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2 8 DAN VILLEGAS His films hold your girl’s heart. So pay attention 6 4 ELEctIoNS 101 for NEwbIE VotErS Where to go, what to do, and why your vote counts 7 0 fHM’S uLtIMAtE cAr buyEr’S GuIDE eight pages, 19 latest models—motor heads, start your engines! 7 8 If I wErE A GIrL... What happens when men think like their women?
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82 wILDESt DrEAMS Getting lost in adventure with Regina Swan
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AN D I E I G E N M AN N The island girl is back in her element
FROM THE EDITOR
If candidates tell you they love the poor, then they sure as hell would want them to stay poor.
What FHMers have been up to this month
Stay with me on this. The Comelec pegged the total number of registered voters for the 2016 National Elections at 55 million. An SWS survey made late last year showed that, of the total number of registered voters, 59 percent—or 32,450,000 voters—considered themselves poor. Candidates winning top-tier victories do so in the range of 15 million to 20 million votes, well within the power of the “poor” vote. So, if you’re a politician-for-life, it’s in your best interest to get the poor vote. It’s easier with them. All you have to do is play the part of being maka-diyos, matulungin, tapat, maaasahan (which is what the poor want, said an Institute of Philippine Culture study reported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as far back as 2004). As a voting bloc, less of them means less votes, so it makes perfect sense to keep the voting poor, poor. Be their savior. But they always have to be saved; you have to keep on saving them. I’m not saying they do not want to help the poor. I would like to believe that public servants always start out with the best intentions. The point is this: In the cacophony of image-building that is the 2016 elections, where everyone loves the poor and has the answers to all their problems, we have to remain skeptics. We cannot just believe what we hear or see. They are merely rhetoric and always will be. Come election day, it is your intelligent assessment of each candidate’s personality and capability that should determine your vote. But we must not be disillusioned. In this, I’m counting on that other vote: the Youth vote. The Comelec says this voting bloc, ages 18 to 35, make up 37 percent of the electorate. That’s about 20 million of you. If you are what you say you are—smart, savvy, and brimming with good vibes—you’ll deliver the votes that will shape the future of our politics: one that doesn’t rely on empty rhetoric but on sound principles.
ALLAN P. HERNANDEZ Acting Editor in Chief allan.hernandez@summitmedia.com.ph
I S B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y. . . Acting Editor in chief Allan P. Hernandez Team Art Director Paul C. Villariba Associate Art Director John Laurence O. Patulan Assistant Managing Editor Pong M. Castillo Associate Style Editor Mikey Ashlie L. Mahinay Editorial Assistant Chise A. Alcantara Contributing Editor Cecile J. Baltasar Celebrity Coordinator Allan Altera A N D F U T U R E - P R O O F E D B Y. . . Managing Editor Brian Adrian H. Borleo Associate Section Editor Gelo G. Gonzales Staff Writer John Paulo Aguilera, Mary Rose A. Hogaza Team Editor Allan A. Madrilejos WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM... Words John Paulo Aguilera, Lex Celera, Camoi Miraflor, Lio Mangubat, Anton Umali, Anne Mari Ronquillo, Don Domino, Alex Paita, Lou Albano, Wayne Joseph Tulio, Maan D’asis Pamaran, Brian Adrian Borleo, Marla Miniano Illustrations Maya Idanan, Melvin Calingo, Louis Arenas, Warren Espejo PicturesMark Jesalva, Jerico Montemayor, Niko Villegas, Kurt Alvarez, Doc Marlon Pecjo, Kevin Cayuca, Ejay Leung, Jonathan Baldonado Styling/Makeup/Hair Rhina Montemayor, Sancho Bernardo, Edward Pascual, Janina Dizon, Debra Bernales, Genia Ranada-Babista, Jake Galvez, Fidel Tango, Matt Gozun, Vanessa Estor, Joanna Santiago, Reynaldo Santos Jr., Bela Vitug
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Andi channels that happy hippie vibe in between takes of her smoldering cover shoot
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Focus on me MAgic 89.9’s The Pre-gAMe DJ Debbie Then will keeP You uP All nighT—AnD You’ll love iT Close Nick Jonas feat. Tove Lo
