FHM - April 2016
Transcription
FHM - April 2016
THE RISE [ A N D FA L L? ] www.fhm.com.ph OF MAN NY PA C Q U I A O APR I L 2016 B L O W T H AT YE E ZY H OW R EAL SNEAKERHEADS P L AY T H E SHOE GAME #fhmsamlikeithot EBE D A N C E L’ S SONG FOR TROUBLED SOULS SUN SAN D & SAM PINTO P150 www.fhm.com.ph facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial SEPTEMBER 2015 FH M 3 April 2016 CONTENTS F E AT U R E S 3 2 HARI NG SABLAY Ebe Dancel tells us how he deals with life’s glitches 6 2 MANNY PACQUIAO’S LAST ROUND ... or is it? 7 0 THE SEARCH fOR THE ELUSIvE GODfATHER Of SNEAkERHEADS He lives among us 7 6 POOL PARTY PLANNING GUIDE Make it an epic summer 82 NINJA PARTY See what you're missing in an all-girl after-party COVE R STORY PHOTOGRAPHY: DOC MARLON PECJO C lO U d 9 Sam Pinto at the beach. Our summer just got hotter. (And we like it!) April 2016 PUlSE 2 0 THE MARvEL UNIvERSE IS BREAkING APART Which side are you on? 2 3 DOTA INvASION Here, our pretournament scoop VERGE 1 2 ExPLODING BUILDINGS? ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE? Doing parkour can save your life 16 ANATOMY Of A JOkE Comedians tell us why, exactly, they’re funny 18 vERBAL DIARRHEA AT BARS, A COMIC STRIP We hope you don’t normally do this 24 A MORE BADASS DARNA Will this latest reboot give us what we want? GENT 2 5 SNAP CHAT WORkS Print purists, listen up! 3 8 TABLE fOR TWO Cooking is overrated 2 6 PINOY POLITICS, Tv EDITION Are we copying from Game of Thrones? 41 THE WISDOM Of POL MEDINA Never has being funny been so intelligent 2 7 DIvE AWAY THE HEAT Anilao can cool you off 2 8 NINJA MOvES We’re at the mercy of Natasha Ringor FITS BOOST 9 0 OOTD: JERICO ROSALES Mastering the biker’s bagong-ligo look 1 04 BUILD YOUR OWN BIkE Or have someone build it for you 9 2 DAPPER IN THE SUMMER Going topless is not your only option 1 06 fARM TO fORk Grow your own food 1 00 THE NEW BOARD SHORTS Your 10 pairs of puruntongs? Toss them 1 08 THE SUvS ARE HERE Toyota, Ford, and Mitsubishi rev up 1 1 2 DO YOU BIkE TO WORk? EIC Allan makes it look so easy PHOTOGRAPHY: ROY MACAM, PAUL MONDOC, DOC MARLON PECJO, MARK JESALVA; ILLUSTRATIONS: LOUIS ARENAS, GILBERT DAROY CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR I may have been an OG sneakerhead once, but I was too dumb to figure it out. What FHMers have been up to this month In 1988, my mother bought me a pair of Nikes from a business trip abroad. The Air models had just become huge then, and the Air Max was king. I wanted it so bad. I had a schoolmate who had one and I was envious. I was 13. The pair my mother brought home was a disappointment. It had no swoosh in it. It was supposed to be a basketball shoe—white with grey details like elephant skin, in midcut leather. It had a red flying guy stitched on its tongue. First time I wore it, everyone who saw me looked at my feet and asked where I got them. I thought I wasn’t wearing the right Air. Turned out I had the first release of the Air Jordan III, what sneakerheads now generally agree as among the finest Jordans ever made, and a game changer in shoe design. Now, 28 years later, we’re on The Hunt for the Man with the Most Lit Shoe Game This Side of Sneakertown (p.70) and I'm finally figuring out what the Game is about. It's a great inside story on our local urban sneaker culture filled with legit shop talk and even more legit characters. If you're not in on the scene, you'd say it's mental, but at the very least you'll know why those new adidas Yeezys you see on your feeds are damn expensive and almost impossible to buy. While we're on the subject of buying things, Sam Pinto returns for her third shot at a cover and she tells us she just bought property in Baler so she can surf there all she wants. Congratulations! And we should say, Sam, you are still blazing hot. We have more on things money can buy (Pacquiao’s assets, p.68) and some things it can’t (Ebe Dancel’s sanity, p.32 / Pacquiao’s legacy, p.68). It kind of puts in perspective what passion and obsession require of us. My AJ III crumbled long ago, from daily abuse and pickup games on asphalt b-ball courts. I was dumb. ALLAN P. HERNANDEZ Acting Editor in Chief 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 Associate Style Editor Mikey Ashlie L. Mahinay Assistant Managing Editor Pong M. Castillo Editorial Assistant Chise A. Alcantara Contributing Editor Cecile Jusi-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 BA Borleo Associate Section Editor Gelo G. Gonzales Senior Staff Writer Ron Jay B. Eduvas Staff Writer Neps N. Firmalan, John Paulo Aguilera, Mary Rose A. Hogaza Video Production Specialist Engelheart V. Jarilla Team Editor Allan A. Madrilejos WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM... Words Dinzo Tabamo, Chiara Cui, Anne Mari Ronquillo, Lio Mangubat, Brian Adrian Borleo, Roselle Miranda, John Paulo Aguilera, Khyne L. Palumar, Atty. Ed C, Tolentino, Omar Belo, Benjie Gana, Ron Jay Eduvas, Andrei Laurel Illustrations Gilbert Daroy, Melvin Calingo, Louis Arenas, Warren Espejo, Carlo Maala Pictures DPaul Mondok, Roy Macam, Ejay Leung, Dairy Darilag, Doc Marlon Pecjo, Kurt Alvarez, Andreo Esguerra, Jake Verzosa, Vincent Coscolluela Styling/Makeup/Hair Janina Dizon, Debra Bernales, Genie Ranada-Babista, Anne Castaño, Fidel Tango, Jake Galvez, Rey Santos, JA Feliciano 8 FH M APRIL 2016 F H M I N T E R N AT I O N A L N ETWOR k International Director Simon Greves International Digital Director Gary Broughton International General Manager Mark Beard International Digital Manager Graham Kirk International Content Executive Ryan Chambers International Digital & Content Executive Erin Viljoen International Technical Administrator John Goodchild International Editors (Australia) Guy Mosel, (China) Jacky Jin, (Czech Republic) Dalibor Demel, (France) Laurent Giraud, (Germany) Hans Fuchs, (Holland) Sander Kersten, (India) Kabeer Sharma, (Indonesia) Richard Sam Bera, (Latvia) Sandris Metuzals, (Malaysia) Rajesh Taluar, (Norway) Martin Thronsen, (Philippines) Allan Madrilejos, (Romania) Paul Breazu, (Russia) Slava Rovner, (Singapore) David Fuhrmann Lim, (Slovenia) Uros Majcenovic, (South Africa) Hagen Engler, (Spain) Rafael Benitez, (Taiwan) Saffron Lee, (Thailand) Jakaphatchara Buranabutr, (Turkey) Berk Iybar, (UK) Damien McSorely SUMMIT MEDIA President Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng Publisher Edna T. Belleza VP for Operations Hansel dela Cruz Junior Associate Publisher Aeus Kevin Reyes Digital Publisher Adel De Jesus Deputy Group Digital Publisher Amina Rillo Web Business Operations Manager Dennison Ko Web Programmer Christopher Porto Production Director Elizabeth Rellis Assistant Production Manager Jane M. Puno Production Coordinator Arnel Laigo Production Graphic Artist Louis Arenas Administrative Services Manager Whilma M. Lopez Admin Assistants Michiel Lumabi, Marlyn Miguel facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • Basked in the sun with covergirl Sam Pinto in Boracay and got us (T-shirt) tanlines. Worth it! Attempted to flaunt our (nonexistent) summer bods after wrapping up the cover shoot. Khyne’s swan song interview with Pol Medina. See you around, Khyne! ADVERTISING Group Advertising Director Florence Bienvenido Adv. Director-key Accounts Group Regie Uy Adv. Mangers Maiza G. Mueco key Account Specialists Joey Anciano, Junn de las Alas, Alex Revelar, Annie Santos, Suzette Tolentino Senior Account Manager (Print) Ginger Taduran, Bem Caharian, JJ Dinglasan Senior Account Manager (Digital) Lucas Reyes Junior Account Managers (Print) Melinda Kitane-San Diego, Junior Account Managers (Digital) Onnie Del Mundo, Dianne Suegay, Angela Lagahid, Adv. Executive Assistant Rita Barbacena key Accounts Assistants Maricel Adaniel, Chinggay M. Cabit Adv. Assistants Lorena Santiago Adv. Traffic Supervisors Eliziel del Rio, Myra Gorospe E V E N T S D E PA R T M E N T Assistant Marketing Manager: Leah H. Basco Jr. Marketing Associates: Sirius Langkay, Gladys Lapitan, Siena Mirano, Kieffer Albert Nonato, Abigail Pinili M E D I A R E L AT I O N S Media Relations Manager Grace Enriquez Media Relations Associate Nicole David TRADE MARkETING Trade Marketing Officer Candace Lobendino Sr. Trade Marketing Associates Caz Marino Trade Marketing Associate Kamille Guirnalda Trade Marketing Ass. Jamie Islo, Angelica Anne Casacop, Daryl Lincod Jr. Trade Marketing Project Coordinator Patric Malicdem C R E AT I V E S O L U T I O N S Copywriter Miguel Escobar Digital Art Director Rey Etable Associate Art Director Jerome de Dios Carlo Maala Senior Web Designer Teddy Garcia Producer Tara Llavore fhmphilofficial C I R C U L AT I O N Circulation Manager Alma M. Madelo Deputy National Circulation Manager Glenda Gil Circulation Manager-GMA Alaine Mae Lozada Provincial Sales Manager Alexis Martinez International Distribution Specialist Ulyssis Javier Distributors Group Head Caroline Herrera key Accounts Group Head Malou Rubinos Subscriptions Group Head Hanna Montecer Circulation Supervisor Mary Fatima Flores Systems Administrator - Interactive Editions Rico Cruz, Ron Silang key Accounts SpecialistVivian Manahan, Charlotte Barlis, Noreen Sescon-Peligro, Jinky Rose Calugtong, Jennifer Tolentino, Jenny Reparep, Lhon Bituin, Nathaniel Embiado, Felix Tong II Distributor Specialist-North Luzon Mark Elliot Villola Distributor Specialist-Central Luzon Gian Carlo Peralta Distributor Specialist-Central Visayas Robert Revilla Distributor Specialist-Western Visayas Ivan Dela Pena Distributor Specialist-Central Mindanao Eric Ferdinand Gasatan Newsstands Supervisor Joel Valdez Sales Representative-GMA John Lakhi Celso, Edward Caringal, Anjelyn Joy Carino Subscription Coordinator Jofet Abad-Legaspi, Joyce Ann Ramos, Raquel Lorenzo Distribution Account Analyst May Ann Ayuste Circulation Administrative Assistant Marjorie Abueme Circulation Administrative Assistant Elnie Marie Santos Export Sales Assistant Legui Brylle Gonzales Telemarketer Michelle Jayin, Ruby Rose Frias www.fhm.com.ph April 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY: PAOLO PINEDA OF MIDNIGHT BONKERS REACTIONS IS FHM STILL FHM? If I wanted to read Esquire, I would buy Esquire. If I wanted to read UNO, I would buy UNO. If I wanted to read FHM , I sure as hell expect FHM to be FHM when I buy it. You have now officially lost your balls and turned your back on all your loyal readers–and I am a damn loyal one. I was there when Alicia Silverstone appeared as the cover for your first-ever issue and I have bought every issue since. I am just so fucking disappointed with you guys. I kept my faith in you during that stupid and pathetic “erased nipples” phase, hoping that it will pass, and it did pass. You gave us wonderful years of great content, both content-wise and visuals-wise after that. But now, you have turned pretentious and boring. Do not dare give us that “people change” bullshit. If you were not publishing Esquire, I would understand the shift in style and content, but you are under the same publication as Esquire. You have just turned FHM into Esquire and it reminds me of the time when UNO had that nerdy, geeky, boring phase. And we all know that UNO is freaking dead. I used to look forward to the start of each month so I could buy the latest issue of FHM . Now, you have lost the love of those who were with you from the start. Give us back the FHM we know and love. Joey Ogatis, via Facebook Page KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES I like the new format of the magazine. IMHO, FHM is just keeping up with the times. There is a need for the media to evolve. Case in point: daring actresses. How many sexy stars/bombshells are in the mainstream? The demand for that kind of sexy is going down. This FHM is more matured and classy. Keep it up, guys! Been a loyal reader since December 2001. Arnel Mirondo, via Facebook Page /fhm.ph 10 FH M APRIL 2016 @fhmphilofficial facebook.com/FHM.ph • /fhmphil twitter.com/fhmphil • ALL ABOARD! Our ship is currently here in Offshore A. I recently brought your January and February issues, as well as your book, Sexiest: 15 years of stunning FHM women: a visual celebration onboard our ship as pasalubong to my shipmates. We share the copies every break time and we just love them. Robert Pablo, via email HE READS THEM FOR THE ARTICLES I’ve been collecting your magazine since I was in college. I don’t really remember why I started collecting, but what I can say is, I really got hooked because of the well-written articles. FHM provides tons of information that I really appreciate. Until now, I still continue adding your latest releases to my collection. It has gotten to the point where I now have so many copies at home that I have to store them somewhere else, ha ha! I feel so proud na ganito na sila karami. Keep it up FHM ! God bless, everyone! Lester Sanchez Baun, via email fhm@summitmedia .com.ph fhmphilofficial 6f & 7f Robinsons cybeRgate centeR toWeR 3 pioneeR complex, pioneeR st., mandaluyong city 1550 www.fhm.com.ph V Verge G R E AT N E S S AT E V E R Y T U R N O F A PA G E Edited by CHISE ALCANTARA [email protected] How to fall without getting hurt FOR THE TIMES WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD WANTS TO KEEP US DOWN, PARKOUR EXPERTS SHOW US HOW TO GET BACK UP ON OUR FEET WORDS CHISE ALCANTARA PHOTOS PAUL MONDOK SPECIAL THANKS TO NINJA ACADEMY Verge I N FOG RAPH ICS shoulders, and head. 3. Continue to roll even after your back has made contact to lessen the chance of injuring your legs. By doing this, you defuse the energy of the fall through the whole act. FALLING LIKE A FELINE When flung into the air by some greater force like a rampaging rhino or a bouncer at a club that has had too much of your shit, humans, dumb as we are, tend to flail around in panic. To say the least, we feel uncomfortable whenever we can’t see the ground. After a few moments of pathetic helplessness in the air, we then proceed to land firmly—and painfully—on our back, possibly causing spinal injuries. Raven, a parkour instructor and part-time ninja from Ninja Academy advices we should copy cats–that’s right, cats. Let’s face it: these cute evil geniuses know how to deal. Have you ever seen a cat not land on its feet? “Whenever cats are falling they try to tense their bodies while in the air so they can easily maneuver their bodies into the right landing position,” says Raven. R av e n g i v e s s te p b y- s te p d i R e c ti o n s o n h ow o u R fu R Ry c o m R ad e s ke e p th e i R p o i s e: 1. Stretch your arms over your head and twist your body towards the preferred direction you want to spin in using the momentum of your upper body. 2. When landing, let your arms guide you to roll on your side instead of just doing a front roll. A tucked roll (with your head, shoulders, and legs tucked into your body) will lessen the force of the fall. This position spreads the impact through more parts of your body while avoiding hitting tender muscles and bones like those in the hips, This maneuver is called peeling-out. It isn’t exactly falling as you would if you did a wrong move. It’s more of a dismount or transition move that people who parkour do in order to smoothly get to one point to the other in the safest and most efficient way possible. “Peeling-out is completely different from bailing out from a maneuver. Peelingout means you actually complete a maneuver, while bailing means something went wrong and you failed executing the move,” says Raven. “Peeling-out is the art of falling and it came from the martial art Judo. And these rolling and landing maneuvers were incorporated by parkour.” Without this maneuver, people who engage in parkour would probably have numerous injuries from not being able to control their momentum. Best parkour locations “Suitable place to do parkour? Anywhere [legal], just use your imagination,” says Raven. Constantly practicing parkour trains your mind to see how you can possibly maneuver through the environment in unconventional ways. From vaulting off ledges and running on walls, the most surprising features of the terrain can be used to your advantage. “Though, we encourage respecting the authority. When they say stop, we stop,” says Raven. Private properties are usually off limits to parkour enthusiasts so better ask politely before attempting to ledge outside their daughter’s bedroom terrace. To YOLO or not to YOLO “A practitioner must be a hundred percent sure before he makes that jump because even a percent of hesitation can be disastrous,” says Raven. He advises to start by “[training at] low [heights] … before you try out bigger moves.” It’s important to first “learn the basics 14 FH M APRIL 2016 and level up at your own pace.” Don’t be so eager to get better and be intimidated by your high-flying parkour buddies because that may cause you to literally die. Don’t worry about learning slowly; you’ll get there one day, young padawan. facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph One of the most important things to consider when jumping out a window is where you’re going to land. But most of the time, at least in action movies, no one’s got time for that shit, so the most you can do is follow our advice. JumpING OuT A wINdOw OF AN ExpLOdING BuILdING RuNNING AwAY FROm zOmBIES Most of us have fantasies of mowing down zombies with a chainsaw or machine gun. But when the zombie apocalypse does come (AND IT WILL), most of us would probably come to terms with who we truly are–runners. Yes, we are runners. We tend to run from people we owe money from, our responsibilities at work, our feelings, etcetera. www.fhm.com.ph Going by our backward emotional track record, zombies aren’t really the first things we want to face head-on when we finally grow some balls. One notable thing about