Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i VOGUE PHILIPPINES

ON AN UNNAMED HILLTOP, THE HOUSE OF GATHERING, GÓNÔ SBUNG, sits lone against the endless South Cotabato sky. Barefoot, our editorial associate Patricia Co and I quietly enter the long house. The bamboo slat floor gently flexes as we make our way up to greet the tribal elders of Lake Sebu community. Handshakes and bows are exchanged, gestures of gratitude, as we ask for their permission to tell a small part of their vast stories. Over the last three months, the Vogue team has traveled to Mindanao: from Zamboanga’s coast, where young skateboarders skim across the boardwalk; to Davao’s Lubi Island where found objects from the site are in the process of becoming art installations; to Lake Sebu, easily romanticized, with its early morning mist drifting in the sunlight between…

"Modesty” is a celebration of modest dressing—a choice that favors less skin-revealing garments that fulfills spiritual and stylistic principles for reasons of faith or a simple personal preference to cover up. In the context of contemporary fashion, which tends to emphasize the contours and exposure of the body, modest clothing revels in forms that conceal the body. The assemblage is also intended as a celebration of Mindanao’s myriad of design languages in the larger context of global fashion… one that straddles the tightrope of genuine appreciation for tradition and the impulse to infuse it with contemporaneity. The mantle of distilling the essence of Mindanao’s aesthetics rests on its young designers like Abdul Gafar, a Maranao who fuses respect for tradition with modern sensibilities. In highlighting Mindanao, some traditions were borrowed…

“NATURE HEALS,” remarks 24-year-old mountaineer Matt Tiongco. “Sometimes, I trek in silence; moments where I’m just listening to the birds chirping, listening to water flowing, listening to the wind. There’s just something, I guess, primal about being in touch with your surroundings.” He recalls a multi-day climb, in the company of towering trees draped in moss, the swoosh of river streams, and a 360 degree view of mountains rugged against the backdrop of a sea of clouds. “It’s a meditative experience in itself,” he shares. The mountains are undoubtedly a stark contrast to the concrete jungle of urban Metro Manila. In today’s hyper connected life, we are glued to our mobile phones, viewing life through screens. We dream about our next holiday trip and sit waiting for the weekend to…

FEATURE Earlier this year, Jesse Boga had a moment: his 56-yearold mother Beth smiles, posing with a filled up application and a number tagged 297. Beth is an educator with no modeling experience. And yet, accompanied by her son, she sits in queue for Vogue Philippines’ first open casting call. “Bongga ka, Beth,” he quips. [“You’re fabulous, Beth!”] There was a palpable excitement that day. In the grand ballroom of the Dusit D2 Hotel in Davao City, over 350 aspiring models just like Beth gathered. Many had journeyed from various corners of Mindanao, spanning from General Santos City to Saranggani Province, some enduring hours of travel to reach the casting call. Others had booked hotel rooms, or stood in the queue as early as 3 A.M. By morning, the hallways…

TRAVEL CLOUDS NEVER SETTLE OVER OPEN SEAS. It needs the surface of land large enough, like a small island, for the elements to allow the clouds to stay put a little while longer. Our tour guide, Errold Bayona, rattles off scientific facts such as these easily on the car ride to the Santa Cruz Islands of Zamboanga City, known all over the world for their pink sand. Tourists who visit love to edit their photos to make the beach look an alien shade of pink on social media, but in reality, the sand is actually a mixture of coralline sediments: red organ pipe corals, white bleached corals, and discarded seashells pulverized by the waves for eons. Up close, it’s easy to pick apart the sparse reds from the greater volume…