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Debbie Then is the next It Girl. We say this because (1) she has the makings of a matinee idol-slash-online-sensation that girls would actually peg their lifestyle on, and (2) she has that spunky style that men are attracted to (Look her up on Instagram: @debbie_then). But you’ll get that within five minutes of meeting her. Spend some more time with Debbie and you’ll realize she goes deeper than her pretty face. “I’m more than that,” says Debbie. “I’m your friendly neighborhood Asian DJ Debbie Then,” she quips, citing her tagline on The Pre-game, the late-night show on Magic 89.9 that she hosts. But just exactly what more can she put on the table? Aside from being unexpectedly game www.fhm.com.ph
for an edgier-themed shoot, the 21-year-old says that her geeky side is what draws people to her. “I come on board Magic after Boys’ Night Out, so it’s really challenging to keep the listeners’ interest till the wee hours of the morning,” Debbie says. “Of course I easily relate to girls, but to reel in guys, it helps that I’m into Star Wars, Back To The Future, comic books…you know, just the geeky stuff.” Before landing her own radio show where she talks about lightsabers, superheroes, and timewarp all night long, Debbie went behind the mic with radio personalities like Jessica Mendoza, Andi Manzano, and Rikiflo as a Junior Jock in the same station. “I’m a Filipino-Chinese from facebook.com/FHM.ph •
Brunei. I’ve come from a flurry of cultures and I think that helped me achieve my dreams of making something of myself here in the Philippines.” It didn’t happen for Debbie in an instant, though. “I’m actually new to the roster, but the wait was worth it,” she says. “You know when you’re doing something you love, you just know that you’ll be [in it] for a very long time.” Gulp coffee by the gallon. We are tuning in tonight!
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MAY 2016 FH M 27
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Somehow, we feel that Andi Eigenmann is so much more than what we see of her on TV and in the big screen. Turns out, Andi thought so, too Makeup
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Special Thanks to Kyra Quilinguen and Ms. Veronique del Rosario-Corpus of Viva Artist Agency, Inc. Mr. Emil Po of Lime Hotel Boracay Boracay Station 2, Tirol Road, Malay, Aklan boracay.lime.ph
One look at any of Andi Eigenmann’s social media accounts and you’d know: we are dealing with someone hip. Perfectly cropped selfies, a photo with a pineapple on her head—Andi’s Instagram page scrolls down like a study on Generation Y’s apparent fixation on the unconventional. She captions her IG photos with such phrases as, “Touch the earth and feel the earth touch you.” She describes herself in different ways on social media: dirt worshipper, isda, lamok, a mermaid who flies. If Andi were born 30 years earlier, she’d have been tagged as a flower child; a hippie. She’d have walked barefoot with flowers in her long hair, flashing the peace sign at random strangers, taking impromptu road trips in a beat-up VW Combi, and sitting at the beach with her equally hippie friends watching the sun set. Oh wait. She still does that. On a whim, she recently went to Calaguas with friends not knowing it was 10 hours away from Manila. (“But all the pagod was wiped away when we got there; the beauty of the island was breathtaking.”) Just conversing with her would show you that Andi takes pride in not being a member of conventional youth, Andi (who considers herself as “not so young anymore” at 25) peppers our conversation with inspirational tidbits that all basically point to what sounds like her life philosophy: “You only live once.”
Mainstream is certainly not her cup of tea. But curiously, almost 10 years ago, Andi made a decision that put her right smack in the middle of mainstream Philippine culture: she joined the showbiz industry. You couldn’t really blame her, being part of the multi-awarded and immensely talented Eigenmann clan. Her parents are Jaclyn Jose and the late Mark Gil. There is Tita Cherie Gil and Tito Michael de Mesa. Never mind that it was a world her family didn’t want her to enter. “They didn’t say no, but they didn’t encourage me, either. They tried to convince me to put college first and become a lawyer or something.” Yet Andi faced showbiz full on, and the glitterati of TV and film embraced her as if she were one of them. Soon after, she was. She sharpened her performing chops as a Houseplayer (guest) in Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus and as a Myx VJ. And then came the big one: Andi got cast as the lead in the primetime teleserye Agua Bendita where she played twins Agua and Bendita. (Mainstream Pinoy TV. What can we say?) “That threw me on a 180-degree turn,” says Andi about the fame her part brought. “I felt like I was on every magazine cover, every billboard on Edsa. I really loved it, and I embraced it. But at the same time, it was a struggle for me. I felt like I was battling with something inside me.”