parkour when compared to the flashier free-running is that parkour is about safety and efficiency. Freerunning incorporates a bit more “style” into its art. The cool videos you see on YouTube with all the fancy flips and vaults through abandoned warehouses and city alleys are usually people doing free-running. But while the flashier stunts are more in the realm of free-running, this doesn’t mean that parkour doesn’t have its share of fancy moves, too. Parkour uses moves that are essential in avoiding the obstacle in front of you. These moves draw on your surroundings or make up different variations of certain moves. When presented with facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • a high blockage in front of him, fellow ninja, Mark, tells us that the most effective way of getting past this obstacle would be to do a vaulting front flip. He starts by running towards the two blockages. Then he suddenly jumps and uses the smaller blockage to vault over the taller one. Not only does this maneuver provide you the distance to gain enough velocity needed to clear the jump. But it also protects your legs from getting caught by anything that could cause you to wipe out like a couple of fhmphilofficial Mark Julius Rodelas, the blank parkour instructor, tells us that to safely land on our feet, kicking towards the direction where you want to land helps with repositioning and directing your body. Some windows are also smaller than your body so bending your knees, like in most parkour moves, is necessary for added stability. One-handed vaults are typically used when you have limited space and are moving towards a lower platform. While it doesn’t provide the best stability, it is a quick and easy maneuver to do whenever you find yourself in sticky situations. decomposing arms. Take note, though, that the pros and cons of this maneuver are almost half-and-half. While the potential distance of the jump is great because of the very fast takeoff, the landing space needed for the jump will also be very large. You’ll need this space since the roll at the end might cause you to fall to your death because of the excess momentum you have left. APRIL 2016 FH M 15 Verge I N FOG RAPH ICS The anatomy of comedy OUR FAVORITE FUNNY GUYS EXPLAIN—IN GRAPHIC TERMS— HOW THEY PULL OFF BEING HILARIOUS Geebus Labradoris ORIGINAL STAND-UP Veteran Fil-Am comedian, Rex Navarrete, and GB Labrador, co-founder of Comedy Navarrete uses his Filipino accent to portray Filipinos living in America. One example: his punny set from SBC Packers where he boasts about being the best packers in the world. “Only the audience can judge your material; it's instant democracy." says Labrador. “I remember Rex giving the new comedians advice before going on; it goes something like: ‘Don’t suck!’’’ “When you mention stand-up, people usually think of the slapstick insult comedy you find at bars,” says Navarrete. “But we want to show that there are different kinds of stand-up comedy. We can be profound or controversial… but we [also] have the responsibility to make [our jokes] so funny that the audience has no choice but to laugh at [them]. Because if they don’t find your comedy funny then you’re just preaching, and that’s just tragic,” says Navarrete. “Never show the audience your fear even if your set bombs,” says Navarrete.“Lead them to the next joke and just keep powering through. [But] you might want to bring a new pair of underwear for afterwards.” Words CHISE A. ALCANTARA Illustrations GILBERT DAROY Rexus Navarretus “May conditioning sa readers: for something to be funny, it must be quick and light. Ang hirap na ang dami mong gustong ipakilalang issues pero bawal maging boring.” Vladimiriun Gonzali “Bumebenta ngayon yung mga patawang may kasamang hugot,” notes Gonzales. “Siguro mas may kinalaman siya sa instant emotional stimulation na nakukuha ng mga tao dahil sa relatability niya.” THE PAGE TURNER Vladimeir Gonzales, University of the Philippines professor and author of Intellectual Mass Starvation, Dirty Pop Machines vs. Academia Nuts, Isang Napakalaking Kaastigan, and A-Side B-Side “Ratings and fan feedback are the only ways to know whether what you wrote was funny or not, “Kailangan mo pang maghintay nang matagal to know their reactions.” Alexus Callejus “Meron namang audience yung comedic writing pero parang may sense of entitlement sila na kung hindi mo sila napatawa agad, bibitawan nila ‘yung libro mo.” Balancing the intellectual and comedic value of a piece can be very difficult for a Filipino writer writing in the native tongue. “ May preconceptions yung mga tao na kapag Filipino writing, typically seryoso. Dahil may notion na hindi mo pwedeng pagtawanan yung problema ng bayan,” says Gonzales. “We do stingers and funny faces after jokes because some viewers don’t even listen to the jokes we write and just laugh when their favorite actors to do a funny face. Getting your material edited to the point that it isn’t funny anymore is frustrating. “Maraming dinadaanang editing yung isinusulat mo, at minsan wala ka na ring say sa execution.” BOOB -TUBE EXPERT THE COMIC COMEDIAN Eugene “Toto” Madayag, creator of Libreng Komiks and Kolsenter Komiks “Ang batayan ko ng effectiveness ng isang comic strip ay kung na-achieve ang aim niya [depending on its theme, whether it be] drama, comedy, or suspense.” “Ang napapansin kong mas nagre-react ang mga [followers ng webcomics ko] sa mga topics kapag tungkol siya sa trending issues at the time of the release pero kailangang naaayon yung sinasabi ng comic sa opinion ng majority ng mga mambabasa ,” says Eugene Madayag. “Limang beses kong pino-proofread yung comics bago ko ilabas. Sa writing lang naman ako nagre-revise; wala na sa illustration. Nasa isip ko na rin kasi ang expressions ng characters per panel.” He struggles to get into the “zone.” “Ang hirap magsimula ng isang comic strip kung pagod pa ang utak mo dahil andaming distractions sa paligid. But once nalagpasan ko yun, nakakarami ako ng gawa.” Tutus Madayagis Alex Calleja of Comedy Manila, writer at Goin’ Bulilit and It’s Showtime, former host at Usapang Lalaki The challenge of the TV comedian isn’t only to make his audience laugh but to also appease his network and critics. “Sa Usapang Lalaki, talagang borderline bastos kami roon pero buti na lang inaral namin kung paano kami hindi makakasuhan ng MTRCB,” says Calleja. “Subtle yung pagkamanyak ng jokes namin–katulad ni Palakang Toti, ang palakang palatanong. Kung sinabi ng MTRCB na bastos daw yun, sasabihin na lang naming, baka marumi lang talaga utak nila ,” says Calleja. FH M Verge Cabin fever FH M COM ICS when the competition gets too friendly THIS MONTH: THE FUNNIEST WILL ALWAYS GETS THE CHARMS Story CHISE ALCANTARA 18 FH M MARCH 2016 Art MELVIN CALINGO facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph P Pulse YO U R G U I D E tO EVERYtHING tRENDING Edited by PONG M. CASTILLO [email protected] DR EAM tEAM CLASH How Marvel created a fantastic universe …and how they got us all in it Pulse Illustrations LOUIS ARENAS Y ou may have felt the collective nerdgasm in 2008, when at the end of Iron Man, Nick Fury appeared in what is now famously known as a post-credits sequence. As Marvel Studios expanded its cinematic universe, it brought us into the realm of Norse gods (Thor), and back to World War II (Captain America : The First Avenger). Amazingly, this made all of the interwoven stories believable, and excitement grew with each new movie. Characters and items were starting to cross over: a Tony Stark cameo here, a familiar shield there, all leading up to the 2012 movie that would set the bar for superhero team-up flicks. The Avengers not only exceeded the expectations of comic fans, it also proved to be a shockingly good movie. The hits kept coming with Phase Two of the interwoven franchise that Hollywood now envied. Other studios tried to mimic this formula, with results that ranged from the terrible Amazing Spider-Man to the execrable Man of Steel. Eventually, cracks in Marvel’s perfect universe started to show. The “flipbook” logo’s guarantee of a good time led to a uniformity that was the result of directors and writers adhering to a bigger tapestry. Films sometimes felt like build-ups to the next tent-pole Avengers movie. But when the formula clicked, it still gave us an unforgettable ride. In The Winter Soldier, the writers upended the established cinematic world. When Age of Ultron hit theaters, it didn’t reach the peaks ironman of the first film, but it was a proper sequel with wallpaper-perfect scenes, high stakes, and even the loss of a team member. Marvel created the formula on how to team up and combine characters. Now it is pitting them against each other in Captain America: Civil War. After laying waste to New York, Washington DC, and Sokovia, the Avengers are forced to be regulated. This fractures the team, with Captain America on one side, and Iron Man on the other. Notably, Spider-Man makes his Marvel debut after Sony Pictures thankfully realized they don‘t know how to handle a popular character and gave him back to Marvel to creatively manage. As sure as there is traffic on Edsa, the new Captain America flick will kick ass. For hardcore fans and casual moviegoers, it’s a golden age for superhero movies. Like Nick Fury said, we’ve become part of a bigger universe, a l l th e marvel team U ps Captain ameriCa BlaCK wiDow BUCKY war maChine sCarlet witCh Best FrienDs avenGers vision hawKeYe BlaCK panther FalCon enemies tUrneD allies BlaCK panther everett ross ant-man minD Control thor spiDerman sherloCK anD watson teamUp hUlK loKi inFinitY stone saGa Captain ameriCa: Civil war opens in theaters on april 27 Dr. stranGe niCK FUrY thanos the ColleCtor WORDS : DINZO TABAMO Pulse KRAKE N’S FAVOR ItE Invasion! Big league gaming comes to manila with esl one WORDS : ASH MAHINAY We spoke with Marlon “Lon” Marcelo, VP for Marketing for Mineski, who are currently co-producing the DOTA bonanza that is ESL One Manila–it’s the first ever international-level gaming event to be held in Southeast Asia and they chose us. Along with the $250,000 (P11.9 million) pot to play for, does that mean we’re legit now? We’ve heard that “E-sports is here” several times before, and now we have the hype going on again because of ESL One Manila. In your opinion, is this tournament the real “it’s here” moment at last? I believe the hype for e-sports was already “real” many years before. There are local leagues that Filipino gamers are very much aware of like the Mineski Pro-Gaming League. What ESL One does is mark the entrance of Philippine e-sports into the global limelight. ESL has the easy comparison of “ DOTA World Cup.” How would you describe ESL in a similar manner? Just like in basketaball may FIBA, may Olympics. Lahat sila iba't ibang format and teams pero prestigious. There will be downers who say “it isn't The International” or “di pumunta lahat ng big teams.” The answer to that would be variety, may underdogs or regional rivalry. And it's about the experience as well–first time ng most e-sports fans in the country na makakanood ng ganito on such a grand scale. esl Our readers might not (eleCtroniC know, but you also cast sports leaGUe) [commentate] games for one manila happens Mineski, and you can act on april 23-24 at like a total clown while the mall oF asia casting. Doing so, what’s arena the secret? As a caster, one of the main things that we need to do is communicate yung mga mahihirap na salita or terms and dapat maka-relate yung mga viewers mo. Sakto rin ang mga Pinoy gamers kasi mas makukulit sila at masayahin compared sa iba–kaya nilang i-appreciate yung casting ko kasi hindi always #realtalk and boring. If you had a kid would you let him DOTA all day in hopes of becoming the next e-sports star? Pwede, I'll have him practice responsible gaming. You can game; pero ayusin mo muna studies mo. Pag may future talaga siya, or talagang magaling, why not? As long as happy siya, go ako dun. FH M Pulse WOMAN WOES How do you solve a (feminist’s) problem like Darna? Female superheroes are ravishing, sexy, strong, and, well, super. so why aren’t there more oF them? Eleven years since Elektra , there have been countless superhero flicks featuring male superheroes, including five Spider-Man films. Here at home, the situation isn’t any better. When major studios aren’t churning out rom-coms or kerida films, they’re rebooting Darna for the nth time, now with acclaimed film director Erik Matti in the driver’s seat. When Mars Ravelo created Darna in the ‘50s, it quickly became an icon of a strong, self-possessed woman. And while Darna may be a far cry from a demure Maria Clara, she has become a symbol of unattainable female perfection. While male superheroes are portrayed as three-dimensional characters: struggling with 'demons,' damaged yet are able to pull through for the ‘greater good,' Darna’s brand of female empowerment seems more in line with Taylor Swift’s: she looks good in pictures, but doesn’t really amount to much in reality. After all, she is a product of male writers and directors who may or may not have put themselves in her boots. Are dark plots and origin stories reserved for the men? Darna movie Let's hope Darna in 2016 opens in will be a little less Wonder theaters this Woman-ish and a little more Year. Jessica Jones-ish. We'll see... 2 marian rivera as Darna 1 miChelle pFeiFFer as Catwoman 4 lYnDa Carter as wonDer woman 3 sCarlett Johansson as BlaCK wiDow 5 JenniFer lawrenCe as mYstiqUe WORDS : CHIAR A CUI Sexy superheroes, ranked! SMARt R EADS To kill a pendulum two dead authors… and the BeneFits oF reading in diFFicult mode PU B R E PORt As a young boy, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was an eye-opening and enjoyable first taste of true literature. But it was Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum that would alternately dazzle, then defeat me, over and over again. While I imagined Eco was throwing me a mountain, other books and authors, would soon prove it to be a mere molehill. Take Melville. Or Joyce. Marquez. Frantzen. That great Everest, War and Peace. Scaling those peaks teaches a reader that a book gives back only as much as you bring into it. And books demand much. There’s no sense in attempting to even climb them—unless you reason, as mountaineers do, because they’re there. Sometimes, that’s the only reason you need. To recap the (spoiler alert) last line of Focault's: “I might as well stay here, wait, and look at the hill. It’s so beautiful.” The end (of print) is near…or is it? It’s a heartbreaking fact: print magazines have been steadily losing readership to blogs and webzines. But now that mobile is where it’s at, publishers have a renewed chance at capturing that otherwise lost reader market. How, you ask? Snapchat. At face value, Snapchat doesn’t seem to have a coherent intention: casual messaging and selfdestructing ’snaps,’ which are online only for just 24 hours. This ephemeral approach has taught us that it's okay to not have everything archived forever. There are no Likes or Faves either, so you don’t have to worry about what your friends think of you. And here’s the good news for print purists: a means for users to subscribe to specific channels is hit DisCover anD reaD throUGh artiCles BY BiG meDia Companies liKe the wall street JoUrnal , nat Geo, anD Cnn. currently in the works. While nothing on Snapchat is currently monetized, applying a subscription model for publishers is not far from happening. Snapchat may still be an enigma, but once upon a time, Twitter was like that, too. And the app has come a long way from being a medium for nudes and dick photos. With major news publications reaching millennials, kids may just grow out of their mopey Tumblr gifs and become more engaged citizens by being in the know. One “snap” at a time. WORDS : LIO MANGUBAT WORDS : ANNE MARI RONQUILLO ; WARREN ESPEJO the Future oF puBlication is literally happening in snaps to Kill a moCKinGBirD anD FoUCaUlt’s penDUlUm are availaBle at seleCt national BooKstore BranChes. Pulse I DIOt BOX The Politics of Games of Thrones ...is eerily similar to our own real-liFe dilemma Game of Thrones rolls in its sixth season and Halalan 2016 draws near, reminding us how strikingly similar our reality is to the one aired on TV. After all, Westeros and the Philippines are kingdoms in limbo, left in the hands of a man, who may or may not be competent to rule a nation. This clusterfuck of a campaign season was over before it even began. Between Santiago’s special brand of crazy, Binay’s alleged corruption, Duterte’s lack of fucks given about what you think he thinks, Roxas’s cringe-worthy ploys to seem relatable, and Poe’s untested mettle, it’s slim pickings, as usual, for the Filipinos. At this point, Philippine politics has become a game of ‘Who Will Do the Least Damage’ where, at the end of the day, there are no winners. And unlike the people of Westeros, there won’t be some beautiful and benevolent leader who’ll swoop in on a dragon to solve all our problems. Thankfully, Filipinos have a very short memory, so it won’t be long until we’re complaining about something else again. We end this with a quote not from GoT but from a French philosopher who said it best: “Every nation gets the government it deserves.” the pickings For your head oF state, gents and ladies Jejomar Binay is Joffrey Baratheon Insufferable head with not much redeeming qualities Miriam Defensor Santiago is Lord Varys Whip smart, but with a dark alter ego Rodrigo Duterte is Stannis Baratheon An “ends justifies the means” kind of guy Grace Poe is Cersei Lannister Wants to continue her father’s legacy, more of the same kind of politics Mar Roxas is Jorah Mormont While his heart may be in the right place, he’s out of touch and wants it too much WORDS : CHIAR A CUI GoT vs Halalan 2016 M E MORY CAtCH E R A different insta-gram A smartphone takes bigger photos than Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 70, but you can’t pin those on a wall. Instax photos also have that tactile sensation when you show your beloved memories to others–way better than scrolling through a digital photo album. VACAtION GOALS Tangible summer memory WORDS : ASH MAHINAY slowing down precious time at halo Even though we live in a twoseason country, the sunny months seem to fly by way too fast and we’re back in the grind before we know it, wondering where the heck summer vacation went. (It’s science’s fault. Brain science says happy experiences slip away much more easily than dull ones.) BaranGaY liGaYa, anilao, BatanGas, philippines 0917 856 0618 FaCeBooK: halo anilao Dive resort So what you should do is fill this summer with new adventures. How about literally diving into some new memories with your first scuba trip? (See what we did there?) Halo Anilao, a cool dive resort in Batangas, is what you need. The vibe of a dive resort is extremely different from the walwal atmosphere of a typical tourist beach. It’s just right for those weekend getaways you take to recharge. Literally a whole new world awaits underwater for you. (Also, Halo’s buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner are way better than your usual siomai meal). Pulse BADASS WOMAN ‘What do you think?’ Natasha RiNgoR waNts you to iNteRpRet heR dRawiNgs of cute giRls with deadly weapoNs aNd aNdRogyNous pole-daNciNg meN PHOTOGR APHY ROY MACAM WORDS CHISE ALCANTAR A Natasha’s works HAIR & MAKEUP: ANNE CASTAÑO ; ST YLING : DEBR A BERNALES Elves King, digital In hindsight, it might have not been the best idea to let Natasha Ringor handle deadly weapons during the shoot. We’ve seen her artwork and have watched enough animé to know that you should never trust a cute girl holding a katana . But hey, no one from our staff got sliced so it’s all good. “I love drawing strong women,” Natasha explains, herself a strong woman, having recently taken up pole dancing. “Whenever I draw one, I’d imagine her to be pretty and to know [that she’s pretty]. And at the same time she could also murder you so you wouldn’t want to mess with her. In animé terms, you can probably call it yandere. But I’m not promoting violence or anything. I just love the [apparent] discrepancy of a pretty lady in a dress holding a rifle.” You’ll find many incongruous pairings in Natasha’s life. But her career choices, so far, all point to her artistry. She currently works as a graphic designer and is a regular www.fhm.com.ph illustrator for several children’s books available on an app called Farfaria. At the same time, she also dabbles in comics. Her most recent project, a fantasy RPG novel by Edgar Calabia Samar, is called Janus Sílang at ang Tiyanak ng Tábon. Natasha loves it when the stories she works on leave her space to give her own interpretation of the piece. “One of my favorites is Cinderella (also one of her children’s stories) because I was able to put my own spin on it,” she says. “I placed the setting in the Philippines during the colonial era—I played with character designs and made the prince come from a sultanate and the FOLLOW NATASHA ON TUMBLR: HTTp:// AMOOSeBOUcHe. TUMBLR.cOM/ INSTAGRAM: @ AMOOSeBOUcHe facebook.com/FHM.ph • fairy godmother a diwata .” Most of Natasha’s friends seem to think that her characters look like her. But according to Natasha, her mirror image isn’t her inspiration at all. “I don’t really see myself in my art besides the fact that my characters are long-limbed,” she says. “It was an anime called D.Gray-Man that really influenced my drawing style. I really loved the characters’ art style with their long slender figures and gothic England inspired setting.” Natasha is passionate about drawing the androgynous, slender, muscular characters of D.Gray-Man because of the questions they invite. “I like drawing characters with ambiguous features. I like having people have their own interpretations of my drawings.” It’s this quality of Natasha’s that opens her art to possibilities she herself hasn’t even thought of. And these can only be explored by those who are willing to answer her question: “What do you think?” twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial The Staff, digital Mouth Kisses, digital apRil 2016 FH M 29 Pulse Everyone on your Instagram feed has been to Japan. (So has everyone’s mother). The torture you endure every time you scroll down is acute and the images, so familiar: a really big grin at the Gundam Statue, an emo pose beside a cherry blossom tree, a “Look, I’m eating ramen like it’s my first time” face somewhere in downtown Tokyo. You find them all cheeky—and insensitive to the people whose idea of saving up still involves beer and videogames. But, TBH, you envy these people, don’t you? And you’ve already secretly planned how you’re going to trump their posts. It’s not enough, though, to just smile wider or do more variations on your jump shot. If you really want to show people how to properly vacay in the Land of the Rising Sun, don’t stick to the tourist-y spots. Here’s a suggestion: do Nissan’s Nismo Festival. It’s a huge event that demonstrates just how crazy the Japanese are for cars. Race queens, race gear, a pit tour, after-market accessories, even freaking tires: the Nismo Festival, which takes place every November at the Fuji Speedway, has it all. There are also races—after all, Nismo is Nissan’s motoring division. And you can buy a seat on a bus that’ll go around the track while GT cars practice. The festival is a few clicks away from Tokyo, sure, but it’ll be worth it. Just imagine your social media profile photo: Your freezing ass (it’ll be autumn, so bring appropriate attire) with Mt. Fuji and a few awesome cars in the background. Count the likes that’ll bring. MOTOR FI ESTA Banzai , motorhead! Add this to your JApAn itinerAry For the complete NissaN JapaN experieNce, you should also visit the Zama heritage collectioN aNd the NissaN headquarters, both iN yokohama, where you will drowN iN awesome cars. WORDS BRIAN ADRIAN BORLEO 30 FH M APRIL 2016 facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph DOU THE FU ! E PREMIERE NICE & TIGHT Condoms lubricated with SENSITIGHT™ that helps create a tightening effect on women. FREE one Formento Masculine Wash for every 2 packs of PREMIERE Dotted or PREMIERE Nice & Tight. PREMIERE DOTTED Condoms with raised pleasure Get them while supplies last! Available in selected leading outlets nationwide. DOH-FDA Permit No.: CDRRHR-0112s.2015 dots for a more intense experience. G Gent B E L AD I ES’ A MAN Edited by CECILE JUSI-BALTASAR [email protected] r U A O B D U O r T There was always someThing deep abouT ebe dancel; you could hear iT in his songs. Then we found he wenT way deeper Than we could probably handle, and iT goT us Thinking... Interview JOHN PAULO AGUILERA Photography EJAY LEUNG OF MIDNIGHT BONKERS Grooming JANINA DIZON Styling DEBRA BERNALES H e turned restless. why wouldn’t he have? The man just realized there was a leak in his hip flask. meanwhile, we were asking ourselves, “why does this keep happening?” in the last three times we had seen ebe dancel perform live, he’d always experienced a glitch onstage. we were quite convinced we were the harbingers of ill. The first was during the press conference for his recently concluded 3d: dama concert with his newfound brothers in craft, Johnoy danao and bullet dumas. The three were asked to render even just a snippet of what audiences were to expect from them come showtime. on ebe’s turn, the mic suddenly decided to stop working, which prompted him to say, “hindi na kailangan yan, tayu-tayo lang naman, eh,” before carrying on. That incident happened in a coffee shop; the grander fusion 2016 happened at the mall of asia concert grounds. There he was, emerging onstage in rousing anticipation. with great zeal, he opened with heneral luna’s theme song, “hanggang wala nang bukas.” ebe’s entrance couldn’t have been more emphatic. if only he was audible. “grabe yun,” he recalls, still in disbelief of what had happened at the concert. “yung nasa board turned everything off, by accident. hindi niya sinasadya. sorry siya nang sorry sa‘kin, sabi ko, ‘well, you know, i played one song and then...what can i say?’” most recent was during 3d’s show at conspiracy garden. not only had ebe left his guitar at home in los baños, laguna, but audio feedback also gave him a hard time before he could even play his first number. The day of the shoot was no different; our subject stood by the sink, in some way flustered over spilled precious whiskey on the kitchen countertop, which was meant to loosen him up. ebe isn’t really a stranger to dead mics, broken strings, and bad cables in his two decade-long career. on a personal level, he’s hit a couple of snags himself. he admits he had to start from scratch when sugarfree disbanded, going gig-less for a considerable period of time before getting back into circulation. and just last year, he faced an even fatal predicament regarding his emotional well-being—but more on that later. and akin to his professionalism whenever his technical crew falters, ebe has been the consummate optimist when facing life’s major distractions in that he remains unfazed and resolute, fully aware that the show must go on. it’s only a leaking flask, after all. Just another glitch in the gig. We have to say, in those nowherenear-perfect gigs, you handled the crazy technical difficulties pretty well. i’ve tried not to let it affect me. kasi, those little things, unforeseen, they really do happen. parang nasanay na lang siguro, dealing with it all. kasi you always have to remember that people pay good money to see you play, so the last thing you want to do is mess it up. make it worth their while, kasi they could always go somewhere else and see other bands, or just stay home and watch a movie. but they chose to see us, so dapat sulit yung experience for them, as much as it is for me. dati nung mas bata pa ako, i’d throw fits onstage, and hindi siya magandang tingnan. you try to set an example for younger musicians that these things really do happen. hangga’t maaari, hold your breath, just suck it up, and play anyway, di ba? Recently, you decided to totally escape the city and opt for a life in the province, specifically in Los Baños, Laguna. Why? dun ako nag-high school, sa up rural high school, but my parents wanted me here for college. siguro probinsyano at heart lang talaga ako. i never really got used to the bright lights. hanggang ngayon naku— culture shock ako, eh. The traffic is getting worse every day, tapos dun sa los baños, ang dami mong makikitang naka-bike, katulad ko. hindi ako nagda-drive dun. i manage a restaurant there; pag nagsara, magba-bike ako pauwi. during my down time, tumatakbo lang ako. kasi safe dun—safe mag-bike, safe tumakbo. yung mga nagba-bike dun hindi binubusinahan, hindi pinapatabi ng mga sasakyan. What do you love most about your current setup? it’s very peaceful. simpleng buhay. mas ideal yung setup ngayon, a lot less complicated. walang internet, walang cable. my electric bill was a hundred and 59 bucks; electric fan at ref lang. minsan magluluto ako. ang dami mo rin kasing pwedeng kainan dun, at saka gustung-gusto ko yung mga pagkain sa carinderia eh. walang katulad yun. reminds me of my mom’s cooking, kaya siguro ako nahuhumaling sa mga ganung pagkain. Tapos p20, p25—magluluto lang ako ng rice ko—meron na akong ulam. What is a typical Los Baños day like for you? i wake up at 5 a.m. first thing i do, syempre i pray. Then, i make my coffee, put on some music. minsan naka-spotify lang ako, naka-discover weekly lang, intuitive eh. all the stuff you listen to, they take note of it, tapos maghahanap sila ng related material. so it’s good research, because you get to listen to new music, from other countries—it’s fascinating. and then i read a book, use my data… in the afternoon, i run, go home, take a shower, quick dinner, tapos balik na ako sa restaurant. Tell us more about your restaurant. i own a really small restaurant, it’s called entablado, right outside the up gate. isa sa mga gustong-gusto kong gawin: ako ‘yung nagse-serve ng lunch. kahit sinasabihan ako ng staff, “sir, ako na.” hindi, gusto kong gawin eh. may kakaibang klaseng gratification na ihatid mo yung pagkain sa taong gutom, na makita mong mag-light up yung mukha nila. sobrang babaw ko noh? pero yun yung mga bumubuo ng araw ko eh. i see people, yung mga mata nila manlalaki, kasi yung pagkain na hinihintay nila buong umaga, dumating na. yun. EBE DAncEL Was your decision to flee to the countryside connected, in any way, to your penchant for solitude? growing up, i didn’t have many friends. my dad was a banker; he kept on being assigned to different branches. every two years lumilipat kami, so ako lagi yung new kid. Tapos dahil ikaw yung new kid, ikaw ang kakausapin ng mga tao. yung communication skills ko when i was that young, di naman polished, so mas nandun lang ako sa isang sulok. but i didn’t mind it, enjoy rin… okay mapag-isa eh, kasi parang you’d make up your own world. it’s a lot more fun. madalang na madalang ako lumabas, but when i go out with friends, i have a good time. it’s just that i prefer small groups, or just hanging out with just one person at a time, than go to a club, and meet new people. i’m not that kind of guy eh. Have you adopted your somewhat ‘back-to-basics’ approach in lifestyle to your musical direction? parang ganun, kaya na-eenjoy ko yung tour ng 3d eh. There’s no band for a change, naririnig ko lang yung gitara ko. Tapos, kita mo yung tao, they’re not swaying along, or hindi sila nagkukwentuhan, the entire time! pag may nagsasalita, naririnig, hanggang umabot sa point na mahihiya na yung nagsasalita. yung mga nasa labas, talagang wala kang maririnig. pag nagbagsak ka ng coin, magre-reverberate sa buong place. That’s what i love most about the tour. We’re sure you’ve been asked a lot—and we mean a LOT—why Sugarfree disbanded. But when you were mulling over your decision to leave, did you see it turning out this way? wala, ano lang talaga, “out.” yun lang talaga yung iniisip ko—the door. i wanted to quit entirely, but i already signed a recording. pagod, burnout. in any profession, whether you’re a doctor, lawyer, or musician—like you’re a writer—at some point, you just kind of go through burnout, stress. so i guess i needed some time to reassess the situation… ngayon mas na-a-appreciate ko yung ginagawa ko. how many people get to do this after so many years? konti lang eh. so blessed talaga ko. umabot pa nga ko ng fhm eh! An artist like you is usually viewed as super romantic, based on your ability to express yourself through emotionally woven words. But what is your outlook on love? i don’t think i’ll ever understand the concept of love. it’s very complicated. There’s always someone else to consider, and parang when you mean so well, parang you end up doing something bad. it’s a lot more complicated than i thought. i used to read about it when i was a kid. “oh, love’s easy”—no, it’s not. it’s a lot of work… pero sulit lagi. meron akong sinulat na foreword sa isang libro: ‘i think the worst part is over. although i tried medication, instead of relying on it, i quit, and then i started running, biking, and then i lost my excess weight. i started living a healthier lifestyle’ ‘love is like walking into the dark, knowing you might hit a wall. but you walk on anyway.’ it’s totally worth it, love is always worth it. all the pain it causes? sulit. What is Ebe Dancel’s way of the woo? all the girls i ever went out with, hindi siya ligaw eh. na you’re going to pursue someone like, “can i get your number?” i become friends with them, and then things just sort of happen. parang, “ah, may gusto na pala ko sa’yo!” “ah sh*t, may gusto ka rin sa’kin!” and then you know, you start going out, and then it’s a cycle. at some point, maghihiwalay kayo, and then at some point, you’ll find someone [else]. During DAMA, you opened up about being diagnosed with clinical depression last year. How was it before you found out that you had it? i suspect i’ve always had it, kasi medyo may parts talaga sa buhay ko na malungkutin ako kahit masaya yung buhay ko. umabot sa point na meron na akong anxiety attacks in the morning, di ko ma-control, ‘di ko ma-explain… and then i tried to contain the anxiety attacks. What was the worst part of having depression, and how were you able to overcome it? dati na-ano ako, i was paralyzed... dapat magrerecord ako ng album, hindi matuluy-tuloy. hindi ako makalabas ng bahay, pare. Takot ako sa mundo. ayokong mabuhay sa takot eh, alam mo yun? it’s just like, i realized some things never go away, so you just learn to deal with stuff better. start becoming a better person. start dealing with the situation. on top of all of that, i have a very supportive family. How are you now? i think the worst part is over. although i tried medication, instead of relying on it, i quit, and then i started running, biking, and then i lost my excess weight. i started living a healthier lifestyle. sinabihan kasi ako, “if you don’t want to take your meds, you need an alternative. what do you want to do?” sabi ko, “i want to sleep.” “no! don’t sleep! move!” okay, so nag-bike ako, tumakbo ako. i started taking solo out-of-town trips. you know, on a whim, paggising ko. i feel like going to the beach; buong araw, nandun lang ako. nakahiga lang ako sa cabana, wala kong kausap, pinapatay ko yung phone ko. Tahimik… i’ve met other people who’ve had worse cases, and they were able to overcome it. so, yun. here i am, trying. FHM Gent D A T I N G No fuss, no ‘cook’ dinner for two You won’t go neAR A stove. but thAt doesn’t meAn You cAn’t suRPRIse heR—And YouRseLf—wIth these whIP-uPs Words, food prep, and styling ROSELLE MIRANDA Photography DAIRY DARILAG EQUIPMENT CHECK STAR TE R GAZPACHO SOUP WITH PARMESAN SHAVINGS The blender is for more than just pureeing “stuff.’’ With the right ingredients, you can impress her right from the get-go 14 native tomatoes, roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1 red onion, peeled, quartered 1 cucumber, seeds removed, chopped 1 large green pepper, seeds removed, roughly chopped 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more to serve 2 tbsp cane vinegar, or to taste Salt and ground black pepper, to taste Parmesan cheese, to serve Blender Microwave Toaster oven TAkES 10 MINuTES 1 Reserve 1/4 cup each of tomatoes, green pepper, and onion. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Chill until ready to serve. 2 In a blender, add half the tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Pulse until pureed. Add remaining tomatoes, then cucumber, pepper, garlic, and onion. Process until chunky. 3 Drizzle in olive oil as the blender processes. Mixture will turn creamy. MA IN Season with vinegar, salt and ground black pepper. Transfer to a container, cover, and chill until ready to serve. 4 When ready to serve, taste soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into a large bowl. Top with reserved tomato mixture. Use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan cheese over each. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately with two spoons. MAkES 2 SERvINgS TAkES 10 MINuTES ROTISSERIE CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MASHED POTATO, CORN, AND GREEN PEAS Yup, your microwave can do more than just heat up the leftover pasta you had last night 2 large potatoes, scrubbed clean 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup fresh milk, room temperature 1/2 cup sweet kernel corn, drained 1/2 cup frozen green www.fhm.com.ph MAkES 2 lARgE SERvINgS peas, thawed 2 rotisserie chicken breasts Salt and ground black pepper, to taste 1 Poke potatoes all over with a fork. Wrap two paper towels around each potato. Drench them under running water. Place on a microwave-safe plate, seam side down, and microwave on. High for 10 minutes, turning halfway, or until each potato is fork tender. facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • Using a spoon, scoop out the potato flesh into a bowl. Mash with butter and milk, and season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. 2 Microwave peas for one minute, then the corn in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water. Lightly mash peas with a fork. Stir with the potatoes. 3 Heat up chicken breasts in a toaster oven. Slice on the diagonal, and place on a plate. Add mashed potatoes on the side. Serve immediately. fhmphilofficial Fridge Toss a few jalapeños into the blender, and use its pickling vinegar for some added zing! Gent MA IN 3-CHEESE PESTO CHICKEN QUESADILLA WITH QUICK PICKLED SALAD You can actually put good things on a slice of bread before you throw it in the toaster oven Q TAkES 15 MINuTES MAkES 2 SERvINgS DE SS ER T TAkES 10 MINuTES NUTELLA MOUSSE MAkES 2 SERvINgS no-cook and biceps-friendly 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup Nutella 1 pack (250 ml.) whipping cream 1 In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Stir, and if needed, heat for additional 10-second intervals until melted, stirring in between each YOUR DATENIGHT BATTLE PLAN Set aside at least an hour to get this all done. She'll tingle with excitement seeing your culinary masterpiece that looks like it took you a day to whip up! Whisk the mousse. this needs to chill the longest, so get it out of the way first. Puree the soup. chop up your veggies, and get the blender going. the longer this sits, the better the flavor. interval. Stir in Nutella. Set aside. 2 In a bowl using a whisk, whisk cream until you get soft peaks.* Using a spatula, gently fold in the chocolate and Nutella mixture into the whipped cream. Scoop into jars or ramekins and chill. Grate some chocolate over each before serving. Prep the chicken. cut the breasts away from the breast bones, and wrap in foil. Pop in the toaster to heat up when it's time to serve. shred the chicken into bitesized pieces, and toss in pesto. set aside. Lift the whisk from the whipped cream and turn upside down. If the tip of the cream folds onto itself softly, you’ve reached soft peak. Don't care? Use the blender to whip up the cream. Make the mash and salad. microwave the potatoes until tender, then peas, and corn until just hot. toss corn, peas, and chickpeas together. mix and season, and re-heat in the microwave when ready to serve. WHAT I KNOW ABOUT WO M E N Pol Medina Jr. AS TOLd TO KHYNE L. PALUMAR ; PHOTOgR APHY: PAUL MONdOK; ST YLINg : gENIE R ANAdA-BABISTA ; gROOMINg : ANNE CASTAÑO Not every woman wants an elaborate proposal. Kapag nakikita ko yung mga elaborate proposals ngayon, napapa-wow na lang ako. Hindi kasi kami ganun. Nung nag-propose ako sa asawa ko, may anak na kami, so it was just a matter of formalizing it. Parang nagkasikuhan lang na “Ano, gusto mo ba magpakasal?” “Oo ba!” You can end up with a woman who’s supposed to be out of your league. Based on experience, at least. Sinuwerte ako sa wife ko eh. The very first woman na pinormahan ko nung high school, mas matanda sa akin, maputi at matangkad: basted kaagad ako! Mahilig kasi ako sa matangkad, pero hindi naman ako katangkaran. Over the years, natuto rin ako pumili ng mga babae na pasok sa league ko, but like I said, sinuwerte ako. Pag hindi ka na niya kinikibo, yayain mo siyang kumain. kaniya-kaniyang formula yan how to make amends. Pero sa amin yan yung cue. kung madalas kayong mag-away, makakabisado mo na yung formula kung paano kayo magkakabati. May mga na-meet na akong mga babae na kahit sundutin ka pa yata sa mata, papatawarin mo sila. Maraming babaeng ganun. Sobrang charming. Kaya nilang i-pull off. Kaya nilang maging mas bastos at mas berde pa sa mga lalaki ng hindi nakakaoffend. Minsan lumalabas na sila pa ang nanliligaw. Kasi mahiyain ako, and I have a social anxiety disorder, para hindi ako mareject ng babae, hinihintay ko na magparamdam sila na may gusto sila sa akin, tapos pag alam kong gusto na nila ako, tsaka ko lang sila liligawan. www.fhm.com.ph May kaibigan ako na pag nagre-reunion kami mabibilang mo lang sa kamay kung ilan yung hindi niya naging girlfriend, halos lahat dun naging sila—paraplegic yun ah. Pero hindi mo siya kakaawaan, dahil andun yung confidence at malakas yung dating niya. Nababaduyan yung wife ko pag nagbibigay ako ng roses. Niregaluhan ko siya isang beses ng painting of a bouquet, ang biro niya “Hanggang mamatay na ba ako niyan?” ThaT smarTass canine from The Pugad BaBoy series may noT know squaT aBouT females,* BuT we’ve gleaned This much from iTs creaTor Pero madali rin silang mabore. Ang reklamo kasi sa’kin dati ng mga naging girlfriends ko at kaibigan kong babae, puro lang daw ako drawing. Kasi may mga barkada akong naging pari at doktor, kumpara sa kanila wala raw akong substance. Pero idol ko si Bruce Lee, kaya nung araw lagi akong nagpapaganda ng katawan. Yun lang ang panama ko kasi walang nagagawa sa akin yung line of work ko dati kahit na arkitekto ako, nakapagtrabaho na ako sa Iraq, at naging copywriter din ako sa isang advertising agency. Gent Fame isn’t an assurance that you’ll get more girls. Kasi ang masakit nung naging popular na yung Pugad Baboy, hindi na maganda yung katawan ko. Kaya hindi ko rin masasabing naging lapitin ako ng babae. Pero alam kasi nating hindi lang hitsura yung tinitingnan nila. Kasi marami kang makikitang mag-boyfriend o mag-asawa na hindi physically matched. Ang iisipin mo “Ano kayang nakain nitong babae na ito?” Kadalasan nadadala sa dating at sa yabang. facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial In every relationship, dapat hindi ka matakot makipag-away. Kasi that’s how your resilience is tested—how you bounce back. If you can’t handle a fight, baka maghiwalay kayo kaagad sa first sign of conflict. Kung ingat na ingat ka rin na hindi kayo mag-away, magsi-simmer yung galit, hanggang sa isang araw magiging bulkan na lang, maghahanap na siya ng lawyer. Hindi kagaya nung nailalabas mo kaagad, ang hahanapin lang niya massage. APRIL 2016 FH M 41 SUN Sam KISSE PINTO P H OTO G RAP H Y D O C M AR LO N P E CJ O WO R DS J O H N PAU LO AG U I LE R A r e k i n d li n g h e r love af fai r with us c o u ld n’t SED TO have c o m e at a m o r e p e r f ect ti m e ST Y L I N G R E Y S ANTOS MAK E U P JAK E GALV E Z HAI R F I D E L TAN G O S P E C I AL T HA N KS TO M S. VE R O N I Q U E D E L R OSAR I O - C O R P UZ O F V I VA ART I ST AG E N CY I N C . , S I R E NA SWI MWEA R @S I R E NAS WI MWEA R P h, N I C O LE AN D M I C K EY ALB AN O F LI LY’S TO U C h B E AUT Y E NT E R P R I S E M E I B E R NALES O F Z U Z U N I B O UTI Q U E h OT E L, B OAT STATI O N 1, Wh I T E B E AC h, B O R ACAY I S L AN D. F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , LO G O N TO WWW. Z U Z U N I .N ET I N L AT E 2011, Th E TE A M hAD A L A B O R I O US TR E K TO Th E L AhAR- SWAM P E D S AC O B IA R IVE R I N PAM PAN GA . It had been 20 years since the cataclysmic eruption of a nearby volcano, yet the aftermath was still apparent in the barren landscape. Under the scorching sun, everyone walked. Half the team collected blisters along the way; the other half nearly collapsed in exhaustion. Yet our muse still managed to look beautiful despite the suffering, which she had to endure for eight endless hours. Sam Pinto had always been the professional model. We’d known it the first time; we weren’t about to be disappointed the second time. Five years later, the same woman is again braving the heat, only this time she isn’t suffering. Instead, she lets the sun kiss her skin amorously and doesn’t mind getting sand between her toes. She is, after all, in her natural habitat. While it seems that she is simply frolicking and not taking us seriously at all, we realize that she’s actually nailing each of the eight prepared layouts in record time. She’s not in a hurry, no. She’s just such a professional that she manages to make everyone’s job easier. She smiles genuinely, lighting up an already blazing beach. The entire shoot is done in a heartbeat—at least it seems like it. “Tapos na agad?” we collectively sigh. But that’s how pros do it: they get the job done, efficiently without compromising quality. Exactly what we would expect from Sam Pinto. W E H E AR YO U ’R E D O I N G A L OT O F S U R F I N G. I STA R TE D S U R F I N G F IVE YE AR S AG O. IT STAR TE D O UT Wh I LE I hA D WO R K TO D O I N L A U N I O N. E V E RYO N E WAS T E LLI N G M E TO T RY IT, A N D I D I D— A N D I F E LL I N LOVE WI T h IT. F h M F I R ST TO O K N OT I C E O F h E R I N 2 0 1 0 , AN D Wh I LE I N I TIA L N EG OT IAT I O N S D I D N ’T PA N O U T, WE P U R S U E D h E R, and eventually Sam’s first cover appearance–that year’s July issue–would come to fruition. Sam admits that first time was “a big risk” for both parties. “Hello? I’m not the typical sexy [star]; I’m so payat in reality. I don’t have boobs nor [a] butt,” Sam says. “So parang we all took a chance together. ‘Okay, maybe this would work,’ and it actually did work. And [I got] so much exposure from you guys, so thank you so much, I love you all!” Not only did her dalliance with an old mansion work, it also signalled a new phase for her and the magazine. The exposure translated to her becoming one of the most bankable celebrities at that time, the continuous flow of projects paving the way for her rise to the industry’s upper ranks. As for FHM, that first Sam Pinto cover was a glimpse of the aesthetic direction the magazine would eventually take several years later. Basically, when Sam said, “Yes,” she was actually ahead of her time. Sam, back then, didn’t come from the usual cover girl mold—she wasn’t a bombshell. Instead, she was a curious mix of unreachable supermodel and amiable girlfriend material. Who knew that that unlikely combination would carve a path to being named the country’s sexiest for two consecutive years? That sophisticated look would serve as a template for the magazine’s current rebrand: same old sexy with an unmistakable air of class. This month, not only is Sam back to remind us of what we have been missing out on the past five years; she is also among the frontline muses to usher in the new FHM era. By the looks of things, it’s like she never left. H OW D O YO U I N T E R AC T WIT H YO U R FA N S O N S O C I AL M E D IA ? I TALK TO Th E M O N I G, FAC E B O O K, AN D T WI TTE R . I D O N’T R EA LLY POST AB O UT E V E RYT h I N G I N M Y LI F E : WhAT I D O, Wh AT I E AT, Wh E R E I G O. B UT I N OTI C E D , I F I D O N’T PO ST F O R, LI K E, T WO DAYS , M O R E P E O P LE F O LLOW M E. IT’S S O WE I R D. F I FTE E N M I N U TES AN D A B AC K-B U R N I N G 5 0 0 - M ETE R F O OTS LO G AWAY F R O M B O R ACAY P R O P E R , Th E C R EW M AD E ITS WAY TO A R E LATIV E LY U NTAI NT E D S POT right beside a half-finished construction site. It’s still nine in the morning, but almost everyone had to scamper for shade upon arriving at the shoot location. Sam, being the beachbody that she is, was the first one to explore the familiar environment. Doc Marlon Pecjo followed suit and helped himself to a few test shots. The glorious reunion wasn’t even supposed to happen. Sam recalls a conversation she had recently with a friend about posing again for FHM. “I was like, ‘No, no, no. I’m done with the whole sexy thing,’” Sam says. “Because I didn’t know that you guys were going to reformat that time. I was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m okay na. I think I’m done.’” It isn’t the first time Sam said no to such opportunities. A few years ago, she came to a point where she shunned projects left and right because she had simply reached a state of burnout. In fact, this magazine appearance is one of her first major efforts after a much-needed respite. “It was a good break for me kasi parang napagod din ako; this is just like a restart. At least now that I’m doing so many things, I’m fresh again. Parang, ‘Okay, I want to do this again.’” These days, among the things Sam busies herself with is Sirena Swimwear, an online bikini store she put up with friend Erika Hocson. One could envy her for having the luxury of being able to incorporate everything that she loves and make money off of it. Although it’s also worth noting that she had formal schooling before entering this entrepreneurial venture, having taken up fashion design in college. “I’d been wearing all these other brands that don’t fit properly, or it wasn’t really what I wanted, so I said, ‘Okay, I should make my own and share it to the whole world,’” Sam says, adding that she is quite hands-on when it comes to the designing process, and even goes abroad to purchase material herself. On their first collection, she laughingly admits that she just did what floated her boat, working on her own fit. “’Cause that’s what I know how to do,” Sam explains. “Many people are asking, ‘Why don’t you make [clothes] for people who are plus-size, or with different body types?’ I have to study what looks good on them first. Mamaya, gawa lang ako nang gawa, yun pala hindi bagay.” It was also during her long break that she discovered her love for the beach, and not surprisingly, her current passion for surfing. “[I got] to the level of falling in love with Baler that I bought a piece of property there,” Sam says. She plans to turn her piece of paradise—three frickin’ hectares—in Baler into a resort. “Honestly, I’m actually happy now, whatever’s happening with me,” she says. “Kung wala (nang mangyari), I have my backup Baler plan; I’ll just live there. If I have work, that’s when I go to Manila. On the other hand, if there’s still work, okay, rito pa ako, push pa hanggang kaya pa.” And since we’re on the topic of relocation, it seems that for her, seeking refuge in a rustic setup is a no-brainer. “We’re living what people think is the glamorous life, but in reality, it’s so stressful. I guess I just want the simple life,” Sam says. “I’m super fine living on the beach, as in super chill lang. No makeup, surfing the whole day. Simple. I realize that I have accepted who I am na. Kasi when you were younger, ‘I have to be like this, I have to be like that.’ And I guess, feeling ko na-achieve ko na lahat yun, so medyo chill na ako. I don’t have to compete with anybody anymore. “’Bye, Manila! Alis na ako after this!” It’s a joke, but she could just as well leave it all behind and we would be happy for her. FHM R E G I S TE R O N L I N E O R F I L L TH I S O U T 100 Register and log on to www.fhm.com. ph/100sexiestwomen2016 where you can vote for ten (10) women per day SEXIEST Fill out ballots and mail them to FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2016 Poll. Summit Media Office, 7/F Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3, Robinsons Pioneer Complex, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City 1550. Only original ballots will be accepted. 100 1 2 2016 4 I N TH E WO R LD 5 6 7 I N TH E WO R L D 8 9 The FHM Philippines’ Sexiest winner is the woman who garners the most votes in the nationwide poll. Voting period is from April 1 to June 5, 2016. Votes will be tallied by FHM and results will be announced in a special 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2016 supplement bundled together with FHM’s July 2016 issue. 