Gabriel Nivera Photographer, WEAVED LIVES “It is challenging to pinpoint my singular favourite aspect of Filipino culture, as it encompasses a rich tapestry of traditions, values, and practices. However, one aspect that I do admire and was able to experience first hand on this assignment is the strong sense of community pride and hospitality. Filipinos are known for our genuine warmth, generosity, and close-knit family ties. Filipinos make visitors feel welcome and comfortable, even enduring hardship to provide guests with the best they can offer. We experienced this during our time in Lake Sebu, as we were welcomed time after time into the homes of our TBoli hosts who graciously shared their food, art, cultural heritage, laughs, and warm embraces with us. They made us Manileños feel right at home.”…

DESIGNER PROFILE DEBUTS, PAGEANTS, AND WEDDINGS—for awhile, Davao’s fashion scene revolved around these three things. “I’ve seen a lot of designers here in Davao who are really into gowns,” says Wilson Limon. That was the stereotype, Goldie Siglos says, “especially in a small town.” Growing up in the capital of southern Mindanao, young creatives like Wilson and Goldie didn’t consider fashion as a viable career path. The same was true for Steffy de Mylo, who was raised by traditional parents to become an accountant and entrepreneur. Yet, the three set their sights far into the horizon. Recounting early memories, the creatives recall seeds that were planted long ago. Wilson’s second home was the shop of his uncle, the family’s breadwinner who designed uniforms and other garments for a living. As…

ON SLOW DAYS, PILGRIM PLAYS A MIX OF SOUL, FUNK, AND A BIT OF JAZZ THROUGH THE SPEAKERS. In the open kitchen, the laidback twang of Vulfpeck’s strings serves as a conductor for the hot plates sailing out into the dining area. Saturday is one of these slow days by the restaurant’s standards: tables become vacant in the restaurant at times—but not for too long. Pilgrim has become a breakout star in the community of Buda (the border of Bukidnon and Davao) for the past two years. For good comfort food, anyone will point you to their truffle gnocchi and budino tiramisu, dishes born out of executive chef Jeramie Go’s time working for various restaurants in Toronto. Inspired by a city where different cultures converge, he crafted a mixed menu…

THE LOOK…

SHOPPING…

“Your sisters are the best people you can have in your life" SISTERS FROM A FAMILY OF FIVE GIRLS, FILIPINO-NIGERIAN MODELS LORR AINE AND LAUR A OJIMBA admit that they weren’t exactly close growing up. Besides their shared humor and strong personalities, the sisters held opposing temperaments as young girls. “It was like my dad was raising five boys instead of five girls!” Lorraine remarks, laughing. “Because when you’re young, you always fight over small things,” Laura adds: “Everything is such a big deal! We would always steal each other’s stuff, like clothes. But when you grow old and then you barely hang out with your siblings, that’s when you really appreciate them more.” Following in the footsteps of their eldest sister, Lorraine and Laura ventured into modeling as teenagers.…

SOUTH BOUND Words & Styling by TICIA ALMAZAN Photographs by JOSEPH BERMUDEZ PAGE 36 TEAM CREDITS: Makeup & Hair: Goldie Siglos. Model: Ivanna Lagman. Photographer’s Assistants: Adi De Gracia, Ellah Plariza. Stylist’s Assistant: Patricia Villoria. Shot on location at Dusit Thani Lubi Plantation Resort. MODESTY By GINO GONZALES Photographs by MARK NICDAO Fashion Director PAM QUIÑONES PAGE 48 TEAM CREDITS: Makeup: Bea Mocorro. Hair: Mong Amado. Model: Shaira Ventura. Producer: Anz Hizon. Lighting Director: Villie James Bautista. Nails: Extraordinail. Production Assistant: Patricia Co. File Manager: John Phillip Nicdao. Photographer’s Assistants: Arsan Sulser Hofileña, Crisaldo Soco. Stylist’s Assistants: Neil De Guzman, Jia Torrato, Jill Santos, Kyla Uy. SIBLING REVELRY By BIANCA CUSTODIO Photographs by KARL KING AGUÑA Beauty Editor JOYCE OREÑA PAGE 84 TEAM CREDITS: Makeup & Hair: Zidjian Paul Floro.…