Sa industry namin, parang kapag girl filmmaker ka, director ka, madali lang magka-work.

L R : Ah, talaga? Dahil ‘yun ang gusto ng tao?

A J : Siguro, kasi karamihan ng mga directors sa atin ngayon, babae. Direk Cathy (Garcia-Molina)...

L R : Oo si Cathy. Cathy is from my province (Camarines Sur).

A J : Oh! Okay. Si Direk Cathy, si Direk Mae (Czarina Mae Cruz), Direk Joyce CONTINUED NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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(Bernal), Olivia Lamasan.

Parang ngayon ang time ng mga women directors, iniisip ko kasi, in your case, like now, you’re the only woman VP candidate... ganu’n din po ba sa Congress? l r : Ang tingin ko, ang babae, mas okay sa detalye. Parang ang lalake, mas cerebral, mas organized. Ang babae tingin ko, parang mas maayos na implementor, may nakikitang hindi nakikita ng lalake. Lahat ng angles nakikita. Not that I think it’s bad, pero parang iba lang. Ewan ko sa filmmaking kung ganu’n. aj: Siguro sa filmmaking, sa pagdidirek po, kapag babae kasi, usually ang romantic comedies, ang audience, babae. l r : Kaya mas kuha n’yo kung ano’ng gusto? a j : Oo. Kaya kapag dinidirek siguro ang mga kilig, parang tine-take ang place nu’ng kunyari kay Piolo-Sarah sa Breakup Playlist, parang... l r : ... Ang gwapo du’n ni Piolo, grabe... (laughs) a j : (laughs) Gwapo naman po s’ya lagi. Parang kapag woman director, ite-take mo ‘yung place nu’ng leading lady kung ano’ng gusto mong gawin sa ‘yo ng leading man. l r : Ano ba ‘yung mga Fili84 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

pino romantic movies na lalake ‘yung nag-direct, pero successful? a j : Breakup Playlist po. l r : Sino ‘yung director nu’n? a j : Boyfriend ko po, si Dan. (laughs) Si Dan Villegas. l r : Oh my god! Pero ikaw naman ang writer. You never had any hand in directing, parang influencing him how things will work out? a j : Nagdi-discuss po kami ng eksena. Kunyari may isang kilig na eksena, nagdi-discuss kami.

Sinasabi ko kung ano ang nakikita ko as a writer. l r : Sinunod naman? a j : Hindi. l r : (laughs) a j : Kasi parang kapag lalake, ayaw nila nu’ng malalaking declarations. Nandidiri sila, parang “Talaga? Hindi gagawin ng lalake ‘yan.” So, siguro bilang si Piolo kasi ang mas naging umangat sa Breakup Playlist kasi lalake ang director... so parang ‘yun ang natutukang emotion. l r : Pero ang galing ng dialogue sa (That Thing Called) Tadhana. a j : Thank you po. l r : Ako, pinanood ko muna ‘yun with my kids, gustonggusto ko. Inaya ko sila. Isang grupo kami. Tapos nang bumalik kami sa Manila, mga con-

gressmen naman, inaya ko sila.

Tapos nu’ng pagpunta ko sa Brazil, du’n sa parang DubaiRio flight papunta, meron, eh di pinanood ko. Pabalik, pinanood ko ulit. Gusto ko talaga s’ya. a j : Anong masasabi n’yo sa women in Congress and Senate, parang sobrang konti. Does it matter? l r : It doesn’t matter much compared to how relevant the numbers are sa ibang countries. Kasi sa ibang countries parang merong quota. Pero sa atin, I don’t think that’s very necessary na magkaro’n ng quota kasi hindi naman tayo, parang hindi naman deprived in terms of opportunities to lead. Siguro ‘yung sa atin, structure, culture. Halimbawa sa family, parang if you belong to a political family, ang presumption is that the men in the family are more likely to enter politics than women.

Pero it’s not because women are regarded as the weaker sex as far as our culture is concerned. Hindi. Sa atin, ‘yung economic empowerment. Lalo sa grass roots. Ang pinakaissue ng women, economic empowerment. Kasi parang they’re expected to take care of the family, the house. They don’t have as much opportunity to earn as the husband.

Ang problema, kapag merong violence inside the home, if the abused woman knows that she is being violated by the partner, tinitiis, willing to take on the abuse because they’re not economically empowered.

Parang it is better to suffer the abuse but the children are with you, than leave the house, and leave the children behind because you’re not in a position to take care of them. Sad reality sa grass roots, na palagay ko sa urban, lalo sa Metro Manila, hindi masyadong in question. Mas maraming opportunities ang mga babae dito. Kaya sa amin, sa distrito ko, ini-empower ang mga kababaihan, even if they’re at home taking care of the children, may opportunity pa din to earn no matter how little. Kasi kapag merong sariling kita, they are in a better position to fight for their rights rather than being fully dependent on the partner. a j : Divorce? Would you ever support it? l r : Having been a family lawyer for a long time, we have a law that is almost equivalent to divorce. Pero ang implementation, hindi favorable sa babae, at hindi favorable sa hindi mayaman. Very prohibitive ang cost. Pa- CONTINUED

M a k E U p i ya y u j u i c o h a I R c at s d e l r o s a r i o S h O t O N l O c at I O N at d u s i t t h a n i M a n i l a c l u b f l o o r

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rang kapag walang capacity to pay the costs incidental to the declaration of nullity, tinitiis na lang nila. Necessary ang divorce if ma-e-equalize ang inequalities. Pero kung hindi lang unequal ang implementation ngayon, palagay ko wala nang necessity kasi meron namang batas na parang divorce.

Ang batas na pang-divorce, okay in the sense ang worry ng Catholic Church sa divorce, integrity ng family, parang so many people will jump into marriage without thinking about it seriously. Pero you can still get off the marriage given the grounds. Ang mga mayayaman nakakapagpa-nullify pero ang mga mahihirap, kahit very abusive na ang relationship, hindi. Sad. Sana ma-amend ‘yung law to equalize. Kapag naayos ‘yon, palagay ko, hindi na necessity ang divorce.

AJ: How about same sex marriage?

L R : As a Catholic, I don’t think I’d go for it, pero I think government should legalize it. Kasi it’s the obligation of government to make sure that rights should be universal regardless of religion, sex, gender. Halimbawa, as a Catholic, dapat obligasyon ng simbahan namin to take care of the morals and values of the flock. Pero ang gobyerno dapat assures that rights should be protected, and that includes getting married to a person of the same sex.

A J : Nang in-announce po kayo ni Mar as running mate, curious lang ako kung meron bang times na parang pag-uwi n’yo, kapag nag-iisa ka na, naisip ninyo na “Dapat di ako umoo,” parang “Ano ‘tong pinasok ko?”

L R : Hindi naman. Hindi parati ko s’yang iniisip na “Ano ba ‘yan, ano ba ‘tong pinasok ko?” Pero hindi naman parang regret. Parang it took a lot of pain sa part ko, ng mga anak ko, before I finally said

yes. We took everything into consideration kaya buo talaga ang decision. So it’s not like nagre-regret ako. Pero ‘yung ano lang... halimbawa, sinamahan ako ng mga anak ko sa pag-file. Absent tuloy ang dalawa kong anak sa school, you get guilty na you’re putting your children through all this. Tapos ngayon, ordinarily, we get to eat dinner together, pero this week, we haven’t eaten one single dinner together.

Parang iyan ang tatanungin mo ng “Will it be worth all the sacrifice?” kasi s’yempre single parent ako. Iniisip ko, kung buhay sana asawa ko, s’ya na lang, tapos nariyan ako, parang may support system sa mga anak ko. Buo. Pero ngayon I’m both a father and a mother. So when I’m away, ang eldest daughter ko, just 27 years old, acts as co-parent. When I go home weekly to my district, stop ang buhay n’ya. Hindi s’ya lalabas sa gabi kasi s’ya ang nanaytatay. Ang mga assignments ng mga kapatid, tutulong siya mag-aalaga. Parang you think it’s unfair, di ba?

A J : What made them say yes?

L R : We prayed very hard.

Parang iniisip daw nila “If Papa were alive...” Kung buhay pa ang tatay nila, he would have wanted me to say yes dahil hindi tatalikuran ang sense of mission, hindi tatalikuran ang service. Sa point of view nila, kung buhay ang tatay nila, at ako pa din ang nakasalang, he would have wanted them to support me hundred percent.

I was only given two weeks to really think about it. Initially, I was so closed to the idea. Pinakiusapan ako if I can at least be open. The first week or the first 10 days, talagang saradong-sarado ako.

After that, I have been praying, I have been consulting my friends na priests and nuns. I woke up one day feeling like I am meant to do this pero ayaw na ayaw ng mga anak ko. Iyan

ang struggle. I told my children “You know I have prayed hard. In my heart, I think this is something that I am meant to do but I won’t do it without your blessings.” Ayaw talaga nila pero kasi siguro... kasi all of them were born when their dad was mayor already. So the sense of obligation, realization that you have responsibilities bigger than yourself. That’s the one side. The other side, parang ‘yung instinct for selfpreservation. If they agree to this, parang we will all be in the line of fire. Lalo pa ngayon in the age of social media.

Everything can get so unfair, parang we’re not used to this.

Kahit matagal naging public servant ang asawa ko, we were able to maintain our privacy.

Tapos ‘yung tanong na “How much of this are we giving up?” Sinasabi ko sa mga anak ko na baka ‘yung election period could be unsettling pero after that, ang mas worry nila, if we win. If I win. Kasi ang naaalala na nila na model ng vice presidents, s’yempre si VP Binay. Parang he got entangled in so many... sabi ko naman, hindi naman siguro gano’n.

If I win, we will be giving up some, but I think we can also chart our own course. May 15-year-old pa ako.Tinatanong niya: “Mama, ‘pag nanalo ka, magkakaro’n ako ng security [aides]?” (laughs) Kaya sinasabi ko, siguro hindi naman. Sabi ko, baka si Mama magkaroon. (laughs) Tapos ‘yung tanong na “Papaano ‘yun? Magbu-bus ka pa ba pauwi?” Kasi I take the bus every week. Sabi ko, pwede naman makahanap ng middle ground. Iyon ang mga question na “Are you willing to embrace a different kind of life?” Parang right now, we live in a small condo unit owned by my mother-in-law. Tapos ‘yung tanong ng mga anak ko “Papa’no ‘yan, ‘pag nanalo ka, kailangan ba tayong umalis dito?” Ang worries ta-

laga nila, papa’no kung manalo?

Will it change our lives? Sabi ko, siguro that will be the challenge.

Kasi parang very, very private kami even if my husband was a public official, even if I’m a public official now, to a very large extent, we were able to maintain the kind of persons that we were before we entered [politics].

Pero ‘yung vice presidency kasi syempre, kahit papa’no, you will attract more attention. Para sa akin, one day at a time na lang (laughs).

Every day when I wake up and before I sleep, I pray not only for strength or guidance, clarity sa tanong na “Why I’m here, why I’m doing this?” Kasi there’s always a danger that you will lose yourself in the process. What will help me is the awareness of my vulnerabilities.

Ang daming pumasok sa public service with only the very best of intentions, pero somewhere along the way, parang they lose track of the reasons why they’re there in the first place. Kahit noong day one after I won, natatakot ako na parang this was never in the horizon. The most that I was targeting was to be appointed as a Regional Trial Court judge. That was the game plan of my life. Kahit papaano, you receive privileges that you have not been enjoying before.

AJ: So, how much of you has changed? Or, na-retain mo ba yung ikaw ngayon?

LR: To a considerable degree, oo, na-retain. I have been hardheaded about it. Parang ang daming nagagalit sa akin, in my circle. Halimbawa, iyong pagbu-bus. Sasabihin nila: “Bakit gagawin mo ‘yan pwede ka namang mag-eroplano?” Pero, I think it helps me, it keeps me grounded. Totoong mahirap, it’s a 10-hour trip. Tapos, my district is big, may mountains, coastal, riverside. Tapos most of the politicians, merong sariling speedboat, may helicopter.

Ang mga mayayaman sa amin, they are lending CONTINUED NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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theirs for my use. Ang feeling nga ng mga kalaban ko, masyado akong OA; masyado naman itong nagdra-drama kasi nakabangka. Pero you have to insist on that. Halimbawa ngayon, iyong pag-iikot. Sabi ko sa team, “Pwede bang gawin nating rule na, as much as possible, commercial [flight].”

Kahit pa may magpapahiram [ng eroplano]. Kasi natatakot ako, what if I start enjoying it, kasi convenient di ba? But I do realize, there would be times I would need to. Pero kapag hindi naman kailangan, it is very important that I go through the same kind of difficulties as ordinary mortals do. It gives you a sense of your core.

A J : Papano mo po ini-instill sa three kids na “normal tayo”?

L R : When my husband was still alive, parang he was very successful in keeping the family, keeping us away from politics. Halimbawa, our house in Naga, it’s an apartment. It’s where we lived since 1996. It’s an apartment owned by the family of my husband. We occupy one small unit. We don’t have space to entertain guests.

So, nakabuti ‘yun sa amin in the sense na we were so used to being very private. In the province kasi, if you are mayor, or if you’re a local politician, people hang out in your house.

That’s where they eat, that’s where they sleep, that’s where they do everything. Because we lived in a very small unit, we don’t have space for that.

Ang asawa ko mayor, pero parang trabaho lang. It was not a lifestyle. It was just work.

Lumaki ang mga anak ko, they have friends who have doctorfathers, lawyer-fathers, sila, ang tatay nila mayor. Trabaho.

Ang daddy nila, very involved sa kanila, so it’s not as if they grew up privileged.

86 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

I mean, ngayon, meron naman kaming driver, isa, so sometimes, they would need to commute. Wala silang kasama. Kaya it was so difficult

iniisip ko lang kasi, ngayon, administrasyon ako. There’s no more PDAF. Parang ako, dahil administrasyon ako, parang marami akong naitutulong

entered politics I was very active in community work. I was with an NGO for a long time and we were always advocating for change in policies,

Despite the fact that you have all the limitations, I still took the leap of faith.

It just felt right. Every day I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I know I am.

for them to agree [to the VP candidacy]. Parating sinasabi ng asawa ko dati, huwag tayo d’yan, kasi baka magustuhan natin (ang privileges). Kapag nagustuhan, baka masanay tayo. The kids grew up na walang sense of entitlement.

Nothing special. Now that I’m getting more attention, iyong anak kong bunso, nasa Philippine Science (High School).

Sa PTA, dati gustong-gusto niyang pumupunta ako. Like this Saturday, card-getting. Sabi n’ya, “Mom, sabi ng teacher ‘pag wala daw grade na less than two, pwedeng ibigay na lang sa kanila ‘yung card. The parents do not have to go, I am one of those, so you don’t have to go.”