10 YOUR DETAILS Name Birthday Gender Address Contact No.: FHM Philippines reserves the right to block/prohibit/exclude votes entered through unscrupulous means such as electronic manipulation. Votes cast through these means will not be honored in the official tally. FOR THE SEXIEST IN THE WORLD IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE SEXIEST WOMAN ON EARTH AND TURNING TO OUR READERS FOR THE ANSWER: WHO’S THE SEXIEST? Email Signature C O - P R E S E NTE D BY OFFICIAL APPAREL SPONSOR I N C O O P E R ATI O N W I TH OFFICIAL DRINK SPONSOR OFFICIAL MULTIVITAMINS SPONSOR OFFICIAL BALLOT 2016 SEXIEST 3 L E G IF IT IS TRULY OVER FOR MANNY PACQUIAO IN THE ARENA OF BOXING, THEN HISTORY IS WELL ON HIS SIDE THE END OF HIS ROAD. IN FACT, HE’S JUST BEGINNING—ONLY, THERE IS N A C Y E. HE IS LEGEND. BUT FOR ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT HE ALREADY IS AND PLANS TO BE, HE IS FAR FROM NO HIGHLIGHT REEL JUST YET. WHAT WILL PACQUIAO MEAN TO US NOW? A fter 21 years, 419 rounds spread over 65 professional fights, Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao is promising to archive the gloves for good after his April 9 welterweight showdown with American Tim Bradley, Jr. in Las Vegas, Nevada. Win or lose, Pacquiao is telling everyone that the time has come for him to close the book on boxing and embark on a new journey. Pacquiao’s boxing story, of course, is a stand-alone bestseller. To capture his journey in one breath, he went from the doghouse to the penthouse. Born in dirt poverty in Kibawe, Bukidnon, he set foot in Manila as a scrawny teenager looking to peddle his fistic talent. To survive the tough streets, he took on various odd jobs which included selling stolen cigarettes. Pacquiao turned pro in 1995 and won his first 11 fights. But disaster struck in his 12th paid contest in February 1996. In that one, he showed up overweight and walked into a thunderous counterpunch from countryman Rustico Torrecampo. Pacquiao was knocked out cold in the third round. The humiliation plunged him into a depression so deep that he thought of quitting the fight game and becoming a full-time construction worker. With few lucrative options, though, he meekly returned to the squared circle two months after the crushing loss to Torrecampo. Conditioning and disciplinary issues plagued Pacquiao’s early years in pro boxing. He won his first world title in December 1998 when he stopped Thailand’s Chatchai Sasakul for the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title. But a year later, he was stripped of the crown when he failed to meet the 112 lbs flyweight limit in a title defense against Thai Medgoen Singsurat. A visibly drained Pacquiao succumbed to Medgoen’s vicious body blows in just three rounds. With Pacquiao becoming too much of a headcase for local trainers, the fighter’s handlers went overseas and sought the services of a foreign coach. They found one in American Freddie ‘Choir Boy’ Roach, a former boxer who had learned his training techniques from Hall of Fame trainer Eddie Futch. The first time Pacquiao and Roach worked out, it was love at first punch. It was Roach who would mold the clay that was Pacquiao into a certified world-beater. Pacquiao returned to championship form in June 2001 when, as a last-minute substitute, he bamboozled South African Lehlo Ledwaba in six rounds for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior featherweight division. Beating Ledwaba gave Pacquiao his second division world title, but he and Roach were just warming up. Pacquiao captured six more division titles, leaving a trail of high-profile victims (Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, to name a few). Pacquiao became an international star when he moved up in weight and disfigured Oscar De La Hoya’s face in a stoppage win in December 2008. When Pacquiao outboxed Mexican Antonio Margarito in November 2010 for the WBC junior middleweight diadem, he set a new record in pro boxing by clinching his eighth division world title. Overall, Pacquiao won world titles in these divisions: flyweight (112 pounds), junior featherweight (122 lbs), junior lightweight (130 lbs), lightweight (135 lbs), junior welterweight (140 lbs), welterweight (147 lbs) and junior middleweight (154 lbs). Needless to say (but we will say it, still), this feat is unprecedented in the sport’s history. Then again, not a few are quick to point out the International Boxing Organization (IBO) junior welterweight crown Pacquiao won from Hatton in May 2009 was a fringe title, the IBO not being in the same level as the generallyrecognized WBC, WBA (World Boxing Association), IBF, and WBO (World Boxing Organization) organizations. There is also the argument that Pacquiao won some of his world titles by asking the defending champions to meet him at a compromised weight (“catch weights” in boxing lingo). For instance, when Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto defended his WBO welterweight crown against Pacquiao in November 2009, he agreed to the catch weight of 145 pounds when he could have weighed in at 147 pounds, the maximum for a welterweight. When Margarito battled Pacquiao in 2010 for the WBC junior middleweight title, the Mexican agreed to check in at only 150 pounds when he could have weighed in at the maximum 154 pounds. It was like David consenting to a fight with Goliath, albeit on the condition that the latter would shed weight. In the minds of many, these concessions Pacquiao received cheapened his claim to the world titles. At his peak, though, there is no denying that Pacquiao was one of the most exciting fighters ever to grace the punch-for-pay business. He was a merciless slugger whose powerful punches registered on the Richter scale. As he grew older and moved up in weight, Pacquiao improvised by adding a few boxing techniques to his repertoire. Thus, when Pacquiao was not knocking out the smaller Ricky Hatton with one punch, he was outsmarting the bigger Margarito. No one can say how many more mountains Pacquiao could have conquered had he not lost his way in the messy world of politics, religion, and show business (with some basketball coaching on the side). Immersed in various extra-curricular activities that ate up his training hours, Pacquiao started losing his focus on the sport. The result? He has not scored another knockout win after stopping Cotto in 2009, was outpointed by Bradley, Jr. in June 2012, and was viciously knocked out in six rounds by rival Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012. Pacquiao bounced back from the numbing loss to Marquez by regaining the WBO welterweight title from Bradley, Jr. in April 2014. Still, fight fans were quick to note the diminished killer instinct and concentration. It did not get any better for Pacquiao when he kept from the media a shoulder injury in his mega fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr., where he lost by decision in their highly-awaited showdown in May 2015. Several fight fans have since filed lawsuits against Pacquiao in the United States on the argument that they were gypped into betting on the Filipino. Sadly, Pacquiao’s career, as it comes to its last stop, is riddled with controversy. Early this year, he drew a lot of flak following a statement he issued in a televised interview where he likened a lesbian/gay physical relationship to something worse than animals. Almost immediately, the world collapsed on Pacquiao. Even Hollywood celebrities fired back with equally acerbic words. Pacquiao lost two million followers on Twitter that week and even the most respected sporting publications in the world rebuked him. Nike, easily the world’s most famous sports apparel group, dropped Pacquiao as one of their prized endorsers. Pacquiao has since apologized for his words and is working on redeeming himself. He is running for the Senate in the May elections and has promised to completely devote his time to legislative work if elected. Then again, he also spoke of possibly extending his boxing career by taking part in the 2016 Rio Olympics where pro boxers have been given the green-light to compete. The Philippines has yet to win an Olympic gold medal. And then there are the lingering rumors of a possible rematch with Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao has admitted that he wants another shot at Mayweather, Jr. It will be interesting to see how this second fight—if it ever happens—will be different from the first. The story of Pacquiao reads like a fairy tale and the only thing lacking is the happily-ever-after ending. And there lies the problem: As things stand, it appears that Pacquiao has no idea how to conclude his boxing career as he continues to use it as a platform to expand his other endeavors. The manner by which the fight with Bradley, Jr. was scheduled (falling on a national holiday, Araw ng Kagitingan) was clearly meant to be part of Pacquiao’s senatorial campaign. But then, he goes on to botch everything with his anti-gay slur. For a guy who dreams of becoming president one day, Pacquiao still lacks the political acumen to handle sensitive issues. Still, not a few believe that the immense popularity he enjoys with the masses might just land him a seat in the Senate, and, perhaps, the presidency. In appraising Pacquiao’s boxing career, fans will surely regret the competitive years he lost when he turned to politics, basketball, and show business while still on top of his game. The ring cognoscenti will debate down the road whether a totally focused Pacquiao would have avoided the catastrophic loss to Marquez and produced a more spirited, if not winning, performance against Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao will likely be in everybody’s Top 10 list of all-time greats, but the losses to Marquez and Mayweather, Jr., once factored in, will account for negative points. He even stands to be accused, down the road, of just taking and running away with the moolah against Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao has worn so many hats that it’s quite difficult to define his legacy. He’s blurred it by trying to do so many things at the same time. That said, with the limited time he has left in the ring, he still has a chance to get his act together. Here’s to him coming up with an ending worthy of a real hero, be it as a champion boxer or as a human being. —Atty. Ed C. Tolentino Ed C. Tolentino has been a sportswriter since 1987. He has penned articles for several publications, including the Phil. Daily Inquirer and Manila Bulletin. At present he is a sports columnist for Manila Times and Spin.ph and also the resident sports analyst/boxing commentator for ABS-CBN. PACQUIAO’S LAST FIGHT CONNECTIONS We all know the title the ”People’s Champ” isn't just for show; Pacquiao’s gone through eight weight divisions and has become a boxing champion in all of them. Sadly, he wasn’t content with just being the king of the ring and has been known to dabble in other scenes that “interest” him. Here’s a list of the people he’s been involved with through Manny's ventures in and out of the boxing ring. JIMMY KIMMEL Bieber hater WILL FERREL BUBOY FERNANDEZ TV Enemies The Other Guys Wagered 250,000 on MayweatherPacquiao MATT DAMON FREDDIE ROACH Looka-like JUSTIN BIEBER MARK WAHLBERG FLOYD MAYWEATHER MICHAEL YAMSON Lovers MANNY PACQUIAO'S P U N C H LI S T MOMMY D PANELS CHISE ALCANTARA AEUS REYES CECILE JUSI-BALTASAR PONG CASTILLO Dele Desierto – W (TKO) 7/1/1995 THE RECORD W: 57 KO/TKO: 38 L: 6 D:2 Edmund Enting Ignacio – W (UD) 1/25/1995 Ippo Gala – W (TKO) 7/27/1996 DAN HILL Original “Sometimes When We Touch” singer Withdrew its endorsement to Pacquiao because of his anti-gay statement NIKE Show me the Manny Former owner of beverly hills mansion MARIAN RIVERA KRISTA RANILLO Darna and Ding SEAN P. DIDDY COMBS Kid Kulafu ROBERT “BUBOY” VILLAR BOY ABUNDA BEA ALONZO Husband and wife to Pacquiao: The Movie JINKEE PACQUIAO Wife GUIDE JERICHO ROSALES Direct connection Indirect connection Enemies BEST FIGHTS Lehlo Ledwaba After six years of fighting mostly on Philippine soil (with a few bouts around Asia), Manny finally got his break against then IBF Super Bantamweight champion, Lehlo Ledwaba. Given only two weeks to prepare, Manny and his new trainer, Freddie Roach, shined in his American debut, defeating the champ via TKO. Marco Antonio Barrera Marco Antonio Barrera was already a legend when a young Manny faced him in 2003. That didn’t deter Pac-Man, winning the fight in 11 rounds, and starting his road to being the most hated man in Mexico. Erik Morales Looking to avenge his loss to Erik Morales, the two squared off again in Las Vegas in what is one of the best fighting displays that Manny has ever shown. The fight ended via TKO in the 10th round, knocking down the streel-jawed Mexican for the first time in his career. Lehlo Ledwaba – W (TKO) 6/23/2001 Todd Makelim – W (TKO) 2/20/1999 Juan Manuel Marquez After their first fight ended in a controversial draw, Manny would clash with Marquez once again in an epic slugfest that saw Pacquiao winning his fourth title in as many divisions. They would eventually fight two more times with the last one ending in an unfortunate knockout for our ‘Pambansang Kamao.’ Erik Morales – L (UD) 3/19/2005 Oscar De La Hoya – W (RTD) 12/6/2008 Ricky Hatton It was in the late 2000’s that Manny would be in his prime. Stringing victory after victory during that era, none would be as decisive as his 2nd round knockout of Ricky Hatton. Hatton wanted to take the fight to Manny, a mistake that would put him on the wrong end of The Ring Magazine’s KO of the Year in 2009. Juan Manuel Marquez – L (KO) 12/8/2012 Floyd Mayweather Jr. – L (UD) 5/2/2015 PACQUIAO’S LAST FIGHT H O N . R E P. E MMA N U E L “ MA N N Y” PAC Q U I AO HIS POLITICS, LISTED Bell 206 $604,000 15 0 O F 6 00 Beverly Hills Mansion housing units he gave away to the homeless in Maasim town, Saranggani as Congressman in February 2016 98/168 SESSIONS Lincoln Navigator MANNY’S ASSETS The second highest-paid athlete in the world. That’s who Manny Pacquiao was in 2015, according to Forbes. Last year, he earned $160 million, with $12 million of that coming only from endorsements. (He’s now worth a cool $250 million, says www.TheRichest.com/Boxrec.) Manny’s income would be a tad lower now that Nike has dropped him from their roster of high-profile endorsers. But Manny’s not exactly groveling in the dirt because of it. He’s buoyed up by this smorgasboard of (just some of his) assets and endorsements: Rep. Pacquiao’s attendance to congress meetings during his first term in 2012-2013 4 SESSIONS Rep. Pacquiao’s attendance to congress meetings in 2015, during which he was training for his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. 15 BILLS Biñan Mansion A Beverly Hills mansion worth P500 million ($11.21 million), which he bought from Hollywood gal Jennifer Lopez just last month. A mansion each in Binan, Laguna and General General Santos Mansion Santos, Sarangani island. His wala-ka-salolo-ko wheels collection: a Lincoln Navigator (P2.9 million), a 2006 Mercedes Benz SL 550 (P3.9 million), and (what Floyd Mercedes Benz SL 550 Mayweather has two of) a Ferrari 458 Italia (P11.8 million) A Bell 206 helicopter A gas station, a water-refilling station, and a dermatology clinic, among other businesses Endorsements with Footlocker, Technomarine, Nestle, Sony, Hennessy, Monster Energy, Harry Reid, Rexona, EastWest bank budget from his own pocket used for Pacman Village as of 2015 ALMOST ONE MILLION Twitter followers Pacman lost after his snarky remarks about the LGBT community, marking them as “creatures worse than beasts” HOUSE BILL NO. 3590 a bill Rep. Pacquiao is pressing for expectant mothers to have 180 days or six months of paid maternity leave $6.7 MILLION funds his own pocket which will be used to build a worship house in General Santos City, three years after converting from being a Roman Catholic to an evangelical Christian Lit: impressive, on point THE HUNT FOR THE MAN SHOE WITH THE MOST LIT* GAME THIS SIDE OF SNEAKERTOWN Words WHEN EVERYONE IS PACKING HEAT ON THEIR FEET, CAN THERE STILL BE THE ONE WITH THE PAIRS TO RULE THEM ALL? ASH MAHiNAY WITH AddITIoNAL rEPorTs BY BENJiE GANA oPENING PHoTo JAYSON LLAVORE OF SNEAKERAZZi PH PHoToGr APHY PAUL MONDOK SNEAKERHEAD What is a sneakerhead? Basically, a person very into sneakers. A ‘head may not necessarily have a lot of shoes, but his thirst for them will border on obssession (he may physically harm you if you step on his kicks on purpose). He’s also always building–both his collection and his knowledge of what’s good–because the more you know and the more you acquire, the higher you get on the totem pole of the “Shoe Game.” On a macro scale, The Game is an ecosystem of brands, brand allegiances, resellers, scams, hypebeasts, haters, groups, and, of course, collectors. At the basic level, it also refers to a sneakerhead’s total package–does he have the rares? The knowledge to spot a fake? The taste to separate himself from trend sheep? tRiPLE wHitE But when everyone is shod in fancy manufacturer talk gleaming, high-tech wonders of referring to a whiteout/all footwear, how does one ascend white color scheme the pearly Triple White towers of The Game and become the number one? We’ll just cut to the DROP bullshit: Who has the wickedest a shoe release date shoe game in the land? THE CENTERPIECE OF THE GAME Let’s ground the search by first assigning a shoe that we can use as a sort of Big Mac Index (a way to measure purchasing power between two currencies, used by business magazine The Economist) when comparing ‘heads. The adidas Yeezy Boost fits the bill, as it is the current poster boy of sneaker hype worldwide. It’s not exactly ubiquitous, but if you’re aiming high