Right there was the rub. Andi, contrary to what showbiz might say, has a terrible case of stage fright. “I may come off a certain way in media, but in real life, I’m a very shy person,” she admits. “Talking with you, only with you and not the rest of the team, is way better. Because with so many people listening in, it makes me so much more awkward.” (We’re actually not all alone in the hipster café that Andi picks for our interview. Her model-esque friends are upstairs and at the table behind ours. But they are her people; no awkward moments when the squad is around.) Ironically, it took a controversy— something that changed Andi’s life forever—to give her some breathing space, so to speak. When Andi got pregnant five years ago, her career had to take a backseat. As well as,
temporarily, the eternal ray of sunshine that went wherever Andi went. “Of course it was hard,” she says, tears pooling in her eyes. “I didn’t know what the future held for me. I became very sad, confused, and lonely for a while. But eventually, I told myself, (and here, she points upward) ‘He has never let me down before.’ What kept me strong was that thought and knowing that I did what I believed was right.” Today, four-year-old Ellie—a carbon copy of Andi—has a huge following on Instagram, thanks to her famous mom’s fans. One post of Ellie’s photo gets an average of 11,300 likes. But that’s not why Andi is in awe of this little lady. “Fun-sized na, bestie mo na, sobrang talino pa, at comedian pa. What more could you ask for?” Andi gushes. Any mother would. Hindsight is awesome. As Andi recalls the moment she became a mother, we get the feeling that those nine months weren’t spent just growing a baby in her belly. She got introspective and filtered her life up until then. “I never was really sure about doing mainstream from the beginning,” she says. “And now that I know myself better, I know what I want for myself. Acting—my passion for that will never go away. Film. Art. Travel.” On that note, Part Two of Andi’s life began. First on the agenda: the 69th Cannes Film Festival. When Andi finally figured out what she wanted to do, one of the first things she did was agree to star in her first indie film, whose cast included mom Jaclyn. Ma’ Rosa is about an impoverished couple who uses their sari-sari store as cover for selling drugs. The gritty topic must have piqued the interest of Europe: Ma’ Rosa beat out over 1,000 entries and has made the cut to compete against 38 other films from all over the world. By the way, it was directed by Cannes Best Director Brilliante Mendoza. “It’s a dream come true,” says Andi, speaking for all of us. “I’ve always been into art films, so indie is really what I love. I have a burning passion for it.” She leaves for Cannes with her mom and director middle of this month to represent their indie effort in the international film community. What were you doing when you were 25? With this newfound priority list, Andi has become a risk taker. So second on her to-do list is: Conquer the stage. For someone with almost crippling stage fright, the stage is probably as frightening as an Asian horror flick. But Andi is eager to do it for the different sense of fulfillment it will give her. “Stage will show how good you are and how dedicated you are as an artist,” she says. “And I’m all about just always getting over my fear and trying to be better.”
‘...walked off the beaten path with my bare feet and my soul has never shone brighter.’
Speaking of overcoming fear, we present to you one fantastic offshoot of this magazine reformatting effort. “I did hear that FHM was reformatting,” Andi says. After some tense weeks of waiting for her decision, she finally gave the nod. She was appearing on our cover! “I feel like I’m at the point in my career where I can show what I can do without so many restrictions.” And what can you do when there are no limitations, we ask. “Well, it’s always worth it to take risks,” Andi says, refusing to take our bait. “Appearing in FHM is one of the risks I want to take. Anyway, you’ve changed your format so I know it won’t be so scary. Look at this as a kind of pre-celebration of my 10th year in showbiz.” Apart from “FHM Cover Girl” and “Representative to Cannes,” another of the new (-ish) titles that Andi has taken on is blogger/influencer. Begun to ward away boredom when she was pregnant, Andi’s blog—entitled Mermaid Wanders—has evolved into a kind of environmental advocacy. It’s there that Andi chronicles her many travels. This year alone, she’s already been to Bohol, Calaguas, La Union, Puerto Galera, Mindoro, and Boracay. And she’s set to leave, after—ahem—France, for Zambales, Baguio, and Sagada. She doesn’t just travel, however. “That’s what sets me apart from other travel bloggers,” she says. “I lean towards the more naturist side; I’m all about being eco-friendly and supporting advocacies that help protect our planet.” This blog is included in Andi’s effort to streamline her work. “Yung klase ng art na gusto kong gawin, yung art na minamahal ko, eto na siya. I married
them into one thing. Hindi ko naman pala kailangang mamili ng isa lang. Now, nagagawa ko na silang lahat.” It does sound like this is one tough lady, yes? “A lot of people would always refer to me as a strong person. But what they don’t know is that I’m not the only one. Every single person who lasts in the showbiz industry is strong in their own way.” She has no qualms about traveling alone or going down the “koboy” path on her trips precisely because her industry has taught her to take life by the balls. Andi has learned the magic of going her own way. As she writes in one of her Instagram posts: “Walked off the beaten path with my bare feet and my soul has never shone brighter.” Definitely more, and much deeper, than the Andi you know.