Sabi ko “I will go kasi I always get your card naman.”

Sabi n’ya “No, there’s a different policy na. Don’t go na lang kasi baka marami pa silang magpa-picture.” Parang source of embarassment pa, di ba?

AJ: Bakit VP? Why not re-election?

L R : Many things. Una, talagang re-election ang aking choice. Pero, I don’t know if I have to say this, pero ‘yung

sa amin especially the more problematic areas in my district. Like ‘yung disaster preparedness. ‘Yung matagal nang hindi naibibigay sa amin na mga dikes, saka mga seawalls sa mga coastal communities, ngayon naibigay na.

For a very long time kasi, opposition ang asawa ko. Iniisip ko lang, since there’s no more PDAF, mag-congressman ako tapos hindi ko kasundo ang pangulo, wala akong madadalang tulong sa amin. It was a minor consideration until there was an opportunity to try for the senate. I will try to make myself known, if my numbers pick up before filing, then I will give it a try. Kasi, iniisip ko naman, kapag senado, even if I’m not aligned with the administration, I would have more clout, and I could bring more sa distrito, because my province is one of the poorest eh, poor governance talaga. So this is our chance. Pero di pa nagpi-pick up ang numbers ko sa Senado.

VP talaga ayoko. Kasi I really think it’s too big for me. Kaya lang siyempre ‘yung considerations sa party—long before I

reformist agendas, we were working with the basic sectors. Now, tinitingnan ko, sino ba ang mga magra-run, parang walang reform-minded. Pati dati kong kasamahan sa NGO, they said this is our chance to push our advocacies, not everyone is given this opportunity. Pero ang baba ng numbers ko. I only had four percent.

And I don’t have resources.

I’m very new at this but I’m not too naïve to think “Basta may partido ako okey na.” You can’t depend on the party 100 percent. You have work to do. Despite the fact that you have all the limitations, I still took the leap of faith. It just felt right. Every day I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I know I am. If I sought re-election, mas sigurado. I think, my performance evaluation was 98 percent, it’s unprecedented. It felt right. Sana until the very end I feel the same way.

A J : Ano mangyayari if ikaw, manalo, si Mar hindi?

L R : That’s a possibility, pero sana manalo siya because one is meant to compliment what is lacking in the other. Para kaming puzzle. Kaya CONTINUED

When Leni Robredo ran for Congress in 2013, she won by a landslide, beating the entrenched Villafuertes of Camarines Sur.

CONTINUED

ako ang choice nila because I am meant to fill up the spaces na bakante. So kung hindi kaming dalawa, parang hindi na swak. Pero sana whatever the results may be, sana hindi na masyadong political after the elections. Kaya lang ang political realities sa atin hindi ganoon.

A J : You’re a fellow Iska (Isko means scholar ng bayan, Iska is the girl version of Isko). What do you miss most about UP? L R : Iyong innocence. Kasi I lived a very sheltered life in the province and then when I went into UP it was a whole different world. I wasn’t so serious academically, mas active ako sa dorm. I learned about life doon—how to deal with people, how to solve problems.

I’m the eldest and was the first to live outside of the family.

A J : Prof niyo si...?

L R : ...Winnie Monsod. Siguro five or six Economics subjects.

Economics major kasi ako. I think those were the most glorious days of Econ, kasi those were the years leading to EDSA. I graduated ’86 right after EDSA. Our Economics professors came out with a white paper. Ni-refute ng Economics professors namin ang notion that Marcos was an economics guru. It was a very good time to be at the School of Economics. S’yempre proud na proud ka. At the time, lahat takot kay Marcos di ba? Parang takot to come out with anything. Pero here they were, bravely putting up something like that white paper. It was an eye opener.

Kasi before, ang pinakabanat kay Marcos, allegedly, siya ang nagpapatay kay Ninoy. Pero ang ipinapakita niya, all the good things na ginawa niya for the country. Parang ganoon.

Ni-refute yun ng Econ professors. Syempre, economic point

of view. Ang galing.

A J : Curious lang po ako about your plans sa education?

L R : Ako, in favor sa K-12. Palagay ko, it’s time. Although I am fully aware of the problems.

Pero sa akin kasi, mas sa social infrastructure for education. Sa amin, kulang talaga ng classrooms. Basic ‘yun. Marami sa amin ang nagkaklase sa ilalim ng puno hanggang ngayon.

Marami kaming makeshift na classrooms na mga magulang lang ang gumawa. It’s so difficult to talk of quality education sa rural areas, if the most basic, hindi naaasikaso. Sa akin, in favor ako sa K-12, mga short na tech/voc courses that will allow high school graduates to get jobs. The government is on the right track. Maraming pwedeng gawin na, palagay ko, to a large extent, nasimulan na.

Kailangan lang ma-sustain.

A J : You have Facebook and Twitter, kailan kayo naging active sa social media?

L R : Matagal na. Twitter at Instagram, not so much, pero sa Facebook, oo. Noong una, naging active lang ako para maging in ako sa buhay ng mga anak ko. Pero when I got elected, doon ako naging super active, it became sort of my daily diary. Kasi I don’t make epal, I don’t do tarps, I don’t do media. Wala naman akong pera.

Pero I found out na most of my constituents are on Facebook, kahit yung mga medyo mahirap. So I get to engage with my constituents because of Facebook. So even if I’m not there (district), my constituents are still informed of what I’m doing here. Magandang informed sila kasi mas nakaka-engage kung anong klaseng trabaho ‘yung ginagawa ko. Halimbawa, pino-post ko ang mga committee hearings, sasabihin ko kung ano’ng pinag-usapan.

Ang dami na nilang suggestions. Very effective.

A J : What do you think about nagtre-trending sa Twitter, sa mga youth ngayon, ay hindi yung mga Lumad killings, national issues?

L R : Dahil siguro public servant ako, para sa akin, mas eyeopener, na parang ‘yung tao, mas hinahanap ‘yung nakakarelate sila. Kaya ang Lumad, however much you talk about it sa news, parang ang interesado lang talaga ay ang dati lang na interesado. Iyan din ang point ko sa FOI (Freedom of Information bill), which I have my own version. I try to convert it into a supply-driven one. Sa senate version kasi, traditional, na if somebody asks for information, government is required to make it public. Sa version ko, even if there’s no need or request, it should be the mindset of the government already to be open.

It is not enough that it is available. It should be available in a user-friendly version na kahit ordinary constituents, maiintindihan. Halimbawa, sa Naga, ang lahat ng binibili ng Naga, whether nails or cement or paracetamol for the rural health centers, nakalagay ang presyo. It’s something na kahit hindi ka nakatapos ng college, maiintindihan mo kung overpriced. It doesn’t have to be too complex. It’s not just for the sake of making public the information, pero how the information will be used by ordinary citizens to empower them. Making information available is not the target really, but why do you want information to be available? Una, to force the government to be accountable while encouraging citizens to engage with their government. Kaya lang, hindi talaga siya gusto ng mga congressmen. (laughs) Ayaw talaga eh. Ang hirap ibenta.

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

87

What I’ve Learned

Mich Dulce Milliner, designer

Interviewed by Erwin Romulo

88 E S Q U I R E • n o v E m b E R 2 0 1 5

Image courtesy of Cecile Zamora-van Straten

The one thing that I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time is to work for Vivienne Westwood.

I’m working on it.

Yes, I’ve alwaYs dreamt of mY name In lIghts, but I want to be famous for the work that I do and for people to think that it is good rather than just to be famous for no reason.

I’m

nervous when makIng a phoneonly when calling a boy I like. I tend to turn into an idiot that stutters when nervous. But other than that I’m OK.

as I’m too Catholic to do such a thing and I’m deathly paranoid of diseases and pregnancy. But if I had just one year to live...

dreamed of being in, or seeing them in magazines I read when young.

the dIfference between love and sex is that love is harder to find and far more desirable.

what I value most In a frIendshIp is the comfort of being able to chill the fuck out and be completely honest and not having to watch yourself or your words.

how would I defIne ing about the future.

ed to affectIon.

call

rIsk?

Not think-

frIendshIp

Is

loYaltY.

I’m addIctLove—I have yet to

experience. a perfect daY for me would be lounging in all morning, a really good exhibition, no traffic, and hanging out with my close friends.

one

alwaYs

sIng

to

mYself

when

I’m

alone or commutIng.

I

daYdream a lot about mY death and

It’s

like a drug overdose or being murdered by mistake by my fictional crazy boyfriend who was high on heroin. alwaYs

when I

somethIng

tragIc

Younger I thought I’d but I’m too arrogant for suicide. I have very bad health though so I know my death will be boring like an asthma attack like how my dad died.

would lIke

to have Is never gaInIng weIght

and

I’ve dreamed of is to work for Vivienne Westwood. I’m working on it. one thIng that

doIng for a long tIme

I

alwaYs

dreamt

of

beIng

a

global

and to actually have it happen when you start out as a total nobody with no external funding and just doing pretty much everything yourself is nothing short of a miracle.

brand

was

kIll mYself,

sometImes

I

can’t

I would dIe suddenlY, I would probably fuck around and be promiscuous. I never was knew that In one Year

belIeve

thIngs

lIke thIs are happenIng for me.

I

greatest accomis seeing my products that are hand-made in the third world and sold as luxury items alongside pieces by my fashion idols in stores I’ve only would

saY

plIshment so far

If I

I

always staying fit without any effort. the

I

qualItY or abIlItY

the last tIme I wept was last night. I lost my friend’s house keys. I’m a crybaby. what I too

don’t fInd funnY at all and

serIous

to

be

joked

about

are

racial stereotypes. Living in Paris I’ve experienced how awful racism is. I used to be the first one to make racial jokes to my close friends who were Chinese, thinking that we were friends so it didn’t matter.

But after my own close friends thought it was funny to always make jokes about me cleaning their houses because I was Filipino like their maids, it really pissed me off. I wasn’t laughing when the rest of the room was. Rather I felt inferior and no one deserves that.

mY

Is

there anYthIng

I

haven’t saId or

Nothing. I’m an open book. I tell everyone what I think regardless of the consequences. regretted

not

saYIng?

November 2015 • eSQUIre

89

90 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

Strong Female Protagonist After having the most showy of show business weddings a year ago, soon-to-be-mother Marian Rivera considers what it means to give birth and raise a child in the center of the maelstrom.

words By PhilBert ortiz dy PhotograPhed By raymund isaac

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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“

When I was starting out, my only goal was to be on the cover of a magazine. I never dreamed of becoming a big artista.”

This might sound like the kind of lip service we’ve all heard thousands of times before from every big celebrity operating in this country. Because one of the things that is required of the big artista is the perception of having some basic humility. It doesn’t necessarily have to be true, but in front of the cameras they are at least supposed to pretend that they’re grateful for whatever they’ve been given. They will touch their hearts and point at the sky, indicating that nothing is possible without the man upstairs.

Inside, they might be roiling. They might be calculating the next big move that’s supposed to get them to the next level of the game. They might be secretly bemoaning the quality of the jobs that they’re given, or secretly sweating what might be coming next.

But one doesn’t get this sense at all from Marian Rivera. After years in this industry, after all the absurdity that a career like hers can bring, her gratitude still appears to be genuine. “I started out with Marimar,” she says. “And I’ve come a long way since then.” Indeed, she has since appeared in a variety of movies and televisions shows.

She has, over the course of her lengthy time as one of the top stars in the nation, largely ignored the boundaries of genre and branding or whatever corporate wisdom is supposed to be applied to budding actors. She remains a force that continues to defy expectations, her appeal seemingly universal. Even those that make fun of her, like the heavily followed @superstarmarian Twitter account, clearly come from a place of fandom. With child, she is the very picture of contentment, a portrait of the endless joyful possibilities afforded by a life that already feels like a victory.

At this point Marian Rivera could probably do any goddamn thing she pleases.

With everything she’s already done, everything that follows is a bonus. She is, after all, one of the most recognizable names in the country. Her face graces advertisements all over the metropolis, her value as an endorser difficult to overstate. Her celebrity is such that her marriage to Dingdong Dantes was national news. There were more than a few articles, from both local and foreign media, about her wedding cake. At this level of national prominence, dessert is serious business. The question is just where she wants to take this.

“I have some ideas about what I want to be doing,” she says. “I’m older now, and I’m a different person. I don’t think I can play

92 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

“I’m older now, and I’m a different person. I don’t think I can play sweet for much longer.”

St yled by melville sy and maita baello aSSIStEd By reymar verano on marian : bra from bench, pantS from drieS van noten

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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“People just think they see every move I make.

The truth is that I can still keep some things private.”

sweet for much longer.”

But she is careful to frame this as a conversation that’s to be had with her network and her management. She makes no definite statements, other than the trust that she has in the industry that made her a star. “They’ve taken good care of me,” she says. “This is where I met my husband, the love of my life. I wouldn’t be an expectant mother if not for them. I’m happy working here.”

Marian Rivera has not given much thought to what it will be like to raise a child in this environment, to be giving birth to what will undoubtedly be one of the most famous infants in the country.

“You can’t really control it. People are going to want to take pictures. And you know how it is here.”

She is referring to the very plain fact that the mere suggestion that you aren’t happy to have your picture taken is practically an invitation to be called “suplada” or “snobbish” or any of the other putdowns meant 94 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

to indicate that you’ve grown too big for your britches. “I mean, sometimes, when I’m just having dinner with my family, or at Church, I do feel off about it,” she admits. “But at the same time, this is the life I’ve chosen, and there are consequences to these choices. It’s a small price to pay.”

She is instead devoting her thoughts to more practical matters regarding her child.

She intends to breast feed, and she wonders how much time she’ll have to take off while she’s nursing. She talks about how she wants to raise her child in a very loving environment; how for as long as she can, she’ll have the child sleeping with them in bed. She talks about how she won’t stand in the way of her kid’s dreams, as long as he or she finishes school.

It all sounds very normal, although it’s difficult to imagine that the kid’s life will look anything like a typical child’s upbringing. Most kids aren’t going to be show business royalty. Most kids don’t have a mom who shows up on the cover of a men’s mag-

azine while pregnant.

“When I do a shoot, I want there to be a concept. A story.”

“Here, I want to show everyone that just because you’re pregnant, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be presentable, or that you’re suddenly someone who can’t be on a magazine.”

“This is all new to me. Even just to have a belly. But I think it’s beautiful.”

It has always been her dream to be on the cover of a magazine. Now she’s done that many times over, and it almost seems fitting that this part of her life is also going to be gracing a cover. That her in utero child is going to be sharing the dream with her, even though that might seem a little strange on paper. It is just bizarre to think of a life that will always be in the public spotlight. That even in this moment, before the child is even born, it is already in the realm of celebrity.