and want a StAN SMitHS an old-school adidas model that is immensely popular right now, especially with women RED OctOBERS a Nike Yeezy that made people go insane because it was released after Kanye left the brand HYPE demand that escalates an otherwise normal retail shoe into something hard to find piece of Kanye West’s mad (marketing) genius, at least adidas actually releases them locally. The catch is that each drop is very limited–once, it was 50; another time, a mere16. You also need to get lucky with a raffle to even get the chance to buy it. But you might as well take your chances. Because grabbing one for the retail price of around P11,000 is a steal compared to the P40,000-P100,000 or more (depending on specific model) that resellers will be asking for afterwards. So let’s say you’re feeling pretty liquid and don’t mind shelling out– can you just walk up to your neighborhood reseller and demand for the kicks? According to IG reseller @KickerSpaniel, who specializes in tracking down rare models but has also sold over 3,000 pairs of Stan Smiths on the side, “It’s not hard at all, as long as [the buyer] is willing to pay the resell price.” Another seller, @carlohua–who once borrowed $4,000 to buy a pair of Red Octobers only to flip them for $4,500 on the same day– concurs. “If you wanted to pay market price, I could find it instantly.” They don’t have any bones about where you come from as well. “As long as the buyer has money, I’m in business. But if he sounds suspicious, I won’t deal,” Hua says. Kickerspaniel is not picky, either, but, “Newbies, of course, are always shocked at prices of heat pairs, but they also tend to start with hype shoes that are more widely available.” According to Martin David, the man behind sneaker culture blog Sole Movement, “I think it’s easier in general now. Whether you’re in the Philippines or not, there is a way to get a pair. You just have to be more diligent about it.” It wasn’t always this easy, though. “Five, ten, twenty years ago…there [were] only a few [pairs] made of a certain shoe and the brands weren’t planning for that to really blow up–it was more of a hunt.” (David also owns a pair of Yeezys, by the way.) WHO OWNS THE THRONE? Having covered the scene for a long time, we also asked David if he can say who the MVP, the GOAT, the final word is of sneakers in the country. “That’s one of the hardest questions to answer. I can never put one person there because you classify the type of sneakers they wear… It’s a personal thing … my collection or my preferences may be different from yours so it never is just one person,” David says. However, David does drop two sides to consider. “There are a lot HEAt a rare, coveted, and often limited shoe The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 in the original launch colorway The goods at OG Archived of people who are not in the public eye and have great collections– and some of them may not want to be publicized. But in terms of the commercial side, Bigboy Cheng has a really nice collection.” For the private side, we do a bit of needling and David floats the name Team LMS—regulars on the NikeTalk forums, a.k.a. a renowned online meeting spot where ‘heads talked passionately about shoes, even before the days of Facebook groups. “These guys, their collections are all badass. Serious collectors who go about their daily lives—they don’t really stunt.” (LMS is also an acronym for Last Man Standing.) Old-timer shadowy forum members sound properly hardcore. So we meet them at a new store that a couple of their members recently put up: OG Archived, near Tambo, Quirino Avenue in Parañaque. To our neophyte minds, the out-of-the-way location totally had connotations of “so hidden, so exclusive” and “only for people who know!” Last Man Standing—could it be a homage to the practice of standing in line for releases? Were they grizzled, borderline fanatical, dudes who camped out on sidewalks for shoes? LMS member Mackie Correa debunks that image. “It started around 2008; just a bunch of guys hanging out. It was just the five of us standing, still drinking around 5 a.m., so we called it Last Man Standing. It was just about that, nothing about shoes.” Accompanying Correa are fellow LMS members Igie Ignacio and Mark Reyta. We talk prized possessions and Ignacio points out he is actually wearing his personal grail Air Jordan Black Toes–straight outta 1985. An entire wall of more unobtanium ’80s Jordans is behind us, and an Eminem-autographed and worn Jordan occupies a prominent position near the front of the store. Meanwhile, a lineup of gratuitously priced Yeezys sits on a top shelf, almost forlornly. Reyta explains: “We just wanna bring a different vibe to the country, you know; show what we’re all about.” Putting Kanye’s prized footwarmers away from the limelight shows that sneakerheads can aspire to master totally different genres. Do they have an idea of who The Man is? “I know the older dudes but I’m not sure what they have. I’m not sure how deep [their cache is]. Before, you only see the collection of other people through what they’re wearing. It wasn’t like, ‘O, you post your collection,’” Correa says. Team LMS is what you would refer to in street parlance as “low key.” Unassuming, humble, real, but they’ll still break your neck with the good shit if you come across them. You’re losing votes in the MVP race, though, if the masses haven’t heard of you. So let’s take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum. If we’re talking presence, there is definitely a name that burns brightly, hyped up by its followers by the tens of thousands, and also the heat of a million flame wars. MR. SOLE SLAM “I would like to mention other names, but in all honesty, it would be me. I’m not gonna lie to you, a lot of people might disagree, but most would agree it’s me. They usually call me the godfather of the sneaker game in An Eminem-worn limited edition Jordan StUNtiNG to show off, prove you have a bigger dick than the other guy GRAiL a sneakerhead’s ultimate desire, unique to every person FLAME wARS a fight in the comments section, the favorite pastime of the Facebookwith-free-data crowd wiSE MAN Tywin Lannister lelz OG Original Gangster, a term used in rap/gang culture to refer to a respected elder FUccBOi derogatory term referring to those who blindly follow trends/Kanye. Often used by non-scene people to describe its members the Philippines.” That is what Antonio Aguirre, Jr. declares when asked who’s at the top of The Game. It’s not the Pinoy way to make unequivocal statements like that. But when you put up Sole Slam Philippines, which has grown from a sneaker convention in 2011 to the “street culture cultivator” juggernaut it is today, you’re probably entitled to a little hubris. A wise man once said, “Any man who must say, ‘I am the king’ is no true king.” So let’s qualify Aguirre’s statement a bit more. “I launched the modern scene and someone will say, ‘I’ve done that before.’ [But] ‘where’s the proof you’ve done what I’ve done?’ Ask anyone; no one has done the game bigger than Sole Slam. “When you speak the truth, people feel like, ‘ow! Tinatamaan ako.’ It’s also part of crab mentality. Five years ago, I wasn’t anyone. I was just a normal guy. I would post on FB–anything I wanted to say–and no one would care. Now I have to be careful because it’s a responsibility,” says Aguirre. That #realtalk moment about being nobody probably just gave raging hard-ons and flame ammunition to Aguirre’s many detractors, but as Team LMS’s Mark Reyta acknowledges, “You can’t knock his hustle.” Aguirre has all the Yeezys, though. Does he also have so much heat that he can stunt any other sneakerhead into submission? “It’s not how many pairs I have,” he says. “I mean, there are a lot more that have more than me. Like Edouard. He’s my mentor, and he’s a purist when it comes to sneakers. But he did not put it out on the mainstream. I would be an OG of the new era. This is a time where sneakers are mainstream and the purists cannot do anything about it anymore.” A sneakerhead who can bridge the gap between the new and OG, who earns the respect of eager young fuccbois and old-school shadow masters alike—maybe that’s the guy we can call GOAT. Edouard sounds like the Qui Gon Jinn of the scene, the source to anoint a Chosen One and explain this whole concept of being “OG.” We seek him out. There's always a bigger fish” Edouard precedes everyone in this story thus far. His rap sheet is proof: He has more than 2,000 pairs of sneakers, collected in a span of over 20 years. He co-owns the clothing label PROGRESS® and he’s the editor in chief of CLAVEL, a local street culture magazine. Edouard is wearing plain green Chuck Taylor All Stars. They look like the Chucks you can buy in a store but are actually Japan-only joints–that’s, like, being low-key and stunting at the same time. When we apply our Yeezy Index to him, his story with the shoe SNEAKERHEAD goes like this: “Komportable yung Yeezy. Nung may sprain ako (na naging kasing laki ng patola paa ko], may nagsabi sa akin na ang Boost na available sa size 13, Yeezy lang. Eh, swerte sa raffle…nung nakuha ko yung sapatos, nung sinuot ko, sobrang komportable. Imbes na masaktan ako sa paghakbang, nakapaglakad ako ng maginhawa, magically...Yeezy Boost, malambot siya.” In CLAVEL, Edouard once featured a collector known as Bossing or, as they referred to BOOSt him, the “Six Million Peso Man.” adidas sole technology, widely Bossing was also name-dropped regarded to be the comfiest in the game right now by Sole Movement’s Martin David and Team LMS as a legend, so we “legit-checked” him. DEADStOcK/DS Is Bossing really a legend? never worn, never even “Oo. Pero yung pinaka-legendary? tried on. The most Hindi. Ang nakita ko dun sa desirable condition of a collection niya, halos lahat mga shoe right now basketball shoes. Pero si Bigs (Bigboy), noong panahon na yun, diverse na. Parang ako. At VNDS tsaka sa panahon na yun, sa Very Near Dead Stock, worn maybe once or twice pagkakatanda ko, mas marami akong sapatos sa kanilang lahat,” VVVVVVVVVNDS Edouard says. We believe him when you’re grasping just because Bossing is in his to pass off your used magazine in the first place–and shoes as “fresh” that he used the most hyped kicks in the world as rehab shoes. FAM People listen to Edouard’s your bro, a friend stories because he is also an OG. What is this arcane concept of OG? DJ KHALED “[He] must be original, or “DJ KHALEEEED,” older, and wiser than the rest,” American music personality says Edouard. “Dahil buhay pa known for having a massive rin pagkatapos ng mahabang shoe collection (and getting panahon at pagkatapos ng lahat lost at sea once) ng hirap, ibig sabihin, crafty siya at alam yung pasikutStAN sikot. Dapat kilala siya ng mga superfan, named after sikat na nasa loob ng kultura. the crazy dude from Dapat may impluwensiya sa Eminem’s popular track mga nangyayari.” OGs are the Master Splinters, the Jor-Els, the Professor Xaviers of a culture. cRUMBLY MiDSOLES “Pero may mga OG din a common cause of death for shoes that haven’t been dati pa, 1980s pa lang, meron worn for a very long time na. Sila yung mga nagdala ng sapatos dito galing sa ibang bansa para mapansin. Wala SHADE pa kasing Internet noon. Hindi a diss naman talaga sa atin galing ang sneaker culture. Lahat sa bawat batch, may gustong mag-stand out. Tapos susundan siya ng mga batchmates niya. Kaya kung papalarin sila, at dadami sila, lalawak. May posibilidad na pag-umpisahan sila ng kultura sa lugar nila. Sa lugar nila, sila yung OG…OG’s make the cult legit if they are legit. Lucky for the kids here in the Philippines, there are lots of us who are OG.” And when it comes to The OG, “Kung tatanungin mo ako kung sino yung nasa utak ko, wala ng iba kung hindi ako,” Edouard says, with his Dracula laugh. “I am a fucking old boy!” All others are VNDS next to Edouard. Maybe even VVVVVVVNDS, but only the man himself is deadstock. Some of Bigs’s highlights: Ronnie Fieg (sneaker god) specials, customs with his name on it, and shoes from “2015” Talking to Edouard kind of feels like meeting a final boss–or the Illuminati. Before popping the big question, we were ready for him to say, “It’s me, fam.” But instead he comes out with the blessing we’ve been searching for. “Ang top sneakerhead, dapat may taste. Dapat may malawak siyang kaalaman sa mga binibili niya. Dapat marami siyang pambili–yung sarili niyang pera, hindi galing sa nanay. Mas maigi kung magaling sa pormahan, yung magaling manamit. Piyesado. At higit sa lahat, dapat masaya siya sa ginagawa niya. I declare Bigboy Cheng as the top sneakerhead of 2016 here in the Philippines. He definitely looks very happy with what he’s doing for the culture. He is my choice.” THE GOAT Bigboy Cheng (whose family owns Uratex foam) created high-end toy store Secret Fresh and the entire RONAC Art Center–that mecca of street culture along Ortigas Avenue–that houses it. He has more shoes than hairs on your head. But he’s also the easiest person to talk to. He’ll let you touch and pick up any pair in his massive shoe collection. We ask him who he thinks is an idol of The Game. He mentions a name, a new name, a collector we haven’t heard mentioned so far. (Edouard is his other idol) So Bigboy still doesn’t think he’s the main man. He claims we need to see this guy’s stuff. This stops us in our sleuthing game. Do we look for this guy that our number one just mentioned? If we do find him, said dude would probably point to another down the line. And another. Until we eventually end up at DJ Khaled’s door. But while ogling a lineup of Bigs’s rare ass Kobe 9s, it clicks. Think of it this way, fam. Who’s the GOAT among LeBron, Kobe, Curry? People will never agree on a single answer. Then Jordan stans will complicate the argument and ask whether any of them can beat the ‘95-‘96 Bulls. They can debate endlessly–midsoles will crumble and Air Max bubbles shall pop–but every sneakerhead will have their own idol, their own era for context. Even an OG’s decision can be called subjective if you want to be pissy about it. And sneakerheads are pissy. You can build a beach resort with the amount of shade they throw around. What the (super) jovial 5’10” collector reminds us is that at the end of the day, it’s all about enjoying your kicks. “Sundan mo yung gusto mong sapatos, whatever attracts your eye,” says Bigboy. “Wag mong pakinggan yung mga iba kung hindi nila gusto ang gusto mo. Pake nila? Kung saan ka masaya, yung pag nakikita mo yung sapatos–pag suot mo yung sapatos–happy ka, yun yung goal mo.” Also, when taking in the entirety of Bigboy’s collection, you don’t even notice the Yeezys. It’s that lit, fam. FHM HOW TH E TO TH R U LTI O MAT W E P O O P L O O L P A PARTRTY Y It’s the stuff of AmerIcAn teen movIes thAt we Are All envIous of. But who’s to sAy we cAn’t pull one off ourselves? mAke thIs hAppen, And thIs Is goIng to Be your Best summer ever! words And props desIgn g e n i e ranadabab ista photogrAphy ku rt alvar e z IllustrAtIons lou is ar e nas HOW TO THROW THE ULTIMATE POOL PARTY POOL spike up your Have one already? Awesome. If not, here are your options: BORROW Friend’s pool Cost: Free Pros: Free! No time limit. Cons: Post-party cleanup, angry neighbors and/or homeowners. Because there is no time limit, the temptations are great. If you lose control or become too dumb, you could lose your youthful freedom— with the coming of your firstborn son nine months later! The key word here is ‘refreshing’: think ice-cold fruit juices spiked with vodka or mango rhum. Start with a few cans of fruit juice, then mix in your alcohol a little at a time. Top it off with a can or so of soda, and add sliced citrus fruits (oranges, dalandans, lemons, or lime). Pour everything into a clear dispenser or container (you can check the nearest hardware stores for fishbowls, or the supermarket for some classic gulaman dispensers). RENT Village or condo social hall, or a private pool Cost: Anywhere from P8,000 to P30,000 for a few hours depending on location Pros: No pool maintenance/ cleanup, no angry neighbors and/ or homeowners Cons: Expensive, time limit/cutoff BUY Free-standing pool from a hardware or toy store Cost: Anywhere from P8,000 for a 10ft. pool to P26,000 for a 15ft. pool Pros: If you have the space for it, you can have a pool where you want it, when you want it. Cons: Expensive, too small, needs installation PRO TIP If you’re throwing the pool party at yours or a friend’s house, appease your nearest neighbors by paying them a visit the day or the morning before the party and bringing them a little box of treats (like say, ensaymada, pastillas, or polvoron), and drop a disclaimer: ”May party lang po kami mamaya, ha?” try some of these combos for a killer punch: Vodka, Sprite or 7-Up + pineapple juice + cranberry juice Pineapple orange juice + mango rum + Sprite Peaches + blueberries + lemons + champagne PRO TIP Freeze a big batch of drinks into ice cubes so the punch doesn’t get watered down. Use coolers for the “clean” ice (the ice that goes into people’s drinks) but for the bottles and cans, stick them in those little inflatable baby pools and fill with ice. Make a vodka-infused watermelon 1 Using the cap of your vodka as a guide, cut out a circle in the side of the watermelon. Keep the “plug” in a plastic bag in the fridge for later. Scoop out watermelon flesh with a spoon to make a hole deep enough for the neck of the vodka bottle to fit into. 2 Insert the vodka bottle at a right angle to the watermelon, then stand it upright. Find a stable base to stand the watermelon on, like a bowl, and leave the whole setup in a safe place for at least 12 hours. 