‘I’m all about just always getting over my fear and trying to be better.’
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P R E V I O U S PA G E W h I t E S W I m S U I t, A m I h A n S W I m W E A R t h I S PA G E n U d E O f f- S h O U l d E R t O P, A m I h A n S W I m W E A R ; B I kI n I B Ot tO m, fA S h I O n PA R A n O I A
PO n c h O, Am I hAn SWI mWEAR
B lAc k R AS h G UAR d, m U U n O
M ost of our beaches are literally at the ends of the earth, each one offering different degrees of desolation and freedom. While remote, these secret coasts are yours for the taking. But the normal weekend warrior would only gloss over these hidden gems when planning a trip; with the limited amount of vacation time we all get, it’s safer to head for a tried and true location. However, if you do choose to stray off the well-Instagrammed path, you may end up in a getaway like this, in Zambales. Regina Swan, our model from Brazil, grew up next to a surf beach in Recife like this one—but she never really got into the ocean vibe. So instead of asking her to join us for a day of surf, we asked her what she thought of our slice of nature compared to the views back home. She said it was beautiful. The way she said it, we’d say it was totally worth the trip. —Ash Mahinay
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STRONGER NOW The 2015 MMFF Best Actress talks about what motivates her to sweat it out at work and at play.
I
t was a fresh-faced, 16-yearold, Jennylyn Mercado who first came on TV as a reality show hopeful in 2003. She beguiled the audiences with her talent and upbeat attitude, which led her to be the first Ultimate Female Starstruck Survivor in its first season run. Since then, she has become a fixture in local showbiz, starring in unforgettable teleseryes such as Encantadia, the racy Rhodora X, and recently in My Faithful Husband. She has also released three albums showcasing her singing prowess, and was recognized twice by the Metro Manila Film Festival judges as Best Actress for her roles in English Only, Please (2014) and Walang Forever (2015). 2015 proved to be a banner year for her too, as the single mom was voted the Sexiest Woman in the Philippines in FHM’s annual poll. The multi-talented actress has come a long way from her simple beginnings. She may have faced several challenges in her personal life, all the while retaining that upbeat, relatable attitude that has endeared her to fans from the start. From where she stands now, with all the hard work she puts in, things are only bound to get even better. A few days before the Bionic photo shoot, she had been confined at the hospital for what the papers call “loss of voice,” but she bounced back quickly and has since resumed working on her latest film Just the Three of Us, proving that you can’t keep a strong woman down.
What’s the most challenging part of being an artista? I won’t lie; it’s not easy. Maraming challenges yan—the first is time. Hindi mo hawak ang oras mo, you’re always on call. We work at tapings for 24 hours, and you have to have your script memorized. Then, you have to motivate yourself to act. Sa akin, sanay na ako doon. I think for me, at this point, the most challenging part is dealing with the intrigues—especially when damay na ang family ko. Hanggang ngayon yun ang hindi ko kayang tanggapin.