But she speaks confidently about her determination to give her baby as normal

MakEUp By steven doloso haIR By celeste tuviera pOSt-pROcESSINg By xavier pales

an upbringing as possible. What’s extraordinary about Marian Rivera is that the constant weirdness of the industry hasn’t really seemed to affect her. She still speaks plainly about most things, approaching every question with a practicality that is sometimes missing from others in her position. She seems to bear little ill will to anyone at this point. She seems genuinely happy in an industry that at times feels designed to just wear good people down.

And besides, there’s still more to her life than what’s out in the public sphere.

“People just think they see every move I make. The truth is that I can still keep some things private.”

At this moment, though, Marian Rivera is about to step out into the public sphere yet again. It is a stormy Sunday morning.

Pregnant and all, she will still be stepping out into the lights to entertain a crowd of people who brave typhoon winds to get a glimpse of her. And she is more than happy to be here. She is already thinking about how she’s going to find time to do

this kind of thing after giving birth. She’s already thinking about the conversation that she’s going to have with producers, about how she’s going to find the perfect balance between doing the work she loves and being the mother that she’s always wanted to be.

She steps out on stage, and if there is any internal turmoil in Marian Rivera, it certainly doesn’t show. She is radiant under the lights, and she revels in the crowd’s attention. On the show, she is “Judge MD,” the presiding authority figure in a mock mediation court resolving really petty problems between two parties. In this particular episode, she stands as judge between siblings fighting over who gets to keep a belt that belonged to their recently deceased father.

It is a very silly segment, and there isn’t much to get out of the scripted shenanigans. One of the jokes involves Rivera yelling, “order in the court,” and a waiter coming out to take said order. It’s really all just built on how Marian Rivera is

seen by her public. She is now, as one of the most prominent stars in the country, someone who is bigger than all us. The people in the crowd are asked to rise as she enters the “court,” and they actually do. They scream at every mention of her husband, and the show, for its part, seems to go out of its way to make sure that its participants mention her husband.

There is a group of fans in the crowd with a big cut out of her face. And they’re screaming. They’re screaming the whole time. And it is all really strange. It is downright absurd when you try to describe it.

But Marian Rivera is out there, genuinely happy to be where she is. This is a strange business, and it takes a very specific kind of fortitude to stay human within all that strangeness. It is hard to point out what it is in Marian Rivera that makes her so perfect for this business. But as she presides over this comedic court, the center of attention in an enterprise designed to distract, there’s no mistaking that she has it in spades.

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

95

I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ‘BOUT MY REPUTATION

Mikee Carrion . Marla Darwin . Kristine Fonacier .

Claire Jiao . Susan S. Lara . Samantha Lee . Nikki Luna . Sasha Martinez . Amina Evangelista Swanepoel .

XXX E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

PhOtOgRaPh Name

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been called a slut. Or bossy.

Or any one of the numerous epithets that can only be hurled at women. Women are taking it back and reclaiming the F word: Feminism. Women are standing for power, for the right to choose, for the right to be who they want to be. ESQUIRE has gathered several voices to write about the state of feminism in the Philippines today. They write about sex, gender roles, role models, motherhood, reproduction, termination, and taking men out of the scene. They write about women who write, and they write about the morning after. It’s important that they write of these things, but it’s just as important that you read them.

things you should know about feminism

BY NIKKI LUNA

Why is it easy for other people, including women, to condemn the word feminism? Feminists are often vilified despite the fact that we are walking along the path that women freedom fighters from the past have paved for us. Yes, we continue the struggle, but most shun the “label.” To be called a feminist has become a taunt—a rabid woman, an Amazon, an angry female and a host of other insults. The feminist cliché. But what does it mean? What is feminism? Who is a feminist?

Often, feminism is mistaken simply as women hating men. But what feminists are against is a more complicated dichotomy—gender inequality. We feminists are against the oppressive patriarchal system where women do not have the freedom to choose; where women are defined by or boxed into stereotypical “feminine” roles (e.g. cooking, cleaning, sewing, housework); where women are paid less and given less opportunities just because they are considered the lesser sex.

Feminism does not aim to relegate men. Men are as much victims as women. They have been conditioned by society through images and roles determined for men, succumbing to appearances of male domineering attitudes or roles.

Feminism isn’t just for women. Feminism is the act of respecting and valuing women. Hence, men can be feminists, too—if they are aware of the issues that plague women, and acknowledge and take action against women’s subordination and oppression.

Feminists can come from all walks of life, nationalities, sexual preferences, beliefs, etc. Feminists can be heterosexual, bisexual, transgender, the list goes on. Feminism is nuanced, and this is an important aspect of it. For example, not all feminists are lesbians and not all lesbians are feminists. The stigma attached to being gay or lesbian is the same societal discrimination put on being feminist.

There is a fine line of identification that sexism blurs through irresponsible labels and generalizations.

A woman who wears makeup can be a feminist. A woman who chooses to be a housewife can be a feminist. Keeping up one’s appearance or staying at home are choices that any woman should have. These are choices that should not be made with stigmas—such as wearing makeup as a cover for insecurity, and domesticity as the refuge for the weaker sex.

Feminism is not against motherhood. I once read that “womanhood is not equal to motherhood.” Definitely. It is not every woman’s destiny. It is not the only purpose in a woman’s life. Society should not condition a girl/woman to “motherhood” by glorifying her through her “sacrifice,” “selflessness,” and “suffering.”

The girl/woman should have the choice whether she wants to be a mother or not. The ability and capacity to be one does not always come naturally.

More importantly, men can be mothers too. Motherhood is a role that can, and must be, shared with men.

And then there’s the tricky idea almost always linked to feminism—the concept of being liberal. I was once asked: “So you’re a feminist, does it means it is OK with you to have an affair?” It is not. This is not a question of loyalty, fidelity, or a host of Christian virtues that put a premium on marriage or family. It is not OK simply because feminism is a collective form of empowerment. You cannot step on anyone else. continued >>> Feminism is constantly evolving. Its defini-

SO I MARRIED A FEMINIST In which we ask Mikee Carrion what it’s like being Mr. Nikki Luna

Before you met your wife, what did you think being a feminist was all about?

Before I met my lovely wife Nikki, I thought feminists were just women mad at the world and most especially at men. That’s what they usually show us on TV or in movies.

PHOTOGRAPH NAME

When you went on dates, was it to go to rallies?

Yeah, we’ve been to a couple of rallies together. We also go around the country teaching art and football to victims of human rights violations, mostly women and children. We even brought our daughter Alandra when she was just a few months old.

What three things did you learn about feminism from your wife?

Most importantly that she isn’t mad at the world or at men, or think all men are liars. That it’s really about helping and wanting gender equality in this world we live in today. That feminism is just a word. To me it’s about being a good person, whatever the gender.

Sadly, I’ve learned from my wife and from experiences with other women’s organizations that women still have a lot of struggles. It should to be as simple as treating them as equals and them having the same opportunities.

Who does the chores in the house?

The cooking? Do you argue about traditional gender roles?

When it comes to the house chores, we both work together since we don’t have any helpers at home to clean the house, cook, or water the garden. We also do not have a yaya to take care of our daughter so we are really handson. We never argue about these traditional roles. It also comes from growing up in a house where my dad always cooked for my mom and never complained about it, and until this day, he always serves her. There’s mutual respect between them and they never dictate roles for each other.

For other men out there, what’s the best thing about being in a relationship with a strong, independent, successful woman?

My wife is awesome. She works hard every day for our family, she takes great care of our children, she’s a loving daughter, mother, wife, sister. She fights for women’s rights when she sees there are wrongdoings. She gets upset when women have their right to make decisions for themselves taken away (just as all women should). At the end of the day, she’s a woman, a person and just wants to be treated like a human being.

She may not know how to get around

in the subway (we’re in New York now), but I love her soooo much and always will. She is the greatest role model my children could ever have.

What’s the worst thing?

There’s nothing bad about being with a strong, independent, successful woman.

How are you raising your daughters? Do they only play with genderneutral toys? Will they form a football team?

I’ve told so many people how bad it is when you walk into a toy store and you already see the gender separation between boys and girls at such a young age. You’ve got the boys’ toys on one side with cars, sports, policemen, and the like, and then you go to the girls’ section, which is all in pink and the toys are all about cleaning the house, cooking, being a teacher, doing the laundry, or going to the salon. Why can’t girls play with the “boys’ toys” or the other way around? So yes, our daughter plays with gender-neutral toys. Why are children, especially young girls, taught at such a young age roles that are only about being a homemaker or being pretty? I hope that little girls will be more exposed to gender-fair toys and information. And yes, I will definitely teach my daugh-

ters how to play football, and when we have a son we will raise him in a gender-fair environment.

Do you consider yourself a male feminist?

If I think that men and women should have equal rights and that women should have the same opportunities as men have in this world, get paid the same as men in similar jobs, then yes you can consider me a male feminist.

I’m supporting GABRIELA as a V-Man. What do you think is the role of men in the women’s movement?

More men should change the way they think about women, especially in the Philippines. A lot of men still think women should stay at home cooking for them, washing clothes, taking care of the kids, cleaning the house, and making sure everything is ready for when they come home from work.

Men should not believe they’re better because of their gender. Men should get rid of their “machismo” image, men shouldn’t dominate or abuse women, and men should never feel insecure because of strong and independent women. Most of all, it’s important we start from our home and those close to us.

We should show our kids that women should be valued and recognized.

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

XXX

what we talk about when we talk about boys continued >>>

tion has transformed in many ways. The feminist authors Kamla Bhasin and Nighat Said Khan said that there is no specific abstract definition of feminism applicable at all times. Thus, the definition can and does change, because feminism is based on historically and culturally concrete realities and levels of consciousness, perceptions, and actions.

So I go back to my initial query: How does one define feminism? It is proactivity. It is taking action when one sees that oppression and exploitation exist in society, the workplace, and the home.

Sexual oppression is experienced every day. We are living with it—in the comforts of our homes, in our relationships with our male loved ones (our fathers, husbands, brothers, etc.). We often take a passive stance when faced with the idea of male superiority and domination, simply because nobody wants to “rock the boat” and cause chaos in an otherwise peaceful home.

But Rome was not built in a day. Patriarchy can and will be dismantled, one courage at a time, starting at home. We must acknowledge it. It is best to start within the home and try to put an end to these inequalities, double standards, and discrimination. And then we can extend it to our work place, community, and society.

Feminism is a collective effort. It is not based on self-interest. I often get asked: “Don’t you think women are in a much better place now with all the popularity ‘women empowerment’ has drawn?” (Cue all the names of famous women CEOs, singers, and actresses.)

Feminism is a progressive idea wherein women are empowered as much as men. And this goes across the board, across status quos. We have yet to hear the empowered voices of the women from the working class, for example. Feminist is all-inclusive. We cannot forget other women along the way to self-actualization.

98 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

try putting your conversations to the test.

BY SAMANTHA LEE

It’s a Wednesday night and I’m trying desperately to finish this article I’m supposed to write about feminism. I’m 17 tabs deep in research and two packs of Hello Pandas in. My best friend (who is a girl) messages me to talk about Khloe Kardashian, and just like that my deadline goes out the window. We debate about whether or not Khloe should give Lamar another chance or stick it out with James Harden. We fall into a black hole of research (“What does James Harden look like without a beard?”) and find #throwback photos of the Kardashians at James Harden’s birthday party. After about 30 minutes I tell her that I need to finish writing my article about feminism and quickly add, “btw our conversation about Khloe was SO. NOT. FEMINIST” and said my goodbyes.

Try as we might, it’s not easy being a feminist in a society that is patriarchal by default.

No matter how many speeches about women’s rights Emma Watson makes in the United Nations, I’m sure she still finds herself in late night Whatsapp conversations with her best friend about who she’s dating. It’s easy to know the theories, memorize the names of the members of Pussy Riot or criticize the arguments of third-wave feminists, but when it comes to applying these concepts to our daily lives, we all tend to fall short.

To try to address this problem, I’ve recently started applying the Bechdel Test to see how sexist my daily interactions are. Long before Shonda Rhimes took over our Thursday nights, Taylor Swift paraded her gal pals, Miley Cyrus tried to free the nipple, and Lena Dunham, well, became Lena Dunham, there was Alison Bechdel.

Alison Bechdel is an American cartoonist known for the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and the graphic memoir Fun Home. Aside from being one of the earliest representations of lesbians in popular culture, Dykes to Watch Out For is also where the Bechdel Test first appeared. The Bechdel test allows us to measure whether a film represents women accurately or not. In order to pass the test a film must:

1. Have two named female characters 2. Who talk to each other 3. About something other than a man

Granted, this test is commonly used to measure sexism in films, but in this day and age when our moments are mostly cinematic and our Spotify playlists are classified as “Sound-

tracks for_____,” I figured that it wasn’t much of a stretch.

Some may argue that the test is too simplistic, that it doesn’t take into account the roles of the women and the subject matter of their conversations. Case in point: Gravity, which features a female character in space for the duration of the film fails the Bechdel test, while American Pie 2 passed it because it has a scene where two women talk about clothes.

But allow me to backtrack a bit. In order to be able to accurately talk about feminist representation in film we need to talk about Laura Mulvey. Mulvey wrote an essay called “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” which talks about how Hollywood films use women to provide a pleasurable viewing experience for its male audiences. Women are portrayed as objects of desire whose sole existence in the narrative is only in relation to its male characters. If we backtrack even further, Virginia Woolf once wrote that women in fiction were “not only seen by the other sex, but seen only in relation to the other sex.”

The dictionary defines the word “relation” as “a thing’s effect on or relevance to another.”

What does it mean for us as women to find meaning or be defined by our relevance to men? Is it possible to talk about Khloe Kardashian without talking about Lamar Odom or James Harden? We can argue that Shonda Rhimes drops the feminist mic with every new show that she launches. But how often does Olivia Pope talk to Meredith Grey about something other than President McDreamy?

Taylor Swift may have her #squadgoals of successful women, but the only time she passed the Bechdel test was when she stopped talking about her long list of ex-lovers to start a Twitter feud with Nicki Minaj.

I’m not saying that the Bechdel test is foolproof—in fact, its parameters are a bit overly simplistic. However, the test is still a good starting point for a larger conversation about the way we as women intentionally or unintentionally represent ourselves in our daily lives. It opens our eyes to whether we represent ourselves as subjects or objects, to whether our interactions are defined by men.

Post more photos of what you ate for breakfast, edit the hell out of that mirror selfie, write Facebook posts about your spin class and spend your Wednesday nights talking to your girlfriends about how strong Khloe Kardashian is…use every tweet, emoji, selfie, hashtag and group text to start conversations with other women about women. Take baby steps to rewrite our narratives. Because women deserve to be superstars in their own home movies.