3 Carefully remove the vodka bottle. Put the watermelon “plug” back in the hole. Stick it in the fridge for another couple of hours to cool. 4 This stuff is strong, and is pretty freaking delicious, so cut the watermelon into cubes or small wedges, so it doesn’t go too fast. Serve, and enjoy! PRO TIP Ice cold beer is usually the perfect drink for poolside chilling—but in this case, it’s time to go the extra mile and mix up a big batch of spiked punch. Pizza floatie available at Rest and Rec by Axis (Instagram: @restandrecbyaxis) CHOW rev up the For maximum chill time and minimum fuss, keep the pica-pica simple and order in your favorite pizza and barbecue. Think picnic food; load up on nachos and chips, and make or buy salsa and dips. Avoid any foods that don’t keep well in the heat like pansit, or anything milk or egg based, to avoid messing up people’s bellies. Games, like pool parties, aren’t just for kids. After all, what’s more fun than playing some games? Playing games while buzzed, of course! Plus it’s a surefire way to make your party one to remember. Watermelon race PRO TIP Make some fresh salsa! It’s easy and tastes great. Here’s a simple recipe that only takes 20 minutes. You will need: 3 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup diced onion 1/4 cup minced cilantro 2 tbsp lime juice 4 tsp chopped jalapeno 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Makes about 4 cups of salsa. Refrigerate before serving. What you need: Two watermelons Form two teams. Each team gets one watermelon (or a similar heavy fruit that sinks under water) Each team member takes turns pushing the watermelon from one end of the pool to the other. The catch: You can’t use your feet! First team to finish wins…a watermelon. Catfight water joust What you need: Pool noodles or long skinny inflatables Form two teams consisting of one girl and one guy each. The girls sit on the guys’ shoulders, and teams stay in the middle of the pool, with water at chest-height for the guys. The girls will then try to dislodge each other using the soft weapons. PRO TIP Buy a pump. Don’t try to blow up inflatables with lung power—your saliva can cause mold and bacteria to grow inside them. Also, pumps can be used to deflate: just switch the hose from the inflating port to the deflating port. HOW TO THROW THE ULTIMATE POOL PARTY drop some The best time to start the party would be at around 3 p.m,. Start with steady summer music (think Jack Johnson, the OST of “50 First Dates”), gradually moving to harder party music as the day turns into night. GOOD HOST Here’s how to keep things comfortable (and safe) for everybody leave a stack of fluffy towels for guests to use COLD SUmmEr N I G HT S FrANCIS m SUmmEr GIrLS LFO EvEr A F TE r BONNIE B A I L EY NICE N SLOW USHEr WE STS I D E TQ WA L kI N G ON A DrEAm EmPIrE O F TH E SUN SWImmING POOLS kE N D r I C k LAmAr U P TO W N FUNk BrUNO mArS H O TL I N E BLING D r AkE S H UT U P AND DANCE WA L k TH E mOON BUmP AND GrIND r . k E L LY FEELING TH I S B L I N k 182 WHErE ArE U NOW J U S TI N BIEBEr rOSES TH E C H A I N S m O kE r S I C A N’ T F E E L mY FA C E TH E W E E kE N D bring a box of ziplock bags to keep smartphones dry (only to keep them splash-proof, DO NOT use them underwater). Have a first-aid kit handy for cuts and scrapes. assign a nondrinking friend to keep an eye out for any drunken friends trying to, say, take a nap in the pool or cannonballing into the shallow end. bring a few cheap rugs along to place in potentially slippery areas, like near the coolers or bathroom entrances. I ’m A N A L B ATr O Z A r O N C H U PA WHEN IN D O U BT P L AY ZEDD L AT C H (r E m IX) DISCLOSUrE How to handle D E SS E rT D AW I N PA rT Y U P I N HErE D mX G ET LU C kY DAFT PUNk NICE TO MEET YOU BUILd UP PRIMETIME SHITFACEd BRINg IT BACk S O r rY F O r PA r T Y r O C kI N G L m FA O the situation: Concussion. A rowdy friend has smacked his head. do this: If he’s out cold, bring him to the hospital, stat! If they get sleepy or throw up, those are signs of concussion, so bring them in for the meantime. If there’s bleeding and bukol, Despite your best efforts at prevention, things may go wrong, especially when booze and slippery areas are involved. Here’s how to make your way out alive and unscathed... well, hopefully but he’s conscious, an ice pack should ease swelling and stop the bleeding. the situation: Noise complaint. You hear that dreaded knock on the door: the security guards or barangay tanods have come! do this: Have your music controls within arm's reach so switching sounds on and off would be easy. Also, ready some finger food you can offer the tanod and pray to the party gods they let you go. ALL-YOU-CAN-READ Start your Ookbee Buffet subscription for only UNLIMITED access to and other magazines each month. http://bit.ly/ookbeebuff tp://bit //b buff uffetios etio t http://bit.ly/ookbeebuff h tp:/ p etandroid oid #AL ALD AALDU ALDUB LLDUB DUB DDUUB UB STYL ST STY SSTYLE TY TTYLE YL YE YLE ddawn aHwANGn CHANG CCH C OM COME COMEDIAN COMEDIA COM COMEDIANS CO OOMEDI OMEDIANS MEDI MEDIANS MED MEDIAN M EEDIA EDIANS EDIAN D IA DIAN I A NS NS OOFF THE TTHHE H E OLD O LDD SCHOOL OL SCHOO SSCHO CHOO CHOOL CHO CCH HHOOOOOL HOOL OL SC CHI CCHILL HHILL HIL I LL ILL L L AX AX GENTLE GGENTLEM GENTLEMEN GENT GE GEN GENTLEME ENTLE ENTLEME EN ENTLEMEN EENTLEM NTLEMEN NT NNTLEME NTLEM NTLE T LEMEN TLEME TLEMEN E M E N 22.0 EME EM ..00 P150 0 February 2016 NNEW NE NEWS EEWS EW WSS EX W EXC E XXCC LUSIV LUUSIVE LUS LUSIVE LUSI LUSIVE! UUSI USIV SIVE! SSI SIV IIVE IVVVE VE!EE!! THERE THHERE’S THE THERE’S TTHER HEER HER HHERE EERE’S ERE RRE RE’S EE’S ’SS AN A N EA EART EAR EART A RRTT HHQUAK AR ARTHQ HQUA HQUAKE HQ QUAKE QQUAK QUA UA UAK UAKE U AAK AKE KKEE FFAULT AULT AAU AUL UULT LLTT RRIG RIIIGGH G HHTT TH THRO TTHROU THR HROU H RROU ROOOUU GH G H YOU YYOOUR YOUR O UR U R HHOM HOME HO OM OOME MEE PP.. 72 M 72 TREND TRE TRENDS TTREN REND RREN RENDS RE ENDS ENNNDS EEND DDSS : com.ph co om.ph o m.p m .ph NOVE M B E R 2015 www.fhm.com.ph THE NO. 1 MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES A N E XPL XPLA XXPLAI XP PLA PLAI PPLLLAAAII SOFT CORE/ HARD CORE UUBE UBER, UBER BER, BER, BER BE EERRR,, #HAS #HASHTA #HASH ##H #HA HASHTA HA HAS AS H TA ASHTA TAGGS GS, SS,, FIXED FFIFIXE IXED IX X E D GEA XED GEAR GEA GE EA RR,, GGASTROPU GASTROPUB GA GASTROPUBS GASTR ASTR AASTROPUBS SSTROPUBS STROPU TROPUBS TTROP ROP ROPUB RROPUBS ROPU OPUBS O PPUBS OPUB PUB UUBB S & AALL LLL THA TH THAT T HHAAT real jap av idols in our exclusive spread 11 9 7701 1 9 768009 ISSN 0119-7681 W H AT E V E R HAPPENED TO THE BILLIARDS SCENE? F O R E V E R TH THE H E NO. HE NO N O. O 1 MAGAZIN MAGA MAGAZINE M MAG MAGAZI MA MAGAZ AGAZINE AG A GA AZINE ZINE N IIN N T HE THE H E PHILIPPIN PHILIPPI PHILIPPINES PH PHILIPPINE PHILIP P HIL PHIL H IIL HILIPP HI LIP L IIP PP PIN PINE PI NE N ES ES ONE NE SOLID SOLI TV STA SPECIAL! S R RCI N GA THIS MONTH’S INSTRUCTIONAL TOUCH HER HERE! HOW TO MAKE CO NTACT IN THE RIGHT PLACES #ffh #fhm hm h mu ulttimate ultimatearia ultimatea ultim ttimateari iimateariann im imatearianny matearianny m mateariann matea atearianny a at ate tteariann te tearianny earian e arian ari riiann ianny a anny nn nnyy GIRLS OF PRIMETIME TIINDE TINDE TINDER TTIN I NNDER IN IND NDDDE DER EERR OkCup OkC OkCu OkCupi OOkCupid Ok kC kCupi kCu kkCupid Cup C upid uupi ppii d SNAP SNAPCH SNAPCHA SNA SNAPCHAT SN SSNAPC NAPCH NAPC NAP NNAPCHAT NAPCHA AP AAPCHA APCHAT APCH PCHAT PPCH PC C HHAT CHAT CHA AT AT BABE BA BABES BBAB AABE AB ABES BES BBEES E S IN IN BUS BUSI BUSINE BUSINESS BU BBUSINES USINES U SINESS USINE USI S IN IINE NNEEESSS NES SS THE FINE WOO R L D O F W C R A FFTT B E E R S *ASTIG! DDA DANIE DANIEL DAN AAN ANI NNI NIEL IIEEELL LEE CCAS CAASTA ASTTAÑO AS TAÑ TA AÑ AÑO A ÑÑOO A BEAU BEAUT BEAUTY BEA EAUTY A T QUEEN AUT QUEE QUE QUEEN U EE EEN EN EXPLOSIO EXPLOSIO EXPLOS XPP LOSIO XPLOS L S NN!! P150 0 TTEST TESTIN TE TESTING ESTING EESTIN ES EST STING STIN SST TTING INNNGG THE ING T HE TH HE MANHO MAN M MANHOO MANH MANHOOD MA ANHOO AN ANHO AANHOOD ANH NHO NHOOD NNHOO HHO HOOD HOO OOOD OOOD O D OOFF WAL WA WALL WALLY W ALL AALLY ALLLY L LY BBAAYYOLA YOL YO OLA OOLLA LA Oc obe 2015 U LT LT I M AT E KKUUUYA UYYYAA G ERMS S N A P PPYY A N SW SWERS TTOO H E R NNAG AG AAGG GGING Q U E ST STIONS YES, S, HHIM IIM IM, M BECAUSE HE’SS F OR EVER! QUEEN QUEE QUEENI QQU UUEENI UEEN EEEEENNI E RE REHM RREH EHH M AANN 18+ CONTENTS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR MINORS November 2015 THEY’RE THE TV GODS YOU’VE NEVER MET MAN MAN-FE M MAN-FEARS MAN-FEA AN AN-FEA AAN-FEARS AN-FEAR N-FEA NN-FEARS N-F -FEARS -FFEAR FEARS F EARS EAARS EAR ARR S EROT EROTIC ERO EER R OTI ROTIC RO OOTTIC T IC I C LIT LLIIT NISSA NISSAN NNISS ISSAN ISSA SSSAN SAN SSAAANN GGTT ACCCADEM ACADEM ACADE ACADEMY AACA CAAADEMY CADE CADEMY ADEM AD DDEM EM EMY MYY AAEERIAL AERIAL E RRIAL IAAL IAL A L DRON DDRRONES DRO R O N ES RON ES ANTI ANTIAAN NTI NTINNT TTIII-FRIENDZO FRIE FRIENDZ FR FFRIENDZON FRIENDZONE FRI RIENDZON RRIENDZONE RIENDZO RIENDZ IEND IENDZ IENDZONE ENDZONE EEN END NNDZONE NDZO ND DZON DDZZZON OONNNEE TIP TTIPS IPS IP PS PS BOMB SQ UAD THE T HE N NO NO. O . 1 MAGA MAGAZINE MAGAZ MAGAZIN M MAGAZI AGAZ AG G GAZI I N E IN N THE T HE H E PHILIPPINE PHILIPP PH PHILIP HILIPPINE H I LIP LIIP L P P IN INES OUR NINUNO’S WRITING SYSTEM PUT TO EVERYDAY USE THE WR WRITERS ITERS THE TTHEY HHEY EY EY MA MAK MAKE M AKE A KE AK KE M MORE ORRREE OORE MON MONEY MONE MO M ONEY OONE NNEY EY EY THA TTH THAN HAN H AANN W WEE DO DO CIIINDY CIND CCINDY CIN NDDDYY MIR NNDY M IRAND MIRAND A NDA ANDA I S 9 7701 1 9 768009 18 + CON T E N T S A R E NO T SUI TA BL E F OR MINORS THE PRET PRETTIEST PRE RETTIE TIEST TIE every man deserves an upgrade I N A R AY M U N D O 12 December 2015 HHOW OW TO OW TO SCO SC SCORE SCOR S COR CORE O R E OONN notes on how to revive an ailing sport GET THE BETTER THINGS WE SHOULD EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY! ISSN 0119-7681 THE NO. 1 MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES #fhmyamwildandfree #fhmexperienceina A DELICIOUS HIGH-FAT, HIGH-SALT, HIGH-EVERYTHING HOLIDAY FEAST KEEP OUR HANDY QUICKIE SPOT LOCATOR January 2016 S E PTE M B E R 2015 www.fhm.com.ph March 2016 ISS ISSN I SSN S SN SN 0119-7 0119-7681 0119-768 0119-76 0 01190119 119-7681 1 19-76 99 -7 81 get getti gett gge eet ett etti tttttiinngg bbeettttter tte te ter er ea eaac eac each ach ch tim ch time time iim mee m WEE AALM W ALL M OST ALMO O SSTT HAD H AADD HA DO ITT WHERE IT’SS TIGHT P150 P150 50 5 mercrcaadddoo me THHHEE UUN THE UNT N T OLD O LD L D SSTO STTO T O RY: R YY:: RY MANI MANIL MAN MA M A NNIL ANI AN ANIL I L A SUB SU S UUBB WAY WAAYS WAYS W AY AYYSS twerk it like a hhot internet sensation! jennyly ylyn 9 7701 7 7 0 1 1 9 768009 76 8 009 GEET GGET ET W WOO M MEEN MEN EN TO W TO WAAN WAN A N T TO TO SSEEX SEX E X YYO YOU OU TH T THE HE H E SEX SEXIEST SEXIE S EXIES SEXIES EXIE E EXIEST XIE XIEST XI X XIES IEST IES IIE ES ES ST T {{& & FITTE FIT FITTES FITTEST FITT FITTEST} F FIITT TTEST} T TEST T E ST EST ES ST}} IIN N THE TH T H E LA HE LAND LAN L AND AN A ND 18 + CON T E N T S A R E NO T SUI TA BL E F OR MINOR S B IG BIG G BROT B BRO BROTH BR R OTH RO OT OT E ER R S AYS SAY SA SAYS AYS AY YS DA DANC DAN DA NC NCE W IITH TH H TH HER ER E R SPECIAL WHAT AT YOU HAVE TO DO TTO INCREASE FOLLOWERS WRITE POWERFUL HASHTAGS TURN LIKES TO MONEY BECOME DAMN FAMOUS domingo g C OOKS CO COOKS OOOOKS O KKSS IN I N 3300 MINS MIN M I NNSS GOUR GGOURME GOURM GO OOU OUR OURME OURM URM UR U RM URME RRME MEE TT-G M T-GRA T-GRAD -GRA GRAD GRRA GGRA RRAD AD AD E F UL FULL UULL LL L M MEA E AL EA EAL AL M I LLE N N IAL #DOMINAATE SOCIAL–MEEDIA kim m GRO GROUN GGROUND RROUND OUND OOUN UUND NNDD RRU RUL U LES ES ES FFOR OORR SSEXUA SEXUAL SEXU SEEX SEX E XXUUA UUAL AALL CCO COND CONDU CONDUC CON CONDUCT ONDUCT OONDUC ON NND NDUCT DDU DUCT DUC UUCT CT IT’S IT TT’S ’SS JJU SSTT ZZEN EENN & Y OGA OOGGA GA HOT T L EGS EG E GS! GS G S! 80,0000 800 ,000 3,0000,000 and shee’s not even a celebrrity...YET THE TTH H E NEW HE NNEEW EW SHARIN SSHARING HARING H AAR ARING ARIN RRING ING INN G EC E C OONOMY: ONNO ONOM ONOMY NNOM NOMY OM OMY: OM MYY: MY: Y: RRIDE I DDEE UB IDE UBE UBER/ UBER U BER BBEER EER/ R/ LIVE LLIV IVE IVVE V E INN AAI RBN RRBNB RB BBNNNBB BNB AIRBNB MAD MADO MADONN MADON MA M AD ADON AADONN ADO DDONN ONN OONNNN A I S CCO IS COM COMI O MWING OM IANNG G ( Y O U R M O M I S WA TCHING) GREA GREATE GREAT GREATEST GGREATES REA REATES RREATEST RE REAT EATEST EEAATES AT EESS T HITS HHI TS TS #fhmtwerkitlike eKimDomingo #fhmj #fhm # ffhm fh hmjennylynisthesexies hmjennylynisthesexiest jennylynisthesex jjennylynisthesexie jennylynisthesexi jennylynisthese ennylynisthesexi ennylynisthesexiest ennylynisthesexies enn e ennylynisthesexie ennylynisthe nnylynisthesexies n nnylynisthesexie nnylyni n nyyylynisthesexiest ylynisthesexies lynisthesex lynisthesexiest lynisthesexie lynisthes ynisthesexie ynisthesexiest ynis nisthesexie nisth is stth the he esexies e sexie sex sexi se sexie est e st THE THE TH H E OOLD LDDES EST EST ST VVIR VI RG R GGIN IINN THE NO. 1 MAGA AZINE IN THE PHILIPP PINES AUG UG U G UST US ST T 2015 015 w 01 www.fhm.com.ph www.fhm.com.p www.fhm.com. www.fhm www.fhm.com www.fhm.co www.fhm.c www.fh w .f h m c om p h ww #fffhm # #fhm fh hm hmd dancew da dancewithdawn a ancewithdawn ancewithdaw ancewith ncewithdaw ncewit ncewithda nc ncewithdawn nc cewit cewithdawn ce ewithd e ewithdawn ewithda withda with wit withd withdaw ithdaw it thdawn th daw awn T HE THE E NO. NO O.. 1 MAGAZI O M MA MAGAZINE MAG MAGA MAGAZ MAGAZIN AGAZIN A AG GAZIN G A AZIN INE IN IN T TH THE HE H E PHILIPP PHILIP PHILIPPINES PHI P PHILIPPINE PHILIPPIN PHIL H IL HILIPPINE IILIPPINES PP P IN NES N ES DECE M B E R 2015 www.fhm.com.ph HHOW OW O W TTOO DAT DATE DDA AT ATE ATE TE JJAN AN U AN UARY ARY A AR RY R Y2 2016 20 201 016 0 1 6 www.f www www.fhm.com.ph www.fhm www.fhm.com.p www.fhm.c w ww www.fhm.com. www.fhm.co ww. fhm ww w ffhm. fhm.co hm. h m ccom.p com m.p m .p ph h F E B R UARY FE UA ARY RY Y 2016 www.fhm.com www.fhm.com.ph www.fhm.com.p www.fhm.co w www.fhm.com. www.fh w w.fhm.com ffh c ph THE T HE H E NO. NO NO O.. 1 MAGAZINE MAGA M MAGAZIN MAGAZ MAG MAGAZI A GAZINE AGAZIN AGA GAZ AZINE Z INE N E IIN NE N THE H E PHILIP HE PHILIPPIN PHILIPPINES PHIL PHILIPPINE PHI PHILIPP PHILIPPI PH PH HILIPPINES ILIP ILIPPIN IILIPPINE ILIPP IPPINES IIPPIN PP PINE ES PINO PPINOY PIN INOY INO N O Y ’S NO NOY ’S FUN FFUNNI FUNN UNN UN UUNNI N N I ES NN EEST SSTT VIRAL VVIRA VIR IIRA RRAA L VIDE VVIIDE VID D E OS DEO OS P179 and get YA M CONC CO NCEP EPP CI CD OON N SH S THE SHE’ TH E RREEEAA L DEA L!L ! DA DASURI CH OI MEGAN YOUNG AS MARIMAR ALDEN RICHARDS RDS BROS ROS DAYY OUT TIME TO DEVELOP S O M E TAST E ARIANNY CELESTE THE RETURN OF A C I D WA WAS H J EA N S ! MAP OF THE INTERNET BOARD GAMES & BOOZE OUR GUIDE TO F I N A L LY G E T T I N G HER TO SHUT UP A N F HHM M EEXXC X LUU S I V E ! P LAY LO RAAYY LA DIE P150 50 ISSN 0119-7681 08 INSIDE THE LIVES OF PINOY PRO GAMERS 9 7701 1 9 76 8 009 www w ww w.fhm .ffhm ..fhm fh fh hm.c hm m.c m .c c com o om m .ph .p p ph h AU A AUGUST UGUST U UGU GUST G GUS UST U US S T 2015 20 201 2 015 0 1 5 FH FH M 5 18+ 18 88++ CON CCONTENTS CO CONTEN CONTE CONTENT OONTENT ONTE ON N TEN T ENN T S AARR E NOT N OT O T SUIT SSUU IITT A B L E FOR FFOO R MINO M IN INO NORS September 2015 ROUND August 2015 TH HE E NO. NO N O.. 1 MAGAZINE O M MAGAZIN MAGA MAGAZI MA AGAZINE AG GAZIN A AZI AZIN ZIN Z IINE N E IN IN T H E PHILIPPINE PHILIPPIN PH P HILIPPINE PHILIPP PHIL H HILI HILIPPIN ILIPPI IL ILIPPINE L IPPINES LI IIPPINE PPINE P P IIN NE ES S A PR APR AP R I L 2015 20 015 1 5 www.f www.fhm.com.ph www.fhm.com.p www.fhm.com www www.fh www.fhm.com. www.fhm.c w fhm w. f hm m.com.ph .com.p ccom co p ph IA S P 1E- CDAY DDAAAYY L! OC RBA S-HGC YO UNR SEE W I T H F I N E D E TA T ILS OF OUR OBJECT OF STUDY #ffhm #fh #fhm # fhmpatriciastillhot hm hmp patricia pa patriciastillh patriciastillho atriciastillh a atriciastil atricia atricias atriciastillhot trrriciastillhot triciastillho triciasti ic ciasti iastillho iastil ia astillh a still stil stillh s ti tillho tillhot l ho ott NEXT MONTH PACQUIAO WILL EARN THIS MONTH $1100, $10 $100 $$100, 10 100 1 000, 00 00,000,000 00,, 000,0 0 00 000 000, 00 000,0 00,0 0,,,00 00 00 H OW HOW O W YO YOU CAN CCA AANN E A R N EEASY ASY AS A SSYY M O N E Y A LO O K AT THEHUGE NUMBERS IN THE FIGHT WE ALMOST FAILED TO SEE! TTHE HE H E CATC CATCH CA CCATCH: ATC A TC T C H : Y O U ’ L L H AAVV E T O D O BA TO BAD THINGS CAN S O L A R PPAA NNELS ELS E LS LS OONN YO YYOU OUR ROOF B EEAT A T TTHE AT H E LO LOOMING E N E R GY GY CRISIS? P I N AY A Y BA B A B EESS D I G A M E R IICA CCAA N F O OT O T BA BALL T H E NNEEEW W N I S SSAA N N AVA AAVVA VA R A YOO U R OW OWN C O C KTA KKTTA T A I LS LS M I C R O S O FFTT H O LOO L E N S 118+ 88++ CONTEN CONTENTS OONTENTS N TENTS ENTS EEN NNTS TSS ARE A RREE NNO AR NOT O T S UUITABLE OT ITABLE TTABLE TA AABLE AB B LE BL L E FOR F OORR MIN MINOR MINO MINORS M MI NNOR ORS P150 150 S U M M E R F I R SSTT-T T --TT I M E L E S S O N S W I T H PAT R I C I A J AV I E R #fhmaikosolo THE NO. 1 MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES this magazine will keep you company on k (you know what to do) April 2015 www.fhm.com.ph TION TI TIO FE B R UARY 2015 www.fhm.com.ph MARCH M ARCH A AR RCH R CH C H 2015 201 20 015 15 w 15 www.fhm.c www www.fhm.com.ph www. www.fhm.com www.fh ww www.fhm.co ww.fhm.com ww w w..ffhm ffh hm h m.com m.co m . com cco m . ph ph 15t 115 15th 5th 5 th t h AN A N NNIV NIVE NIVERSA IVE IVERS IVER I VVE IV IVERSA VERS VERSA VER EER ERSA RSA RS R SA S A RRYY May 2015 June 2015 THE NO. 1 MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES FREE! D ECE M B E R 2014 July 2015 #fhmandreayeahbaby