How do you deal with those intrigues, then? As long as hindi totoo, dapat huwag magpa-apekto. Although, minsan kapag naririnig mo or nababasa mo, you can’t help but be affected. My mom, nagrereact pa din, even though I have been in showbiz for a very long time! Ha ha ha! When you hear those things being thrown at you, you also still have to keep smiling. Even if we are tired, we still have to keep smiling too. Pero kasama sa trabaho namin yan, to entertain people and to maintain this image. So whatever
you may be going through at the moment, you have to stay professional. As they say, the show must go on. What keeps you going in showbiz, then? I guess it’s the thought that of all those aspiring actors out there, hindi lahat kaya maging Jennylyn Mercado. Ha ha ha! No, that’s a joke! I guess that it’s this: ang dami ko nang pinagdaanang malalaking problema so when something comes up, I just say, ‘that’s all?’ What helps me through all these is my
support system. My family is always behind me and I still have the same set of friends up to now. I know that whatever happens, kahit wala na ang showbiz, sila, andyan pa din. Your taping schedules can run really late. What motivates you to get up the next day? I don’t know... It’s weird but I think I have this inner clock that wakes me up at 6:00AM every day. Kahit kulang ang tulog ko, basta six, I wake up. I just go back to bed if I have nothing to do, pero basta six-o’clock, nagigising ako. You have been a triathlete for some time. What do you get out of that type of physical exertion? I enjoy tri a lot! I’ve been racing since Tri United, five years ago. Gusto ko yung challenges na dala niya. Iba yung feeling when you finish a race in three disciplines. I don’t even time myself; wala akong best time na hinahabol. What’s important is that I finish, even though naglalakad na lang ako sa huli. I will be joining three races this year: Iron Man in August, where I will do a relay tapos Tri United and Bataan International. I’m lucky to have a coach [Jojo Macalintal] who is willing to take on my crazy schedules, parang on-call din [siya]. I would call him and ask if he is available at 5:00AM because I have an 8:00AM taping. Papayag siya and gigising siya para sa akin. Triathlon is a very physical sport, but how does it help you with mental toughness? Ang triathlon, or any extreme sport, is a mental game. Na-prove ko yan. It’s 99% mental, kasi kapag sinabi ng brain mo na pagod na siya, your body will follow. If your brain says it’s hungry, na gutom na gutom na ako, I start getting cranky. I’ve had races like that, where thoughts pop into my head like, ‘ang pangit-pangit mo na, or ang itim at ang dumi mo na, why are you doing this to yourself?’ When those thoughts come, umiiyak na lang ako. Ha ha ha! How do you counter that? You just have to keep telling yourself na kaya mo pa. In the end, kakayanin naman. As long as you don’t think negative thoughts, you’re okay. Kapag inisip mo kaya mo pa, makakahanap ka ng lakas. What are your thoughts when you cross the finish line? I feel konting yabang, the kind where you can say, “o kaya niyo yan? Ako
natapos ko!” I may not have been the fastest, but I finished something this grueling. Then, you start wanting more, because you get that runners’ high, and you get addicted to that. Ang sarap ng feeling. How would you compare that to being called onstage as Best Actress? That’s totally different! Nakakapanghina yun! That’s the feeling na parang sasabog ang puso mo and nanghihina ang tuhod mo at the same time. It’s like you want to shout and celebrate ngayon na. Iba yung feeling, hindi mo alam kung paano ka magsasalita. There is a big difference between sweating it out in a race and having to look glam at an awards ceremony. How do you manage to mesh the two? I take care of my skin by going to the Belo Clinic. The doctors there would tease me, saying “O. nag-tri ka na naman? Ayan na naman tayo!” They are actually kinakabahan every time August comes around because that is when I race and I would be so dark when I go to them. What works for me is the Gluta IV and the Revlite. They help even out my skin tone. My go-to is Belo Essentials Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, which helps keep me fresh when I race. Gusto ko siya kasi ang bango niya. I can pass somebody at the race and they would look at me and think that I’m wearing perfume. Pero ang totoo, naka-deodorant lang ako. Belo Essentials Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant Deodorant really keeps you dry, which is important for me. Long shoot days, intrigues, competitive racing—how do you find that willpower to just get going? There are days when I just don’t want to get out of bed at all. I just have to psych myself, especially pag alam ko na may commitment ako. I just keep that commitment in mind, then I take my bath. After that, okay na ako. There’s a reason why I work so hard—and that’s my family. I have my son, Jazz, and I am a solo parent. Matanda na ang parents ko, so kailangan ko paghandaan ang lahat. More than anything, I want to secure my son’s future.
WHAT’S IN JEN’S GYM BAG? • Facial Wash • Bands • Yoga mat • Toothbrush • Towel DEO MADE FOR INTENSE WORKOUTS
“You just have to keep telling yourself na kaya mo pa. In the end, kakayanin naman. As long as you don’t think negative thoughts, you’re okay.”
PHOTOGRAPHER: Paolo Pineda STYLING: Loris Peña MAKEUP: Tin Duque HAIR: Ethan David