A GIRL CAN DO WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO AND THAT’S WHAT

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and other things you may not want to hear about abortion rights

BY K R I ST I N E FO N AC I E R

There is an old comic strip I used to love, in which the villain was drawn as a gigantic and mean drunk, holding a beer in one hand and yelling, I EAT BABIES. This comes painfully to mind now that I’m writing an essay on abortion, which is such a hard thing to defend. I might as well paint myself red and stand on a street corner to proclaim that I EAT BABIES. For the record, I really, really don’t want to eat babies, or harm them in any way.

When it comes to abortion, I feel like the extremists on both sides of the issue have misled us. The pro-choice hardliners insist that women have the absolute right to determine what happens to their bodies, and that “my-body-my-choice” is the only thing that matters. On the other hand, the pro-life zealots would have us believe that legalizing abortion is tantamount to legalizing murder. Entrenched in their own ideas of righteousness, both sides gloss over one crucial similarity: No one wants more abortions to happen. No one.

Abortion is such a divisive issue, and it is such a personal one. Because of this, it needs to be understood on a personal level, and so, to begin telling you about where I stand on the issue of abortion rights, and why, let me first tell you about myself.

I am a woman, and I care about the welfare of all women.

I am also over 40 years old, am in a relationship with another woman, and have chosen not to have children—which, statistically, means I belong to the demographic that is least likely to actually need, much less have, an abortion. I don’t have skin in the game, you might say.

But lest I get accused of falling into certain stereotypes, let me tell you: I love babies. I have two nephews, and I love them to bits. I am also of the age where the vast majority of my friends have families of their own, and our own family gatherings are knee-deep in toddlers. The lives of these parents are all that much richer for the existence of these babies, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My girlfriend and I sometimes talk about adoption, in fact.

Which is my way of saying: I don’t want babies aborted. I don’t want any woman to be in the position that has them considering an abortion in the first place. And yet, as much as I am against the idea of an abortion, I feel just as strongly about legalizing abortion. This isn’t about making it moral or even more acceptable to society; it is 100 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

about making sure that women have legal access to safe abortions when they need it.

Let me repeat: I am a woman, and I care about the welfare of all women. This is why I believe we need legal and safe access to abortion.

Let’s talk about what happens when abortion is banned. This does not have to be a theoretical discussion, because there is an example, still in living memory, that we would all do well to remember. Under Nikolai Ceauşescu’s infamous Decree 770, all abortions and contraceptives were banned in Romania from 1966 to 1989.

Women were rounded up monthly to see a doctor, and if they were found to be pregnant, the pregnancies were followed closely until birth. Ceauşescu’s long game was to increase the population of his country, and in the beginning, it looked like the plan was working.

In less than a decade, however, not only did birth rates begin to decline again, but mortality among pregnant women became the highest in Europe—more than 10 times that of its neighbors. Child mortality was also up, and perhaps most notably, abortions did not actually stop. Except for the wealthy, most women only had access to medically unsupervised, often primitive, and definitely unsafe abortions.

Again, the numbers: Maternal mortality in Romania under Decree 770 was at more than 10 times that of its neighbors. Banning abortion seems like something we should aim for, but enshrined as state policy, it is too often enacted through such ugly mechanics, and results in so much tragedy.

Even in this happy age where we finally have a Reproductive Health Law, the Philippines still carries a total ban on abortion.

(I suppose those who fought long and hard for the RH Law could be forgiven for that concession. In that fight, we were still listening to our leaders cite long-outdated arguments against contraception; abortion was simply a no-go area.) It bears noting, however, that even under Ceauşescu, Romania’s ban on abortion wasn’t as total as it is under current Philippine laws. Even under Decree 770, there were exceptions for medical abortions and for pregnancies caused by incest or rape, for one thing; we do not currently allow any abortions, even under these circumstances. Even the laws regarding medically necessary abortions are vague at best, and do not explicitly say continued >>>

the morning after pill hack If you forget to use contraceptives before getting in the sack, but wish you hadn’t, there is such a thing as emergency contraception, which a woman can take after having unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy from happening.

It’s called the Morning After Pill, and is a hormone pill that messes with a woman’s cycle to decrease the chances of a pregnancy occuring. But in the Philippines, the morning after pill, or Plan B as it’s popularly called, is hard to find and/or expensive. Thankfully, there is an alternative available at the nearest drugstore: use regular birth control pills as a replacement for the Morning After Pill.

HOW? 1. Birth control pills can be bought over the counter without a doctor’s prescription. There are many brands that vary in prices, but a cheap and reliable brand is Nordette.

2. The woman takes four pills as soon as possible after copulating. Emergency contraception can be taken up to five days after sex.

3. She will feel nauseous and have a shitty day from having consumed four times more birth control pills than is recommended daily.

Be sympathetic.

4. After 12 hours from the first four pills, she has to take another four. Depending on when in her cycle she takes the pills, her next period will come either way too early or way too late.

Be patient.

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that abortion is allowed to save the life of the mother.

That’s the academic argument. In the realm of concrete, here-and-now reality, the argument for the legalization of abortion literally lies in the countless hospital beds in public hospitals and in charity wards everywhere. It’s not even that the beds are overflowing with mothers who get abysmal care from an overburdened medical system, which is already the sad truth here. It’s that those who are desperate enough to resort to illegal abortions find their lives at risk again, because our collective revulsion when it comes to abortion simply prevents us from approaching those who seek abortion with anything approaching kindness.

I recently spoke to a woman who, having trained as a nurse, decided to leave the profession after serving in the maternal ward of a public hospital. There are many traumatizing stories over there, but one stands out starkly: A 14-year-old girl had come in after a botched attempt at abortion, she bled to death. You must trust that I am

sparing you the worst of it, and that there are a lot more tragic stories other than this. All that you need to know is that there was a young girl, frightened and desperate enough to do this to herself, and that she died. “The strangest thing for me was the attitude in the hospital,” the ex-nurse says.

“There was no sympathy for bleeders.”

The RH Law carries this telling passage: While this Act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law, the government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortive complications…shall be treated and counseled in a humane, nonjudgmental, and compassionate manner.

That this contradictory passage needs to be there is so telling. It acknowledges the reality that abortions are going to happen, despite the ban on it; and it also indirectly acknowledges that women are going to seek illegal and potentially dangerous abortions that will lead to potentially lifethreatening complications.

Last, but for me the most telling thing of all, is that the RH Law asks for “humane,

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nonjudgmental, and compassionate” treatment of women who need medical help.

Why do we even have to spell this out in law? This should be a given, simply because we are decent human beings.

But no; we have to legislate our kindness.

Our total ban on abortion has not eradicated abortion, but it has damaged our collective compassion. The moral absolutists who have taught us to see abortion as a great evil have instead erased basic decency. The ban on abortions has only made us a little less human.

Supporting abortion rights, and lifting the ban on abortion, means that there will be fewer 14-year-old girls who die frightened and alone in a pool of their own blood.

Abortion rights certainly does not mean that we cannot work together to make sure that—through education, support, and yes, compassion—the choice to have an abortion does not ever have to be exercised. That’s the contradiction we should embrace: All women should have access to legal and safe abortions, but no woman should ever need it.

BY C L A I R E J I AO

The Philippines is as progressive as it is backwards when it comes to women in politics.

A few years ago, Julia Gillard stood up in Australia’s Parliament and gave a scathing speech about the sexism and misogyny she’s suffered as the country’s first female Prime Minister. Much of this treatment didn’t come from everyday citizens who might not have known better, she said. It came from her fellow ministers—wealthy, well-educated men and women who have been elected to lead the country and uphold its highest moral standards.

She said she has been catcalled repeatedly in Parliament, goaded to “make an honest woman of herself,” and was referred to as a witch and a bitch. None of these digs would ever have been made to any man in her position, she said.

Gillard doesn’t stand alone in this. Hillary Clinton, vying to be the next President of the United States, has been asked why she thinks she can satisfy the country when she can’t even satisfy her husband, as if Bill Clinton’s proclivity for young interns was somehow her fault.

She has been criticized for being nagging and feisty, too cold yet also too emotional.

She has been accused of using her grandchild as a prop to seem more maternal. She has even been yelled at during political rallies to do laundry. The political atmosphere has grown so noxious that Bernie Sanders, Clinton’s toughest opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination,

has defended her, pointing out that no male presidential candidate has been treated as harshly as Clinton.

This is no longer the turn of the century; this is modern day politics. Yet in the most advanced, liberal democracies where one would expect equal opportunity to be available to more and more citizens, even the most powerful, successful and wellrespected women contend with misogyny and sexism, “every day in every way,” as Gillard said.

And then there is the Philippines. For all its infamy as a traditional, conservative and patriarchal society, our country has seen two female presidents in Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The frontrunner for the 2016 presidential election is Grace Poe, while Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Leni Robredo have also made strong starts to their bids.

As most countries struggle to elect their first female head of state, no one has insomuch as batted an eyelash at the possibility that our top two government posts could well be occupied by women next year.

This is not to say they have been immune from criticism, especially valid criticism.

Poe has been in government for a grand total of two and a half years since she started as senator in May 2013. Robredo has had just as little experience, and at the lower

house too, serving as Camarines Sur representative. And many have questioned the wisdom behind Santiago’s decision to pick Bongbong Marcos as her running mate after his father’s brutal dictatorship in the 1970s and his family’s utter lack of remorse about it. But no one—at least, no one credible—has questioned their capability as leaders based on the simple fact that they are women.

Even the lowest and most ludicrous of criticisms—Poe is an alien; Robredo a nobody; Santiago just a little off her rocker—they may be personal, but they are not gendered.

Of course, the obvious commonality among Poe, Robredo, and Santiago, even Aquino and Arroyo before them, is that they are all members of the elite. They rise to power because they come from some of the country’s richest families. They have gone to the best universities here and abroad. And their family names all ring a loud, resounding bell.

That they can become leaders says nothing about the ability of other Filipinas to do the same. Sexism and misogyny may hang over all women, but it bears more heavily on some than others. Women of color, indigenous women, queer women, and disabled women will not have the same opportunities to succeed in governcontinued >>> ment as these more

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established candidates.

This is true for the most part. The stark class inequality in this country is a reality that cannot be emphasised enough.

But something also has to be said for our openness to women in positions of leadership. In many countries, politics is a game only the elites can play, and yet even elite women there still find it hard to climb to the top.

This also ignores how broadly women participate in the public sector. More than one in three of our members of Congress are women, a ratio that beats those of France, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Women have also taken key portfolios in Cabinet. Leila de Lima heads the Department of Justice, Dinky Soliman is at the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Kim Henares at the Bureau of Internal Revenue, while Conchita Car-

pio-Morales is the Ombudsman and Maria Lourdes Sereno is the Chief Justice.

If the government is supposed to be the representative of its people, it is only fair that women have a seat at the table alongside men. They can give a voice to unique problems women face and make policies to address those needs.

The participation of women in politics, then, is not an end in itself. The more important question must be asked: Have the women in government been able to improve the welfare of women in society?

The results are mixed. The Philippine government has been able to pass laws against human trafficking and violence against women and children, as well as the Magna Carta for women and for domestic helpers. But it has also struggled to pass the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, while laws on divorce and abortion are out of the question. Moreover, the Penal Code still has heavier penalties for women who commit adultery, while the Family Code

still gives the final say to husbands in case of disagreements over property ownership and legal guardianship.

None of the former female presidents or the current female candidates have run on a pro-woman platform either. Parties and candidates that have done so have had limited success. Gabriela regularly wins seats in the lower house, but only on a party-list ticket, while Risa Hontiveros has lost in the Senatorial race twice.

How can the Philippines be equal enough as a society that women can easily become political leaders, and yet divided enough so that it is still difficult and politically costly to put women’s issues on the agenda?

According to the work of Lilia Quindoza-Santiago, this is down to our country’s complex and conflicted history.

The Philippines was a predominantly matriarchal society in pre-colonial times.

Women were chiefs and spiritual leaders of their communities—Prinsesa Urduja of Pangasinan, Reyna Sima of Cotabato, the babaylan, and the catalonan are just continued >>>

The Power to Choose

B y A m i n A E vA n g E l i s tA s wA n E p o E l

When women can’t afford birth control, Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. To me, feminism means the right of every woman to make choices for herself, whether that choice is to get married or not, to have children or not, or to work or not. I exercise these rights daily. I chose to pursue my education, chose to get married, chose to delay childbearing for five years after marriage, chose to get pregnant twice, chose to work even after becoming a mother, and now am choosing to use contraception so that I don’t have any more children. Because I am privileged, I have had the luxury of making decisions such as these. But this is not the reality for the majority of Filipinas.

My organization, Roots of Health, provides reproductive health education and clinical services to resource-poor women in underserved communities around Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

Roots of Health envisions self-reliant women, young people, and families leading healthy reproductive lives. We work to empower women to understand their bodies and their health, and we equip them with the tools they need to exert autonomy over their bodies to decide if, and when, to have children.

The communities that we work with generally have some of the highest rates of unemployment, lowest rates of education, highest rates of teen pregnancy, and largest family sizes in the city. Many of the women we work with only completed elementary school. Most don’t work outside the home, although women often contribute in their children’s schools, and have sideline businesses to generate some income. Sudden illnesses requiring medication and hospitalization can be catastrophic. Unplanned pregnancies that result in another child to care for, another mouth to feed, almost ensure that the family stays mired in poverty.

When we started our organization in 2009, our programming only provided education to women and young people. This was very important, to be sure. Most of the women had very little reproductive health knowledge: They thought that drinking Tide would cure sexually transmitted infections and that pills don’t dissolve and instead accumulate in the body, requiring women to have Pap smears so all the pills can be scraped out(!).

We taught them how their reproductive systems work, how a

what reproductive choices do they have?

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pregnancy happens, and how contraceptives and natural family planning really work. Women and young people valued their newfound knowledge. But we soon realized that equipping them with knowledge was not enough. Their economic situations were and are so dire that even if a mother decided that three children was enough and that she did not want anymore, she could not afford to buy the contraceptives that would allow her to control her fertility.

Sometimes when I’m speaking with more privileged people, they balk at this. They say, “Surely a woman can afford to spend P30 so she won’t get pregnant! Why does she have to get free condoms or birth control? She should prioritize this and pay for it herself.” I understand this sentiment completely. To people with a lot of money, P30 is nothing. But the majority of families in our communities have a joint income of around P5,000 to cover six people’s needs for one month. Yes, it’s only P30. But you know what else is P30? A kilo of rice. The women we work with always put their families first, and their most urgent need on a daily basis is food.

True empowerment allows a woman to make the informed decision that is the best for her. Equipped with knowledge, our clients can then decide whether or not they want to have more children, and if so, when. In this context, women who can control their bodies become healthier. In turn, they have healthier babies, who grow into healthier children.

This is why we provide family planning services for free. For the same reason we also provide prenatal services for free, so even the poorest women can have the healthiest pregnancies possible.

Six years after we began our work, most of the teenage mothers who had babies when we started still only have one child. Some have gone back to school and finished high school. One woman has just had another healthy baby. The gap between her kids allowed her to save money to start a small business.

Poor women don’t get to make many lofty decisions for themselves. Most of the time their decision-making involves how to provide for their families. In this case the decisions they make for themselves are also good for their families. This is precisely why it is so important to allow even the poorest of women to have control over their own bodies. This is what feminism is: Women having the power of choice.

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some of the popular examples. Women also chose their partners, they held the rights to family property and their children bore their names.

But colonisers imposed a largely patriarchal social order in the Philippines later on. The Spanish brought in Catholicism and a culture of conservatism. Heads of state and church were men, and the female ideal was Maria Clara: Meek, modest, and subservient to her male partner. Under the Americans, women were not given the right to vote even when they set up a democratic government in the country.

Meanwhile, the Japanese occupation saw the inhuman treatment of many Filipinas as comfort women during the war.

On one hand, our base attitudes tell us

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS on building a local online community for women, about women.

I can still remember this year’s Twitter war between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj.

Not only did that mark the decline of my Tay Tay fandom, but also the beginning of my education on intersectionality and white feminism.

It didn’t happen over a thoughtful conversation over coffee or a compelling body of literature though. I’ve been stepping up my knowledge about feminism through memes, Buzzfeed articles, and think pieces on my Longform app.

Feminism and the Internet are clearly having a moment. It’s spawned by a culture of indignation crossed with a culture of sharing personal stories in condensed formats.

Which is why it made sense to create a local online feminist community. With Filipino women finding their voice on the Internet, each new meme or hot topic circulating social media is now punctuated by personal anecdotes. These women are winning back their agency, and it’s allowing a lot of them to finally let go of baggage they’ve been so sick of carrying. The topics cover a wide spectrum, from being catcalled to putting up with abusive partners.

Feminism isn’t a monolithic thing, and all experiences from different kinds of people inform and shape what we know it to be in this day and age.

It’s this moment that gave rise to the idea of Urbana.ph. The original idea was to put up a website with essays and articles written by a pool of writers. For one reason or other (read: day jobs), it became a struggle

women are equal to men, whether it is in government, or in business, or at home.

The Philippines is one of the top 10 countries when it comes to wage equality, and it boasts of the highest percentage of firms with female participation in ownership, according to the World Economic Forum. It is also one of eight countries in the world that have fully closed the gap between men and women when it comes to health and education outcomes.

But on the other hand, we are consistently taught in school, in church, and in community groups that women have a specific role, and it is to be subordinate to men, especially when it comes to sex, marriage, and family.

This could be why it is easy for the government to pass laws that seek to protect women from violence, exploitation, and human trafficking. These are issues wherein women are victims, and it aligns

neatly with how social and cultural structures frame women as the weaker of the sexes and whose purity and chastity are of utmost value. But in issues where women seek to gain control over their bodies, their marriages, and their families...well, those laws are much, much more contentious.

It is not enough to look just at the numbers. Women may be participating in politics and doing well at that, but whether women are being represented in politics is a different thing entirely. Despite what it seems, the glass ceiling for Filipinas is still there. It is definitely set much higher, but it is also much more difficult to break through. The overt misogyny and sexism that Gillard and Clinton decry may not be as much of an issue in the Philippines, but this only means women have to be more wary of the more subtle, insidious forms they can take.

BY M A R L A DA R W I N

to get the website going and instead we decided to develop an Urbana community instead. There are two Urbanas—the community page open to the public, and an internal one composed of the founders. They are by no means experts on feminism, just a bunch of folks hungry for learning and discourse.

It’s through talking that we were able to see how much we stretched our boundaries and where we draw the line. For example, we wanted to do away with the “angry feminist” stereotype, and it was something we were all in agreement with. We believe in equity feminism, which is the ideology of pushing for equal legal rights and fair treatment between men and women, as opposed to gender feminism where the aim is to eliminate gender roles altogether.

“Urbana takes its name from Urbana at Felisa, a mid-19th-century book on feminine conduct written by Fr. Modesto de Castro, a Tagalog priest.

The book contains a series of letters between Urbana, a young woman studying in Manila, and her younger sister Felisa who remains in the province.

The letters cover a wide range of life experiences, both secular and spiritual, and dispense advice on the ideal conduct and behavior expected of a middle-class and Christian family. This book is a product of a traditional, conservative society where the law was determined and enforced by men and where women were generally perceived as followers, not leaders.

As feminists, we are extremely critical of these ideas about feminine conduct and have founded a community that seeks to discuss manners and morals for the modern Filipina.”—Aissa Ereneta, Urbana.ph founder

The public community page is where we hope conversations could happen, or at the very least, be the medium for people

to keep abreast of stories that are shaping gender-based discrimination. The interactivity still needs to pick up its momentum and at the moment, the page is looking more like a content feed.

The internal group, though, is where the magic happens. Because the group is private and limited to 15 people, this is where it became comfortable to make the theoretical, personal.

We have a bunch of married women who didn’t take their husbands’ surnames and we have threads that detail the inane bureaucratic hurdles they have to deal with when it comes to their paperwork. It also opened up the discussion of the kind of unsolicited advice they’d get from family and strangers. “Isn’t your husband offended?”

“What about your children?” “What do you mean you don’t want any children?!”

(Note: It’s in our generation where we’re seeing the dawn of the “feminist husband,” the guys married to these women).

Often it feels like issues regarding your sexuality and place in the world hit a fever pitch when you’re a teenager/20-something navigating relationships, identity, and purpose. Then maybe it will plateau and settle down some. In my case, as I was approaching my 30s, I realized that, nope, there will still be baggage to be carried and ditched in a sinkhole. Maintaining an awareness of your rights is for life.

When I found out I was pregnant this year, the subject of my being woman took center stage more than ever. I knew I would be the parent who would stay home and put her career on hold. I stepped up to the role without any problems and, while I know I chose it wholeheartedly, I often continued >>> NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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wonder if it was the result of years of programming and conditioning.

Then there was the biological aspect. I didn’t want to lose agency over my body just like that. I didn’t realize how many things I took issue with during my first few OB-GYN appointments. I worried about unnecessary interventions done on me. I was scared about being bullied into procedures I didn’t want. I never felt that way about my body until that season in my life.

One issue was how my doctor was very pro-episiotomy and her justification was that she wanted to make sure my vagina stayed “beautiful” when she had to stitch me up (side note: I ditched this doctor because I was bothered with tearing being such an eventuality with her. I ended up not tearing and not worrying about my lady parts when I did a water birth). I was confounded and I took to the group asking, “Why are beautiful genitals a thing?”

From there we got into a discussion about women’s bodies subscribing to the “doll parts” ideal where the pubic and unsightly are to be artfully and painfully eradicated for the sake of the male gaze.

One member talked about her high school Home Economics teacher, who in the middle of teaching the baby care module, instructed them to pinch a baby girl’s vulva while changing her diaper so that she’ll have a nice looking vagina for her future husband. In the spirit of egalitarianism, the same teacher also told them to dip a baby boy’s testicles in a bowl of ice water so that they wouldn’t grow big and black and scare his future wife.

Many of us are products of Catholic allgirl schools, and a feature of coming into adulthood is reflecting on the ridiculous sex education (or lack thereof ) we were subjected to. Organized religion is a good introduction to the patriarchy and sexism.

I have a hard time imagining boys’ schools having a baby care module, let alone an entire Home Economics subject. I also don’t see them being made to attend seminars on dressing modestly or forums entitled “Will Your Daughter Be a Virgin Bride?”

(I wish I were kidding about the latter.

The flyer is still somewhere in a box in my parents’ house).

Often the feminist awakening happens in the form of recognizing nuisances women have to deal with that men don’t. Only it’s not really a nuisance when it involves your body, your relationships, and your selfworth. It’s the reason why these issues can hit the core of any woman.

This explains why even in the age of oversharing, women still need their villages. The “village” is the old timey concept of a group of women coming together as a support group in moments of vulnerability.

You see it in how women used to give birth, how the women in her community rally together to help manage the pain and to usher in a new baby. You also see it in how women gravitating together vent or gossip.

It’s interesting that most of us in the internal Urbana group met through one of the earlier internet communities: Livejournal. The friendships we forged on Livejournal have outlasted some of our offline ones and we don’t even hang out much

marjorie evasco: woman as writer and mentor Once upon a summer morning, up a hill in a barrio in Bohol, a girl of 10 watched in awe as her father clapped his hands and summoned a flock of herons from behind a clump of cogon grass. “The birds circled and took my heart with them as they flew away,” she recalled. “They were perfect in flight, and…I must have associated beauty with motion…I must also have associated magic with the way the hands can call forth things, and the way names can fix in memory a moment of transient wonder.” The birds flew away, but the wonder stayed with her. So she stalked them.

That girl, who grew up to become one of the country’s bestknown and best-loved poets, recounts her pursuit of this bird guide in “Stalking the Great Heron.” In this essay, Marj Evasco describes her creative process in writing “Heron-Woman,” which traces its origin to that summer of her childhood: Once, a child listened to her father Call the herons from the green paddies.

More experiences went into the making of the poem: the Taoist meditation “Positioning” by Deng Ming Dao; a trip to a bird sanctuary on Olango Island; and a retelling of an old Japanese folktale of the twilight heron by a Filipino-Japanese student. It took decades, “several arduous journeys,” and a number of drafts before Marj 104 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

“IRL.” We felt safe to talk about awful exboyfriends, breaking up with friends, and meltdowns at the workplace. The journal entries were locked in several levels of filters (where you can control who can see it) that created this protected space.

Going back to Taylor Swift, the idea of intersectionality is more important than ever because feminist issues are so much more than just women. Taylor Swift got a lot of flack for reacting to Nicki Minaj’s tweet about the MTV Video Music Awards ignoring her “Anaconda” video, a tweet in which Nicki made allusions to other nominees.

Nicki was citing race and sexism, while Taylor took it as a personal attack and cited it as a violation to the rules of feminism and sisterhood. The latter couldn’t be any more wrong and showcased the faults of solely using your personal context to inform your worldview.

We can easily make the same mistake and there’s no escaping the fact that most of the Urbana founders are cisgendered, straight, educated, and upper middle class. The challenge now is to see if the conversations in the internal group can be replicated in a more public arena. In a way, it’s a social experiment to see if there can exist a space that can preserve the village model and still accommodate others who are coming from contrasting circumstances, especially the marginalized ones.

But maybe this is why the Internet proves to be such a promising venue. It seems like the language of cat memes, clickbait, and pop diva drama may be the force that will level everything down.

BY SUSAN S. LARA

could write the final version of “Heron-Woman” in 1994.

By that time, she had already reached several milestones: she finished AB English (Magna Cum Laude) at the Divine Word College in Tagbilaran City; finished her M.A. in English (Creative Writing) under the guidance of the Tiempos and then taught at Silliman University; came to Manila to teach at De La Salle University; won the Palanca for her essays and the Philippine Free Press Award for her poetry; published her first poetry collection, Dreamweavers, for which she won the National Book Award and the Gintong Aklat Award; headed the DLSU Press; chaired the DLSU’s Literature Department; enjoyed writing residencies at the Bellagio Conference and Study Center in Italy and the Hawthornden Castle International Writers Retreat in Scotland.

What a journey! And what a fine illustration of how well Marj has learned her lessons from the heron: patience in crafting a poem, no matter how long it takes to coax it into its final shape; elegance and grace in utterance and articulation; precision in making every decision so crucial to writing—in choosing the right image, the inevitable word; in cutting the lines; in calibrating the tone.

She is among the most highly respected, most-admired, best-loved teachers at De La Salle University, and was one of the Outstanding Teachers recognized by the Metrobank Foundation in 1999. Mencontinued >>> tion her name to her students, and be prepared

continued >>> to hear paeans of praise: “You come to her as a

hopeful bud and you leave with a blossoming spirit,” says her former student Maria Villaruel, a young entrepreneur. “She has a firm yet affecting way of opening you up to the possibilities of your own talent, skill, or gift, for she sees what’s good and brave in you before you even show it in your writing.”

Maite Salazar, another former student, recalls how Marj gave her courage to give herself fully to her writing: “With each sentence [I wrote], I was reintroduced to myself, someone vulnerable but also resilient, someone who is a bit braver each time, ready to face the other side of everything that she has known and experienced.”

Joni Cham, now a novelist, says, “she has been a constant source of inspiration, guidance, and support not just in my literary endeavors but in life itself.”

Not to mention her gentle way of ensnaring even those who “never wanted to write,” like Hedwig de Leon, a professional photographer: “Looking back, it was a fine balancing act she did—between telling me what needs changing yet not telling me how. This trapeze act was supplemented by a lot of wine, tea, or coffee at her bamboo

reading women Roxane Gay, in her classic-of-ourtime collection of essays Bad Feminist, quotes an Australian woman Su who defined feminists as: “Just women who don’t want to be treated like shit.”

It’s a strange time for feminism, that amorphous movement whose bad rep too frequently precedes it, that well-meaning crusade whose core values get lost much too often in the shuffle. And it’s an even more difficult time to be a feminist. Just part and parcel of being a woman navigating life.

Gay’s collection is necessary reading for anyone who understands that there is still so much to be done for women to be treated justly; who understands that the world is a much better place if you’re a heterosexual man. It informs the reader that despite whatever strides we’ve made, that despite us being several years into the 21st century, the question of whether men and women are given equal opportunities remains a relevant one—and, loaded and incendiary, too. And the flak one gets positing the question—for effectively announcing yourself as someone who advocates for the rights of women, for pushing forward an inquiry that’s grounded on basic human decency—is all part of the neverending, snake-perpetually-eating-itsown-tail debate.

Gay acknowledges that feminism is “complex and evolving and flawed,” and it’s an acknowledgement that points precisely to why her collection is the feminist tome—the handbook to basic human decency—that we all need right now. Because feminism is messy, spawning movements left and right, setting in place highly specific advocacies and

grove, or some Italian restaurant. Or movies. Or hairdressers. Or out-of-town trips to hunt for plants or swim in the sea. She’d invite me over and insist that I eat and eat some more. Sometimes it just be us, at times with friends closest to her—most of them literary gods and goddesses in their own right. That is Dr. Evasco, that is how she welcomes someone in her life—she’d introduce you to almost everyone, cats included.”

Soon, she’ll do more of that kind of “teaching” than the classroom kind, as she looks forward to retiring from the university. Her only post-retirement plan (aside from the one DLSU is giving) is just to keep weaving dreams and memories and singing them with duendes. Nothing grand. For all the recognition she has won, (her more recent awards include the S.E.A. Write Award in 2010, and Ani ng Dangal Award for Literature in 2011), she prefers to stay in the margins. “As a student of culture,” she says, “it is the best vantage point for observing human behavior. It is also the best place where one can come to terms with what truly matters in terms of one’s loved though sullen craft.” And face her greatest challenge, which is, and always will be, “the next word.”

BY SASHA MARTINEZ

for every microagressive, mansplaining male author, there’s a female author you could be reading instead. outrages—and to identify as a feminist is in itself fraught with struggle, inviting scrutiny and contradiction.

(Struggles, scrutiny, and contradiction that Gay masterfully and lucidly assesses.) But the core of it must always stand: “Maybe I’m a bad feminist, but I am deeply committed to the issues important to the feminist movement. I have strong opinions about misogyny, institutional sexism that consistently places women at a disadvantage, the inequity in pay, the cult of beauty and thinness, the repeated attacks on reproductive freedom, violence against women, and on and on.”

Rebecca Solnit, in the title essay of her collection Men Explain Things to Me, reminds us that a woman’s life is fraught with danger of all shapes and sizes. Her essay went viral because it was welcome, because it was familiar, because it was that lightbulb moment of yes-that’s-totally-right.

Her piece gave rise to the term mansplaining—“a minor social misery” that is symptomatic of a much larger social disease. Solnit scores a society that has indulged men as the unalienable voice of authority: “Every woman knows what I’m talking about. It’s the presumption that makes it hard, at times, for any woman in any field; that keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men’s unsupported overconfidence.” Not all men, one would insist—but never mind that; you’re mansplaining right there. Because: Yes, all women. Every woman.

These aggressions are exponen-

tial when tracked. Men Who Explain Things tell you that it’s just a joke, lighten up, it’s no big deal. Men Who Explain Things cat-call, Men Who Explain Things tell you to smile, Miss Beautiful. The phenomenon of Men Who Explain Things ensures that men’s voices are heard foremost.

Because of Men Who Explain Things, victim-blaming and slut-shaming run rampant; heterosexual males are granted too much authority, impunity, over women’s bodies. When Men Who Explain Things talk, it is to silence women.

Speculating, the reasons for mansplaining are myriad: Arrogance or malice, a failure of imagination—with things being as they have been for as long as anyone can remember—or an unquestioned carelessness. Men, it’s time to listen to voices other than that of your own gender.

Read the journals of Susan Sontag, and witness the evolution of an intellectual as she navigates young love and young motherhood; read her treatises on art and photography and illness and literature. Read the journals of Anaïs Nin, and be absorbed into the mind of an artist that has full control over her lyrical imagination and the desires she evokes in men and women; read her erotica to immerse yourself in a seduction that’s on a woman’s terms. Read the novels of Siri Hustvedt—from her genderfluid first novel The Blindfold, to her slim and to-the-point The Summer Without Men, to her latest The Blazing World, about a woman skillfully manipulating the art industry that cares little about the work of her ilk. Read Charlotte Roche’s absolutely horrible and otherwise un-recommend-able Wetlands and immerse yourself in the woman’s body as it’s divorced from

standards of beauty. Read Noelle Stevenson’s graphic novel Nimona, read Kate Beaton’s collections of comics— both featuring women who care not to fulfill standard comic-book roles.

Read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and feel a woman’s rage. Read really good romance novels—Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, Sarah MacLean—and see how what’s been belittled as demeaning to women-readers actually presents empowered characters, whose lot in their fictional worlds are light years ahead of ours in the real world. Listen to voices of young women; pick up Jandy Nelson’s heart-rending novels, commiserate with the heartaches of Rainbow Rowell’s girls. Put down Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver and go read Edith Wharton and Eileen Chang and Alice Munro. For every Jonathan Franzen who wears his sneering indifference and borderline hatred of women in his book jacket, for every Bret Easton Ellis who rabble-rouses on Twitter for the hell of it, for every clumsy shocktactic-wielding Chuck Palahniuk, there is a Hanya Yanagihara and a Zadie Smith and a Maggie Nelson and a Jenny Offill and a Leslie Jamison and a Kerry Howley and a Gina Apostol and a Lakambini Sitoy and a Conchitina Cruz and a Daryll S. Delgado and a Laurel Fantauzzo and a Petra Magno. Read women. Just go and read women.

Men, we want you to listen to what we have to say; we want you start living in a world where the voices aren’t simply baritones; we want you recognize that it’s a disadvantage to be a woman and help do something about it. Men, we want you to not treat us like shit. Men, we want you to be feminists, too.

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What I’ve Learned

Patti Smith Musician, writer

Interviewed by Cal Fussman

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Photographed by Richard E. Aaron

I always doubted—am I really an artist? Robert had no doubt. He had no doubt that he was an artist, and he wanted me also to have no doubt.

I look at each experIence talking to someone as a whole new world.

because I lacked courage; it’s because I was self-protective. Fear can be useful.

We Were a loWer-mIddle-class famIly, and every time we bemoaned our fate, my mother would say, “I wept because I’ve no shoes, and then I saw a man who had no feet.” That was my mother’s mantra, and it’s a good one.

I had a taste of fame in the late ‘70s through rock ’n’ roll. It started in Europe, not so much in America. In Florence, we had eighty thousand people come to see us in a soccer arena with no opening band.

I had girls chasing me up the street, trying to cut my hair, and there were people offering themselves to me. It was kind of fun. Interesting. But it didn’t contribute to any evolution. Not to my work or to my evolution as a human being, and I became very conscious of that very quickly. Very quickly.

my father was a beautiful man. When I was a kid, his whole preoccupation was the search for the meaning of life. If a fireman came to the door, he’d invite him in and immediately engage him in some kind of philosophical discussion. Why are we here? Who put us here? What is our purpose? so I had a very down-to-earth, compassionate mother and a head-in-the-clouds, searching father. It was like being raised by the earth and the sky. a lot of people thInk I’m going to be like a punk rocker and just tell them to go fuck themselves. I’m not like that at all.

When I was young, I could be very confrontational. But that was maybe 40 years ago. So I’ve already done that.

When you’re goIng up a hIll on an Icelandic pony and you’re about to jump over a little stream, you must completely believe in the horse and fate. Because if you show fear, you’ll spook the horse and the horse may stumble. It’s not being reckless. It’s being unfettered by doubt.

That’s my definition of trust.

I lIke my mInd, and I feared harming it.

I saw some of the best minds of my generation, and some a little older than me, destroy themselves in front of my eyes.

That’s what kept me from the drugs and other excesses in the ‘70s. I said no not

If you Walk the streets alone and you look afraid...you’ll draw people to you.

Those are the people who get mugged or robbed. Nothing ever happened to me. I was open, but I wasn’t afraid. mIlk cost, say, eIght cents. Chocolate milk cost ten cents. Robert [Mapplethorpe, the artist and Smith’s longtime companion] loved chocolate milk. We didn’t have the extra two cents to buy him the chocolate milk, or if we did it would mean I couldn’t get my coffee. So it was always a trade-off. We got to a point where it was either a sharpener and three pencils or a grilled-cheese sandwich we could split.

Finally, I would just lift the pencils so we could eat.

Friends isn’t even a good enough word.

I Wrote Just Kids for robert. I said to him, “Is there anything I can do?” We both knew he was dying. He gave me some tasks he wanted me to do, and then he said, “Will you write our story?” And I shuddered, you know, and said, “Do you really want me to?” And he said, “Yes.” And I said, “Well, then I will write it.” He

knew I would. And he died the next day. It was quite a task, and sometimes, truthfully, I didn’t feel up to it and I would shelve it. It took me 20 years to find the courage, the voice, and the energy.

I alWays doubted—am I really an artist? Robert had no doubt. He had no doubt that he was an artist, and he wanted me also to have no doubt. sometImes curiosity is akin to excitement. Sometimes it’s just having an investigative mind. all the people that I’ve lost—and I’ve lost a lot—I keep them with me. And it makes life that much happier. About six or seven years ago, I saw the perfect shirt for Fred, my late husband. I started paying for it before I even realized what I was doing. And then I bought it anyway. I just keep them all with me because life doesn’t have to be so lonely. You know, if you shut everybody out just because they die, then what’s it all for?

I’m sort of on lIfe four. Until I was twenty, there was my life with my family.

In the ‘70s, it was my life with Robert but also Sam Shepard and the band. It was all the things that happened in New York.

The next decade and a half was with my husband. And between ’94 to 2004, I was raising my children, still going through whatever, grieving. And now my children are grown. In the last ten years, I’m a bum. I’m a happy tramp, just going where I like, on my own. I have no companion, sort of free. The difference is I usually have money in my pocket to eat. I don’t have to go scarfing around for 65 cents for a sandwich. maybe curIosIty kIlled the the lack of curiosity will kill us.

cat,

but

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Image is Everything In the last five years no other photographer has made such an impact as BJ Pascual. Just 27 years young, Pascual has shot both upstart social media stars and celebrities at the peak of their game for editorial and commercial work. His technical skill is matched by a personal vision and a unique understanding of the perfect shot. Everybody wants to be photographed by BJ. Here is an exclusive excerpt of his much awaited debut book, edited by Raymond Ang for his imprint, Made of Bricks, to be published by Summit Media.

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Megan Young

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Tini Dahl

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Manuela Basilio

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Kelsey Merritt

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PhOtOgRaPh Name

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Woman of Steel Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has lion-tamed her way through four years of investigating and prosecuting errant public officials, both high and low.

PhOtOgRaPh NAME

By Oliver X. A . Reyes Photogrphed by Jake Verzosa

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The Ombudsman among thousands of cases she inherited.

As she approached the retirement age of 70, Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw herself participating in flower clubs, tending to bonsai, and embarking on some prolonged travels—bathing for more than the cursory one or two days under the Tuscan sun. She had been in the government payroll continuously for 39 years and 10 months. She was already a historic figure—the tenth woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, and the first woman to administer the oath of office to an incoming President of the Philippines. As her date of retirement drew near—June 19, 2011—Carpio Morales was prepared to leave public service.

The last several months in the Supreme Court had been especially tense. She was the sole dissenter in De Castro v. Judicial and Bar Council, the decision that enabled then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to appoint Renato Corona as Chief Justice in the weeks before the President’s term 118 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

of office expired. During the one year that Carpio Morales served under the Corona court, she found herself penning dissenting opinions in several high profile cases— Biraogo v. Truth Commission, where the majority had invalidated the creation by President Aquino of the fact-finding Truth Commission; Republic v. Sandiganbayan, where the majority awarded to Danding Cojuangco disputed San Miguel Corporation shares allegedly purchased using coconut levy funds; and In Re: Letter of the UP Law Faculty Entitled “Restoring Integrity,” where the majority had sanctioned members of the faculty of the UP College of Law for criticizing the absolution of Justice Mariano del Castillo from charges of plagiarism. Stories about internal bickering among the Justices had leapt from the cloister and into the pages of the newspapers. Just months after Carpio Morales left the Court, Chief Justice Corona was impeached, and ultimately removed

from office following his conviction from the Senate.

At least Carpio Morales was going to leave on her own terms. Yet there was already some buzz that perhaps the retiring Justice was not yet to join the ranks of the retired. The Ombudsman of the Philippines, Merceditas Gutierrez, was impeached by the House of Representatives by a vote of 212 to 46 for betrayal of the public trust. Ten days before her impeachment trial was to begin in the Senate, Gutierrez resigned. Carpio Morales was tipped as the likely new Ombudsman. At a party, Carpio Morales was greeted by former Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, who told her, “Uy Chit, kausap ko si PNoy, ikaw daw ang susunod na Ombudsman. Bagay sa iyo. Matapang ka, Ilocana.” She replied, “Huwag mo akong bolahin.”

She was not keen on postponing the pleasure of retirement, on taking on a new, high profile, potentially con- CONTINUED

CONTINUED

troversial job. Then, even before she made up her mind, the critics weighed in, saying she was too old for the job. Leading the charge was Aniano Desierto himself. “We need a much younger Ombudsman—perhaps someone 50 to 60 years of age who can still be active and strong. Someone 70 and up might not cope with demands of that job,” Desierto told The Philippine Star.

The claims that she was too old and would dodder at the job unleashed Carpio Morales’ desire to render public service once more. She decided to accept her nomination as Ombudsman. Her appointment was announced by President Benigno Aquino III on July 24, 2011, at his second State of the Nation Address. She remained furious at Desierto. “I nursed a grudge against him, bakit niya sasabihin matanda na daw ako.”

Around that time, she was trying on a pair of shoes at Rustan’s in Shangri-La Mall when her son told her, “Mama, I saw Desierto having coffee at Le Coeur de France.”

Carpio Morales rose, asked the guard to point her towards Le Coeur de France.

She saw Desierto having coffee with another person. She confronted her predecessor. “This is the old woman you are talking about!”

Desierto rose. “Sandali lang Chit, sandali. I was misquoted. In fact, I wrote a letter to the editor.” She knew that no such letter was published by the Philippine Star. “Was it published in the Star?” she interrogated Desierto.

“Yes.” “You are lying!” With that, Carpio Morales turned on her heels, and walked away.

It would take two years before Carpio Morales reconciled with Desierto (“time heals all wounds”), but the comments about her age still sting. “Don’t say to a woman na matanda na siya. I was not keen on getting this job. But when everyone was saying matanda na raw ako, nabuwisit ako. Punyeta.”

Her father, the Hon. Lucas Carpio, was a Justice of the Peace (now equivalent to a trial court judge) in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, where she lived from her birth in 1941 until completing high school. Paoay was a small town—no movie houses then, only free film screenings at the plaza, sponsored by the makers of Cortal pain reliever. “You would all know most of the people engaged in the cases,” she says. She did not consciously plan to become a lawyer, but she grew up surrounded by law books and copies of the Official Gazette. “Perhaps subconsciously,” she now offers, “I found the law profession exciting.”

Her mother was Catholic, her father a member of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. She was baptized Catholic, but admits, “I was balimbing.” The singers at the Independiente were better attired, garbed with crepe paper crowns. “Kung gusto kong mag-suot ng crepe paper sa ulo, I would go to the Independiente.” She was the only one of among six siblings who was not educated in a Catholic school. These days, she confesses to remaining Catholic, “but I’m not religious. I’ve always been very vocal about it…I don’t think my Catholic upbringing had any impact on my work.”

She was the valedictorian at her elementary school (Paoay Elementary School) and at her high school (Paoay North Institute.)

She then moved south to study Economics at the University of the Philippines (“kahit nagangamote ako sa math and algebra.”)

Carpio Morales enrolled at the UP College of Law, where she graduated in 1968. While waiting for the results of the bar examination, she joined the Atienza Tabora & Del Rosario Law Offices. She counts her boss then, Atty. Arturo B. Atienza, as among her role models. He would bring her to court hearings where he would face off undaunted against the likes of Jose W. Diokno. “Ang lamig-lamig niya,” she says of Atienza. “He mesmerized me to no end.”

It was harder then to find role models among women lawyers, as there simply were relatively few of them. Carpio Morales was fortunate to find two of them at her next stint, at the Department of Justice. “You just count on those who were outstanding in their practice…since I was at the DOJ, my role models were Lorna Lombos dela Fuente, [Assistant Chief of the Legal Division of the Department], who was to become a Court of Appeals Justice, and [Assistant Chief State Counsel] Minerva Gonzaga Reyes, who was to become a Supreme Court Justice. They were women of integrity, of competence, of uncrackable reputation.”

Carpio Morales never returned to private practice after joining the DOJ in 1971.

She worked under then-Secretary Vicente Abad Santos, her former law professor and the long-time Dean of the UP College of Law. Abad Santos, who also later became a Supreme Court Justice, was a taskmaster who was fond of admonishing, “ang dami mo pang kakainin,” when confronted with substandard work of junior lawyers. One of her fellow junior lawyers working for Abad Santos was future Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. Carpio Morales would review resolutions of state prosecutors in criminal complaints that were ultimately bound for the Secretary. “Medyo nahasa naman ako kahit papaano.”

In 1983, Carpio Morales was appointed

as judge of the Regional Trial Court of Pili, Camarines Sur. She commuted weekly from Camarines Sur to Manila and back to be with her two young sons, Eugenio III and Umberto, on the weekends. She started her hearings at 8 a.m., sharp. At the DOJ, she had a relatively anonymous desk job. As a presiding judge, she now was performing at a public stage, and people took notice. She recounts that when she first arrived at Pili, she was escorted around the municipality by a local fiscal as she looked around for available lodging. Shortly after, several lawyers scheduled to appear in her court, including the helpful fiscal, arrived past her 8:30 a.m. start time. He stood up, asked if he could make an oral manifestation in court.

“I said, go ahead, and he started: ‘Your Honor, I would like to manifest that the province of Camarines Sur is very fortunate to have a very young…’, kung anong kabolahan niya. Sagot ko sa kanya, ‘are you done?’

‘Yes, your Honor,’ ‘The Court notes your manifestation, as it notes your tardiness.’”

Ephyro Luis Amatong, one of the current Commissioners of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was a senior law clerk for Carpio Morales when she was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

He remembers his former boss as having what he called “a judge mode,” especially evident during hearings or oral arguments, which he characterizes as a “combination of impassiveness and sharp probing questions… when she has her ‘game face’ on, it is impossible for even her staff, let alone an advocate or party-litigant, to know exactly what she is thinking. Many an advocate, after presenting their oral arguments before the Supreme Court, had no clue as to whether they had managed to sway Justice Carpio Morales one way or the other.

They might have been surprised to find out that, in the privacy of her chambers, the Justice could be quite generous in her appreciation for a well-presented argument; or sympathetic to a passionate, if inexperienced, young counselor arguing his or her first case before the Supreme Court.” The purpose of “judge mode,” as far as Amatong could tell, “was to elicit as much truth as possible from the lawyers and witnesses appearing before her—without telegraphing opinions she might have begun to form on the case.”

In private, and many times in public, Carpio Morales has the gift for the well-timed quip, the cutting retort that strikes at the heart of artifice. Flattery is not the way to her good graces. “Maraming CONTINUED

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The list of public officers who now stand as accused before the Sandiganbayan after having been criminally indicted under Ombudsman Carpio Morales’ term is a Who’s Who in the Philippine political scene.

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bolero. Politicians, lalong bolero. I deal with them like I deal with a lion. It’s not difficult for me to handle those matters.” She has heard that politicians fear her. “Takot nga raw sila sa akin. So when they meet me in social gatherings, they’d say, ‘ang bait pala ng Ombudsman.’” She chortles. “Iyon ang akala ninyo, sabi ko naman.”

When Carpio Morales assumed the role of Ombudsman in July 2011, she inherited a bureaucratic culture that needed to change. The Constitution designates the Ombudsman and his/her deputies as “protectors of the people,” tasked with acting promptly on complaints filed against public officials employees of the Government.

The complaints may come in any form—a handwritten note or an all-caps email message would do—and these have to be duly entertained, and investigated if necessary, by the Ombudsman. The actions taken on these complaints, including the investigatory findings, ultimately reach the desk of the Ombudsman in the form of action papers containing the recommendations made by her deputies.

The volume of work is overwhelming.

When she assumed office in 2011, she inherited a caseload of 11,000 pending cases, both criminal and administrative. It is unsurprising if as many as 200 action papers are submitted to the Ombudsman. These days, she commutes daily from her home in Muntinlupa to her office at Agham Road in Quezon City. She leaves the house at 5:40 a.m., and arrives at her office between 6:10 to 6:15 a.m. On a weekday, she tries to resolve between 30 to 35 cases a day before leaving for home before 5:00 p.m. She also comes into her office every Saturday, when free from the routine conferences and meetings of the workweek, she is able to resolve around 50 cases.

The Ombudsman notes: “I understand that my immediate predecessor just crossed out Approved or Disapproved.

After all, hindi naman siya ang gumawa.

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Mag-approve lang siya or disapprove. But that’s wrong! Because you have to look at the substance of the case.” Her closer scrutiny sometimes unearths basic errors in the drafting of these action papers—the names of the parties are mixed up, localities are misidentified. “There are some instances, they use highfalutin words. Is this word correct? I look at the dictionary sa cellphone. Naku Diyos ko, out of context.” She demands that the lawyers in the Office of the Ombudsman write lucid action papers that could be understood by laypersons.

This insistence unnerved the entrenched lawyers at first. “[T]heir culture was that they did not like their papers to be corrected. I am the last signatory. All I have to say is ‘Approved’. But you see, it’s not even understood by a layman, why should I not correct them. I am the Ombudsman, you have to toe my line.” She estimates that she ends up rejecting around 20 percent of the recommendations made in the action papers. When she is unsure about a recommendation, she does not hesitate to assign the cases for further review to the lawyers who are assigned to her own office.

Commissioner Amatong, her law clerk at the Supreme Court, remembers that “[w]e worked hard. She worked hard.”

Ombudsman Carpio Morales also detected deficiencies in the investigatory methods being employed by the office she had inherited. The Office employs factfinding investigators who are assigned to investigate the complaints filed with the office. Some cases are complex enough to require the creation of a panel of investigators. Carpio Morales says, “I don’t like to be immodest, but I’d like to believe that when I came in and I encountered a lot of difficulties respecting techniques of investigation, some kind souls especially from donor partners came up with recommendations. We saw the need to institute a lot of reforms, adoption of new investigative techniques. The American and British em-

bassies have been very helpful in sharing their techniques.” Under Carpio Morales’s watch, investigators have been sent to the United States for further training. One area where the Office is seeking to augment its in-house capacity is in conducting forensic investigation.

Since her days with the Department of Justice, Carpio Morales has placed great emphasis in the findings of fact. Her experience with the DOJ prepared her “to marshal facts correctly. The most difficult part of deciding the case is marshaling the facts.

The moment that you can marshal them, in the best way you can, then it’s just a matter of applying the law, right or wrong.” The identification and analysis of the facts of the case were skills honed not just at the DOJ, but also as a trial court judge in Pili and Pasay (where she served from 1986 to 1994), as a Court of Appeals Associate Justice from 1994 until 2002, and as a Supreme Court Associate Justice from 2002 until 2011. Carpio Morales opines that her methodology in approaching cases as an Ombudsman did not differ from her approach as a Supreme Court Justice. Commissioner Amatong remembers from his time as a law clerk: “On more than one occasion, she questioned me closely on the appreciation of the facts. She was very, very demanding as to the accuracy and integrity of the legal research. But she never asked us to sweat the small stuff. She shared her time, experience and wisdom freely. We were trying to discern the truth from the facts presented, and, as the Romans would say, ‘render justice to every man’—or as much of it as we could.”

Being the Ombudsman is, Carpio Morales admits, the most challenging job that she had ever taken. There is only one Ombudsman. In the Supreme Court, she had, through the vetting of her work by the other Justices, the assurance of greater quality control. “Kung di masyado maganda ang trabaho mo, at least you’re CONTINUED

Conchita Carpio Morales administered the oath of office to President Benigno Aquino III on June 30, 2010.

She is the first female magistrate to swear in a Philippine president.

Photo by Dondi Tawatao.

CONTINUED

confident that they’ll call your attention. [As Ombudsman], you are alone. Mag-isa ka diyan magdecide. When you finally come up with an approach with a difficult question of law or a question which you cannot readily resolve, masaya ka na.”

The list of public officers who now stand as accused before the Sandiganbayan after having been criminally indicted under Ombudsman Carpio Morales’ term is a Who’s Who in the Philippine political scene. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her husband, for their alleged anomalous involvement in the NBN ZTE deal. Vice-President Jejomar Binay and his son, Makati City mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, for their involvement in the alleged anomalous bidding and construction of a carpark project in the Makati City Hall complex. Former Chief Justice Renato Corona, for alleged ill-gotten wealth. Former Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon, over the allegedly anomalous purchase of 75 defective rubber boats. Current PCSO Chairman Erineo Maliksi, for the irregular procurement of medicines worth P2.5 million while governor of Cavite. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, over the allegedly anomalous purchase of land in Balili, Cebu. Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino, for allegedly engaging in the illegal black sand mining trade. Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Singson, over the alleged unlawful release of “financial assistance” for unspecified livelihood projects. Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane, for the allegedly irregular issuance of mining permits. Capiz Governor Victor Tanco, Sr., for allegedly extorting P3 million from a contractor for a hospital project. Former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, for failing to file her SALNs from 2007 to 2010. Former Governors Antonio Kho of Masbate and Casimiro Ynares of Rizal, for their alleged involvement in the notorious fertilizer scam. Taguig City Mayor Laarni Cayetano, for allegedly padlocking the Taguig City session hall and preventing the Sangguniang Panglungsod from convening. Former Cagayan de Oro city mayor Vicente Emano, for refusing to comply with a final decision of the Civil Service Commission. Former Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, for allegedly untruthful statements in the SALNs he filed from 2004 to 2012. Former PAGCOR Chairman Ephraim Genuino, for multiple counts of malversation, including the anomalous purchase of 89,000 movie tickets for the movie Baler. Former TESDA Director General Augusto Syjuco, and his wife, former Rep. Judy Syjuco, for allegedly siphoning government funds from TESDA and diverting them into an ineligible NGO which they themselves had founded. Former PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio, for attempting to influence the Court of Appeals in

connection with a pending case. Former PCGG Chairman Magtanggol Gunigundo, for allegedly entering into a compromise agreement that was grossly disadvantageous to the government. Former MRT3 General Manager Al Vitangcol, for the alleged irregular award of the MRT3 maintenance contract. General Jovito Palparan, Jr., for the alleged kidnapping of the Manalo brothers.

The list does not include those who have been criminally indicted by the Ombudsman in connection with the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Bong Revilla, and Jinggoy Estrada. Current and former Members of the House of Representatives Antonino, Biazon, Cagas IV, Cajayon, Clarete, Coquilla, Dangwa, Jaraula, Lim, Martinez, Miranda, Olaño, Pancrudo, Pingoy, Plaza and Valencia.

Former Cabinet Secretaries Arthur Yap and Esperanza Cabral. Janet Lim Napoles.

Her critics have charged, what about the Abads, the Roxases, the Benigno Aquinos? Manila Times columnist and Aquino administration critic Rigoberto Tiglao has accused Ombudsman Carpio Morales of being the President’s “deadliest political assassin,” claiming that she had allowed Aquino to use her office as “[Aquino’s] political assassination squad against his enemies that marks the depths of depravity of this regime.” Vice-President Binay charged that she was employing selective justice, “exhibiting extreme bias against me” and “having convicted me in the bar of public opinion.” Carpio Morales refutes accusations that she is susceptible to political pressure, especially from the President. “Fortunately there’s no pressure, not from the President. You would be surprised. Pressure from work, yes. But not from any politicians.” Not even from politicos of lower rank? “With more reason, i-isnabin ko sila.”

In response to the Vice-President’s charge of “selective justice”, Carpio Morales has cited her June 2015 decision to dismiss from service former Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima, who is reputedly close to President Aquino. “That’s the best argument [against allegations of ] selective justice—iyong pagdismiss ko kay Purisima,” Carpio Morales said in one of her rare press conferences.

In the same press conference held on July 1, 2015, Carpio Morales did not conceal her annoyance. “Wala nang ginagawang tama ang Ombudsman! Palagi niyo nang kinukwestiyon. If you feel CONTINUED NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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CONTINUED

that I am impeachable if I have done wrong, I welcome it. I will give my position on a silver platter…nabubuwisit na ako ha, every time I file cases sasabihin politically motivated. I am apolitical. Wala akong pinapanigan.” Following that press conference, the Philippine Daily Inquirer published an editorial cartoon featuring a gauntlet-clad Carpio Morales, roaring as she delivers a karate chop, repelling an indistinct animal labeled “political bias.” A framed copy of the cartoon now has its place of honor at a bookshelf in her office. She likes the Inquirer, cites them for “good reporting” in corruption cases, even if

did know that he was sick. When they said, we will bombard the heavens with prayers, I said, ‘Thank you, prayers would be great.’ But you know, prayers could only complement the treatment being administered on him.”

“I steeled myself, otherwise ma-aaffect yung trabaho ko, hindi ako maka-concentrate.”

Even as Bert’s health declined, the Office of the Ombudsman remained the hive of activity. The dismissal of Purisima, the suspension of Mayor Binay, the indictment of former Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon and four other former Representatives, all happened during this time. On Friday, October

honesty and dedication to duty…when a public officer takes an oath of office, he or she binds himself or herself to faithfully perform the duties of the office and use reasonable skill and diligence, and to act primarily for the benefit of the public.”

Commissioner Amatong, who obtained a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School after his stint at the Supreme Court, cites Carpio Morales’ combination of personal integrity and moral courage. “Modern American Legal Theory has it that adjudication is actually a highly political exercise.

However, as far as I could see, Justice Carpio

Every time I file cases, sasabihin politically motivated.

I am apolitical. Wala akong pinapanigan.

at times, it publishes editorial cartoons that feature her in less flattering light. In contrast, she says of the Daily Tribune, “My God, it’s terrible, but sabi naman nila, wala namang nag-babasa.”

Few knew that even as Carpio Morales roared at the media during that July press conference, she was dealing with an intense personal crisis. A month earlier, Umberto “Bert” Morales, her youngest son, had been unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, which had already metastasized. He had been her Chief of Staff at the Supreme Court, and at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Bert did not smoke. He was an athlete, an avid mountaineer. He had two children, the youngest born just weeks before he was diagnosed. For those who knew Bert, the news was especially cruel.

When Bert was confined at the Lung Center, Carpio Morales would visit her son every morning, before heading to work, and every afternoon, before leaving for home. On August 19, friends of Bert staged a benefit gig at the Handlebar Makati. The Ombudsman was there too, as was Bert. By the time Bert celebrated his 41st birthday in late September, Carpio Morales had already made arrangements with Heritage Park as to where Bert’s wake would be held. “I was being realistic.

I had to accept the reality that anytime, he would go.” She knew that Bert was not going to survive, but she tried to keep from him that she knew he was going to die. He cried when he realized that she knew.

Few others knew how dire it all was, not even in the Office of the Ombudsman. “They

9, the Ombudsman promulgated a 103-page Decision ordering the dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification from holding public office of Mayor Binay. On Saturday, October 10, Bert Morales died after battling cancer for five months.

On Monday, October 12, the Office of the Ombudsman announced the indictment on criminal charges of Vice-President Binay and his mayor-son. The following week, the Ombudsman dismissed from service the Governor of Capiz, Vicente Tanco, Sr., and ordered the suspensions of the Governor of Camarines Norte, Edgardo Tallado, and the City Administrator of Bacolod, Rolando Villamor.

The day after Bert’s remains were cremated, Ombudsman Carpio Morales flew to Ilocos Norte. An Integrity Caravan, involving a multi-sectoral forum aimed at building partnerships among all anti-corruption stakeholders, had been scheduled in Laoag City well earlier in the year. Carpio Morales herself felt that too much in pre-paid plane fares and hotel accommodations would be forfeited if they postponed the event. After returning from Ilocos Norte, she resumed her regular daily routine—up before dawn, reporting for duty more than two hours ahead of her lawyers. “Work would take me away from the feeling of sadness. I had to occupy myself, for if not…” Her voice trails off.

In April 2010, then-Justice Carpio Morales, writing for the Supreme Court in Atty.

Salumbides v. Office of the Ombudsman, declared: “Public service requires integrity and discipline. For this reason, public servants must exhibit at all times the highest sense of

Morales’ tenure on the Court was remarkable for its being highly apolitical. There was absolutely no attempt to curry favor with any particular personage or interest group. In no instance was an opinion rendered to conform to the ‘requests’ or ‘instructions’ of an authority other than justice and conscience.

In fact, I cannot recall any instance when any of the staff were instructed to justify a predetermined conclusion or to modify any reasoning to fit a pre-ordained outcome.”

There had been times, while serving on the Supreme Court, when she felt she nearly wanted to give up. No Justice deliberately stakes out to be The Great Dissenter. Her draft in De Castro v. JBC—the Corona appointment case—she says drew praises from her colleagues who, the very next day, would release their barrage of critical dissenting opinions.

Her landmark ruling in La Bugal-B’laan Tribal Association v. Sec. Ramos, which invalidated the Mining Act of 1995 on constitutional grounds, was reversed on motion for reconsideration, with the Arroyo administration, she says, actively imploring for the Court to reverse itself.

“I did not give up because I did not like to be affected by this, because I knew I was right. But it was also kayabangan on my part because, bakit ikaw lang ba ang tama, but it’s so unnerving because you think you are right, tapos talo ka. Those are the things that pissed me off and made me on the verge of tears.”

Carpio Morales is certainly not known for backing down. Even as a child, in the more pastoral climes of Paoay, she would fight back when she felt she was in the right, even against her judge-father when he would forbid her from going to the plaza, wooden stool CONTINUED

122 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

Even in grief, Carpio Morales remained tough as nails, indicting the Binays and suspending a few others.

CONTINUED

in hand, to watch the free movie show. “I’ve always been fierce, whenever I was pushed against the wall. They’ll bury me alive.” Did her gender, and the reduced opportunities historically associated with being a professional woman, shape her fierceness? “I don’t think my being fierce has to do with being a woman. I’m made of that stuff, na talagang fierce.”

The need for compromise draws mixed reactions from the crowd.

The President in ensuring the passage of a pet bill, the Senators and Representatives in reconciling competing versions of a proposed law, Supreme Court Justices in search of a majority vote—all of them have found the need to engage in compromise. However, the public would be disappointed in an Ombudsman—that vanguard against corruption—who is prone to compromise. Carpio Morales understands that expectation. As a Justice of a collegial court, a certain form of compromise may have been necessary after an opinion has been circulated for deliberation. “Meron kang trabaho. You say it’s black, there’s a dissenter who says it’s white. Pwede kayo mag-meet, mag-compromise, on how you approach the case.” But to compromise as Ombudsman in running after derelict officials? “But yung sabihin i-kompromise mo na lang ito kasi ganito ganoon, no way. No. Walang mawawala sa akin.”

Amatong adds: “Her opinions provide a ready record not only of her willingness to ‘speak truth to power,’ but also to use whatever power or authority she might have to speak the truth.”

The Ombudsman also admits drawing rewards from reading positive comments posted by netizens on social media. She herself maintains no personal social media accounts, but her staff is not shy in alerting her when she goes viral. More psychic rewards are earned whenever the Supreme Court and the appellate courts affirm her actions as Ombudsman, those stand as “a testament to my hard work kuno.”

The Ombudsman’s term ends in 2018. Carpio Morales has further reforms for the office in mind. She is hoping that Congress would expand the powers of the Office to authorize it, to a limited extent, to conduct wiretapping. “Indonesia attributes its 100 percent conviction rate [in corruption cases] in Metro Indonesia to its use of wiretapping.” She expects that new Rules of Procedure would be promulgated before the end of the year. She wants to conduct more Integrity Caravans, which are supported by the United Nations Development Program and other development partners. The reforms she has introduced, Carpio Morales wants institutionalized into the Office. “If you don’t institutionalize, a new Ombudsman will come in and probably be destroying all of this.”

Conchita Carpio Morales will be capping her five-decade career in public service in a maelstrom of activity. She is undaunted by what may happen after 2016. “We might have a President who is corrupt and will try to influence me? Excuse me! No way!”

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What I’ve Learned

Celine Lopez Writer

Interviewed by Audrey N. Carpio

124 E S Q U I R E • n o v E m b E R 2 0 1 5

Photographed by Joseph Pascual

All relationships need some effort to give them some value. You can have a sibling or a cousin and not feel moved by them at all. You can have a friend and take a bullet for them.

The hardesT Thing I had to do was to bury loved ones.

WhaT

i save if my house after saving loved ones and pets? Nothing. Anything with a heartbeat saved is enough.

Would

them at all. You can have a friend and take a bullet for them. You can’t live your life feeling guilty about it, sometimes that’s just the way it is.

caTches fire,

WhaT

Was

difficulT

abouT

WriTing

was knowing that I was writing a shit book and that I had to finish it. The hard part was having to live with the fact that I wrote a shit book. my book

m a k e U p c at s d e l r o sa r i o h a I r k i e r lo v e l a s c o

Les MiserabLes Touched me in so many Ways. I read it first as a young girl. I find myself re-reading it over the years and each time I relate to a different character. living in india for a year was so far from everything that was familiar to me.

Every experience was authentic and that’s when I felt so in control of the narrative of my life. my grandfaTher TaughT me ThaT blood isn’t necessarily thicker than water. When I was young he told me its OK not to be close to everyone. Relationships have to be organic for it to mean something. I have come to value my friends more than some members of my family and that’s OK. All relationships need some effort to give them some value. You can have a sibling or a cousin and not feel moved by

i used To have more guy friends because they were just easier and less dramatic. However, as I grew older I have become a total girl squad chick. Guys stop growing at some point and the simplicity that I once enjoyed now bores me. I love the active and dynamic female mind. i’ve never been a fan of possessions possessing me. I really am a purger. I find freedom in clean slates. I barely kept anything [when I sold my clothes]. Also I went from a size zero to a size four in a hot minute. I didn’t see the point of keeping dresses that were now like gloves to me. my moTher TaughT me how to love unconditionally. She has also taught me to forgive, but to also always stand up for myself. Her best lesson however is I should live within my means. She also taught me to dress up well during flights.

They almost always give you an upgrade. courage is to honor your word and live with your choices. That’s really fucking hard to do. i

sTay up Worrying

about my mother’s

health, my next career move, and if I’m marathoning some Netflix show, then I worry about sleep itself. if i could choose my lasT meal it would be lasagne from Greenwich Pizza, 18-inch All Cheese Brooklyn Pizza, Cheez Whiz sandwiches, Alfredo fettuccine made in the authentic Roman way washed down with Jacquesson Champagne. And Diet Coke with lots of ice. Hey I’m dying, it doesn’t need to make sense. i’ve learned risk is forgoing all calculated and certifiable actions that yield guaranteed positive results and simply following your gut. This is what makes one’s life memorable.

WhaT

annoys me are people Who cuT

lines,

people who bring rice meals into the cinema, people who give me that look because I watch too much TV, people who say they’re vegan any chance they get, and I really have something against people who don’t like dogs. aside from seeing The World, money at some extent can buy you some temporary happiness. Buying lipgloss that you don’t need on a shit day makes the next few hours a little brighter.

The besT Thing abouT being a is knowing “your” is not “you’re.”

WriTer

November 2015 • eSQUIre

125

A

WOMAN’S

TOUCH

Three female stylists put their spin on men’s style.

PhotograPhed by Koji arboleda St yled by tiNa oNg, SaM PoteNCiaNo, aNd Mj beNiteZ ProdUCed by joNt y CrUZ

126 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

“

The Esquire man knows all his foundations in dressing. He knows the difference between an Oxford and a Derby, between poplin and twill, and more importantly, knows when to wear them. It’s the knowledge of these rules that allows him to break them with effortless wit combined with his personal style. — TINA ONG

”

Printed sweater (P13,298)

by Carven; Cropped jacket (P19,998) by Several; Jeans (P19,998) by Balenciaga.

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

127

Shirt (P14,998) by Tim Coppens; Grey trousers (P22,498), Rubber Dot Replica high-top Sneakers (P25,398) by Maison Martin Margiela.

PhOtOgRaPh Name

OPPOSITE: Blazer (P50,898), Trousers (P24,498), and Printed shirt (P35,998) by Maison Martin Margiela; Patent shoes (P47,898) and Necktie (P8,898) by Dior Homme.

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PhOtOgRaPh NAME

NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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“

The Esquire man’s style is sharp, thoughtful, and put-together without feeling overly calculated. He has a deep appreciation for clothes without being slavish to them. Rather than focusing on trends or brands of the moment, a chief tenet to his style is an innate understanding of what he personally likes and ( just as importantly) dislikes. It’s more important to him that he actually gives a damn about whatever he’s wearing.

— SAM POTENCIANO

130 E S Q U I R E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

”

Button-down shirt (P1,499) by Sfera; Sweatshirt (P1,395) by Topman; Lime enamel pin to order from bigbudpress.com; Sweatpants (P3,295) and Sneakers (P3,295) by Adidas.

OPPOSITE: Jacket (P7,495) by Adidas; Joggers (P1,490) by Uniqlo.

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Blue suit jacket (P8,795), yellow ringer tee (P795) and blue suit pants (P3,995) by Topman.

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g R O O M I N g A M A N D A PA D I L L A M O d E l J AV I E R M A R C A L A I N

“

When it comes to spiffy style, an Esquire man knows that having a solid sartorial foundation will get you very far. Not too flashy but certainly no humdrum wallflower, the Esquire man takes good ol’ classics and gives them a contemporary spin. Cases in point: Textured tailored trousers give a turtleneck and blazer pairing some extra zing, while a no-fail shirt and jeans combo gets some high-fashion appeal when worn with a jacket in suede—a fabric that’s been making its rounds in the Fall 2015 runways. These subtle additions add flair to tried-and-tested looks while highlighting an individual’s personal style—a win-win situation, really. Of course, function, fit, and quality also factor into the equation, but you already know that.— MJ BENITEZ

” Turtleneck (P690) by Uniqlo; Blazer (P5,195) by Topman.

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Suede jacket (P9,990) by H&M; Shirt (P995) and jeans (P1,995) by Topman.

OPPOSITE: Suit jacket (P69,950), shirt (P17,750) and bowtie (P7,850) by Paul Smith; Trousers (P2,795) by Topman.

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NOVEMBER 2015 • ESQUIRE

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This Way Out

Previously on esquire...

THIS WAY OUT

FEBRUARY 1967

BY AudreY N. CArpio

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This vintage Esquire cover would require trigger warnings to pass through today’s ultra sensitive, politically precise environment. A naked woman dumped in a trash can?

How misogynistic—and with the accompanying headline, “The New American Woman: through at 21,” you can throw in ageist and exploitative as well. Here was the cover of “a magazine for men,” pretty much telling women that we only love them when they’re 17. Of course, the image conveys just one part of the story.

George Lois, art director and

provocateur extraordinaire, came out with this cover right after the even more infamous “black Santa” cover—Sonny Liston donning a Christmas hat—which had the advertising department hyperventilating into paper bags. They want a girlie cover, I’ll give them a girlie cover, Lois must’ve snickered. He proceeded to squash Warhol actress Susan Bottomly, also known as “International Velvet,” into a banged-up old garbage bin. “I gotta tell you,” Lois had said after the fact, “some women hated it, but plenty of them were laughing their asses off.”

Subversive or otherwise, the cover image dictated the direction of the anonymously written cover story, a bizarre exposition on The New American Woman, who was essentially the “LA Woman” replicated, like a virus, all over the nation. This so-called LA Woman was symbolic of the corrupt, image-obsessed city of decay that has created her— an amoral party girl eager to erase her boring Midwestern roots, a drugged-up groupie who considers work beneath her, unless it was working the casting couch.

“But of her traits, one looms above all others. She is often dead at 21. Possessing no sense of the past, no conception of history, she is possibly the first woman to be totally of her times, so plugged into the potency of the moment that nothing she says or does can be counted on to last,” the article goes. It’s hard to ascertain whether the writer was subtly satirizing this female archetype or sincerely slurring a whole generation of young women (today, they might be called millennials), but paired with the photo of the bottomed-out Bottomly, definite undercurrent of antifeminism runs through the piece. The LA Woman can’t seem to escape her destiny as detritus, her fate as a washedup has-been at 26 has been programmed into the Hollywood scripts that LA men have written for her.