GRAVURE # 4 NINJA PARTY Photography ANDREO ESGUERRA Hairstyling JA FELICIANO Styling REY SANTOS In these times where privacy is becoming less and less of a thing, there are still a few precious places where men cannot wander. And when ranking these forbidden gatherings, the mythical all-girl after-party is one of the most desirable secrets. Maybe one day, you’d be blessed enough to see all of this as well… Ash Mahinay MASTE R YO U R L O O K Edited by ASH MAHINAY mikeyashlie.mahinay@ summitmedia.com.ph OOT D Welldressed wanderer Jericho rosales talks about how there’s no shame in doing ootds Words ASH MAHINAY Photography JAKE VERZOSA y o u r ru n n in g g e a r c h e c k l i s T Ever since he discovered a passion for riding, Jericho Rosales’s Instagram feed has been full of aspirational images–he’s all about life on two wheels. Jericho is also the face of Wrangler’s True Wanderer competition, a contest that reminds you to go out and enjoy a ride instead of just treating your bike as a commuting companion. But we’re all about real life too over here, so in our debut OOTD feature, we get the real talk from the actor on looking good on a bike, still smelling fresh after riding through grit and grime, and the importance of snapping it all for posterity. The number one ouTfiT prioriT y “When I ride, being comfy is [the] number one [priority]; but it’s also the number one thing that will be sacrificed. Kasi you have to protect your body. Yes, you wear jeans, but with kneepads and shin guards [ dapat] yan. You wear a T-shirt, but then you also have a [riding] jacket. On long rides, number one [rule] yun : protect your body.” o n “ s h a me l e s s ly ” a n g l in g f o r T h aT ooTd phoTo Gusto ko yun, yung nagpapa-picture. Kasi gusto kong makita pagtanda ko, na ito ako nung bata ako. That’s always my goal with pictures. We didn’t have a lot of family pictures, and I grew up looking at my mother and my father’s photos–“Uy, ito porma ng tatay ko !” or “ Uy, may bigote pala !” Plus I always send photos to my wife and friends. My friends and I sometimes go, “O pag walang picture, di nangyari.” I have a lot of photos on my phone that I haven’t even posted; para sa‘kin lang. masTering The bagong-ligo look af Ter a ride The secret is, I have a bag with me. It has wet wipes, an extra shirt, towel, soap, hair product, sometimes even shampoo since I [don’t mind taking a] shower anywhere. I bring all my needs in small packets. Kailangan koboy ka and you can clean your body anywhere. Kaya rin ako nag-ja-jacket palagi, to protect [myself] from the sun–iba yung amoyaraw. I always have a scarf to protect [myself] from smoke. Then you leave the jacket [and scarf] na amoy Edsa and put something else on [for after the ride]. May preparation talaga. W h y i T ’ s o k ay T o b e s o “a f f e c T e d ” W h i l e Ta k i n g T h aT o o T d Di naman [kami bothered dun ]. Wala kaming pakialam [na vain ang dating]. Our life is in pictures. For us, it’s always about looking back–it’s as important as looking forward to adventures. Wrangler Liam Western Jacket, P4,499.75 his personal sTyle i n s p i r aT i o n [In] the café racer scene, I follow this account called Gentleman’s Ride, [which features] gents on motorcycles. Naka-custom bikes sila at palaging naka-dressup. [Of course] iba yung weather nila , malamig at malinis, eh. So we tweaked their look to [suit] Manila conditions. There’s no particular person I follow, but basically old-school ang style namin. Wrangler Basic Undershirt, P399.75 o n av o i d i n g T h aT “biker” look “[ My barkada and I] don’t like to look like bikers. We like to look normal. The classic cliché look is the leather jacket, big boots, giant patches, tapos may beard, may studs. Pero meron ding biker na full battle gear–colorful, may reflectors. Ok lang naman yun ; pero subtle ang trip namin. May leather jacket din ako–pero ang idea is pwede kang pumunta sa café, club, or event na hindi ka mukhang manggugulo. You have to look like a gentleman. Wrangler Crank Cool Wayne Denim Pants, P2,299.75 Stylish bandanna Sturdy boots Denim polo, Shirt Bar by Onesimus; Jeans, H&M Photography Doc Marlon Pecjo Styling reynalDo SantoS jr. Makeup and Hairstyling Ma. tereSa SantoS Models nikki longetti anD aliSa ShiShkina of lux ManageMent Jacket, Onesimus; Plaid polo, H&M; Pants, Topman O n n i kki: Jacket, Zara; Striped Tanktop, H&M; Shorts, Ted Moss at Robinsons Department Store O n A l i s A: Aviators, Ray-Ban; Bikini, Sunkissed Swimwear at Robinsons Department Store Striped Tee, Uniqlo; Pants, H&M White polo, Shirt Bar by Onesimus; Swim trunks, Zara Denim jacket, Topman; Shorts, Ted Moss Knit top, Onesimus; Pants,H&M fits Available at Signet, 163 Legazpi St., Makati IT E M S Orlebar Brown Bulldog, P10,500 Get your sea legs TRunks ThaT'll make beach babes go “aRRR” Saturdays NYC Logan, P4,040 Mollusk Cactus trunks, P3,570 Words ASH MAHINAY Photography DAIRY DARILAG Production Design GENIE RANADA Quiksilver New Wave, P3,490 Quiksilver Fruit Bat, P2,990 Liberate your lower-to-mid thighs this summer with our selection of swim trunks. Because while we have been banging the drum of shorter shorts for several years, still, we see men who have lost their way on the beach–lost like any hope of proper body proportion under their voluminous beachwear. Patterns, bright colors, no colors– it all looks better when you hike your britches up a bit. Orlebar Brown Bulldog, P10,500 fits IT E M S Saturdays NYC Underlined towel, P2,970 Fly your colors wIn anY baThRoom TowelslaPPIng baTTle Saturdays NYC and Mollusk are available at Tenant Manila, G/F Solace Hotel, Kamagong St., Makati Help get/ make those killer waves summeR haIR caRe foR beach bums lIke You The most underrated way to gain cool guy points on the beach is by having a towel that isn’t, a plain department store joint or; b. the resort-supplied standard issue water absorber. We recommend going on a one-time, big-time splurge for a classy piece–such as this one from Saturdays NYC. It just shows you're on top of every aspect of your game. As much as you want to flaunt these tight swimwear choices, spending the whole day bathing underneath the scorching sun could do a lot of damage to your hair. The sun's heat causes your hair to dry, leading to thinner, brittle hair. Good thing L'Oreal has its new anti-thinning super serums, Serioxyl, which is guaranteed to give you fuller, denser, and cleaner hair as well as leaving your scalp feeling cool and minty after every wash. LIFE ON THE U PSWI NG Edited by KHYNE PALUMAR khyne [email protected] words RON JAY EDUVAS Photography VINCENT COSCOLLUELA illustrations CARLO MAALA A c u sto m-b u i lt mAld eA r oAd b i k e fr Am e E X P E R T Get a custom-fit bicycle Riding and buying a biKE may bE Easy, but gEtting onE that fits you to a tEE? LEt’s woRK on that... cAN You build Your oWN bike? bike hub Group set bull horN hANdle bAr fo r k W i th s u s pe N s i o N c r AN k 1 Get properly measured “Pinakaimportante sa lahat yung bike fitting. Kailangang kunin yung height ng rider and inseam measurements. The inseam is yung sa ilalim ng pundiya, so you measure from the ground to your crotch area. Kapag nakuha ko yung sukat, I multiply it by .65. Yung makukuhang product will be your frame size. Para sa top tubes naman, kinukuha ko yung height ng rider then divide it by π (3.14).” 2 Have your tubes assembled “After bike fitting, ang sunod kong aayusin ay yung tubes—ito yung magiging bike frame mo. Ang requirement lang sa pagpili ng tubes, kailangan high-tensile quality. Para sa akin ang pinakamagandang tubing ay chromoly [high carbon steel]. Aabot ng P32,000 ang pinakamahal na tubes. Pinakamura siguro nasa P5,500, pero frame pa lang iyon.” CRAFTSMAN PROFI LE 3 Select other bike parts, but don’t mix and match “Ang mga piyesa kasi ng bike, naka-group set na iyon. Hangga’t maaari, at kung kaya ng budget, isang set or isang brand lang ang gagamitin mo. Yung value kasi ng bike mas bumababa kapag halohalo yung parts.“ 4 Gear up “Pagdating naman sa gears, take into account yung totoong purpose ng pagbibisikleta mo. Kung hobbyist ka, I suggest kumuha ka ng malaking sukat ng gears. Para kung sakaling uphill nandiyan siya at magagamit mo. Ngayon kung ikaw ay sanay na naman at into bike racing, diyan, maaari ka nang kumuha ng mas maliit na gears para sa speed.” 5 Your choice of wheels “Pagdating naman sa wheel set, simple BIKE TYPES ACCORDING TO PRICE AND CONSTRUCTING DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY eAsiest/ cheApest hArdest/ priciest FIxIE www.fhm.com.ph Custom bike-frame building is a craft that requires not just a working knowledge with steel work, but also precise math and sourcing impeccable raw materials, which will cost you. so it's probably not good to get one if you’re only biking on a whim. maldea is a serious builder: his frame-building rig is a-grade and he sources his steel from as far as italy. “halos 30 years ko na ito ginagawa, pero may natutunan pa rin akong bago sa frame-building,” maldea says. ROAD MOUNTAIN lang ang rule diyan: Ang mas magaan na gulong, mas matibay at mas magaan dalhin. Meron din namang mga entry level na okay, katulad ng Shimano RS. Maganda rin yung brand na Fulcrum. Yung Campagnolo, yan ang top of the line. Tandaan niyo lang: yung mura, magaan nga sa bulsa, pero mabigat at mabagal i-pedal.” 6 Build “Ang pinakamahirap para sa akin gawin yung mga mountain bikes kasi kailangang i-bend at madami siyang fittings [the steel tubes]. It usually takes me three to four months to build a bike frame.” BiKE-fRAME BUiLdER: Ave Maldea AGE: 49 OccUPAtiON: Bike frame builder HOw HE StARtEd: “Magsi-seaman dapat ako. After college, habang naghihintay mag-abroad, namasukan muna ako sa tita ko na may bikeshop dati sa Pasig. Dun ako nagsimula at natuto. Eventually hindi na ako natuloy mag-abroad kase gumagawa na lang ako ng bike.” cRAft HiGHS: “Sunday lang ang pahinga ko. Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. nagbubukas na ako ng shop. Sa sobrang dami ng kliyente, minsan booked na ako for the whole year. Average siguro four to six months. Pero magandang malaman na pinagkakatiwalaan ka ng mga kliyente mo. Maraming enthusiasts na dumadayo pa dito sa Rizal.” TANDEM facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial APRIL 2016 FH M 105 Boost S K I L L Grow your own grub With a little patience and practice, you can turn the dirt under your feet into a sustainable all-you-can-eat Words KHYNE PALUMAR photography VINCENT COSCOLLUELA 106 FH M APRIL 2016 facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph CAN YOU ReALLY GROw...ANYTHING? Quick answer: yes. turns out we mortals are no different from an organic farmer with experience in aquaponics (growing fish and greens together) like enzo pinga of earthbeat farms. “nobody’s born with a green thumb, it’s something that can be developed over time. i’ve had plants die on me when i was starting out. practice lang talaga , and like everything that’s not instant and ultimately worthwhile, you need patience. that’s the beauty of farming,” pinga says. he offers a few valuable tips so you can cut back on the trial-and-error bit... S T E P 1: S TA R T E A S Y WONDER BEANS! according to pinga, “legumes like sitaw or baguio beans take in nitrogen from the air and put it in the soil. nitrogen is essential for growing leafy greens and, actually any type of plant. so having beans around could be beneficial for whatever you’re growing.” "I would suggest native greens like pechay, kangkong, and talbos ng kamote. Greens are easier to grow compared with fruiting plants—which are also more prone to pests. With greens, you can nip infested parts. With fruiting plants like eggplant or tomato, hindi mo alam na-peste na pala yung fruit itself.” STEP2: PICK THE RIGHT DIRT “What’s really key is the soil. To grow fruits and vegetables, you need to provide the nutrients STEP3 : FERTILIZE E a s i E st / s h o r tE s t w a i t ti m E “Because the soil needs to be nutritious, it will be best to just use fertilizer right away, preferably organic. There are different types of organic fertilizers. There’s vermicast (worm manure), which is basically the poop of African night crawlers. That’s stuff you can add to the soil, or things like a bokashi mix, which is a mix of fermented biodegradable material, with things like rice hull or ipa . Overtime these things break down and add nutrients to the soil. But for home planting, I think liquid fertilizers are the easiest to use. You can find them in hardware stores and gardening stores. Be careful not to use too much fertilizers because those can kill the plant." CA L A M A N S I PA PAYA DRAGONFRUIT MANGO LANGKA tr i c k i E s t / lo n g E st w a i t ti m E S T E P 4 : WAT E R SMART “Generally, you don’t really spray anything to the plants in the middle of the day kasi if it’s hot, pwedeng masunog yung plant. You usually do it early in the morning or late at night. I would avoid using the municipal water, which is treated with chlorine and different HOW LONG BEFORE I SINK MY TEETH INTO THEM? once a seed germinates, pinga says “it will sprout two leaves. if you see three, that’s the time you transfer it to a pot or the soil, if you’re starting in a seedling tray.” here’s a timeline for other fruits and veg... P L A NT T Y P E S Av E R A G E G E R M I N ATI N G TI M E / F I R S T S P R O UT TI M E TO G O B E FO R E HARvE ST BAS I L 5 TO 1 4 DAY S 3 0 D AYS KAN G KO N G 9 DAY S 3 0 TO 6 0 D AYS L eT TU C e 1 4 DAY S U P TO 2 M O N T H S CAR R OTS 10 DAY S TO 2 we e K S 2 M O N TH S T O MAT O 5 TO 10 DAY S 4 5 TO 70 D AYS www.fhm.com.ph GROW A FRUIT TREE! they need—and how nutritious the food is, depends on how nutritious the soil is.” facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • compounds. What you could do is let the water sit in a container for 24 hours to let the chlorine evaporate, and then you can use it to water the plants.” STEP5: NIX THE PESTICIDES “Spraying chemical pesticides will solve the problem in the short term, but in the long term, talo ka rin. It makes things seem easier, but what you don’t see immediately is its effects on the soil, the environment, and your health. It makes no sense to protect yourself when you’re spraying, if the same chemicals are going into your food. If you eat that produce, then all those chemicals end up in your body as well.” fhmphilofficial SHAKE OFF PESTS, NATURALLY companion planting attracts beneficial insects to one plant and repels it to the other, plus it makes your urban garden pretty. here’s what to plant together tomato x basil asparagus x parsley carrots x chives leafy greens x mani any type of plant x legumes APRIL 2016 FH M 107 Boost M OTOR Three for the road and we mean our very cruel roads—that only true suvs can conquer Edited by ALLAN P. HERNANDEZ [email protected] Words DINZO TABAMO ANDREI LAUREL 108 FH M APRIL 2016 facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph T o y o Ta F o rT u n e r What makes Toyota the number one car brand in the world? While there are a number of factors that can be rattled off like design, reliability, and resale value—the bottomline is, the Japanese carmaker has mastered the art of the no-regret purchase. Walk into a showroom now, pick a car you fancy, and there’s a 99 percent chance you won’t be sorry. The new Fortuner exemplifies this consumer paradigm. It’s overflowing with pogi points, has enough new toys to impress the ladies, and it’s backed up by a proven dealer network and after-sales service. And now that it has raised its prices, with the top-of-the-line 4x4 2.8 V costing a little over P2.1 million, the Fortuner has the cachet to be more aspirational than ever. Enter this SUV’s cabin and you’ll wonder why there isn’t a European badge on the leather steering wheel. Hues of brown, black, and slivers of chrome will catch your eye, slowly easing you in. Sitting on the leather chair, with a vantage high above mere mortals in their regular cars, the Fortuner emboldens the driver in a way only a true SUV can. If the driving position can embolden, the power underneath the massive hood and behind the handsome face can corrupt www.fhm.com.ph weaker men to commit acts of folly. It’s one thing to read about the 174hp and 450Nm coming from the 2.8-liter diesel engine, but when you feel the torque at full acceleration, it’s like being pressed against your seat by a wall of force. This kind of sensation can go to a man’s head. It’s a good thing Toyota equipped its future cash cow with a raft of safety features so that customers can keep coming back. There are front, driver knee, side and curtain airbags for the worst eventualities. Harnessing the Fortuner’s prodigious power are stability control, active traction control, hill-start assist, and brake assist. What all these mean is that if you get carried away trying to impress your lady, you’ll still live to have make-up sex. The Fortuner is the SUV for lazy people with money. You don’t have to spend time agonizing over brochures, comparing every tiny detail, and pestering all your car nut friends for advice. Just go to your neighborhood dealership, pick a color, and enjoy an SUV you won’t regret purchasing. facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial FORTUNER SPECS ENGINE 2.8-liter diesel OUTPUT 174hp and 450Nm PRICE P1.38 M and up APRIL 2016 FH M 109 Boost M OTOR M iTs u b i s h i M o nTe r o s po rT EVEREST SPECS ENGINE 3.2-liter Duratorq diesel OUTPUT 200hp and 470Nm PRICE P1.39 M- P1.89 M Fo r d eve r e sT Any respectable road trip vehicle you can rev cross-country should give three things: comfort, speed, and versatility. The all-new Ford Everest happens to have all. The Everest can seat up to seven of your barkada—in comfort, thanks to its Active Noise Cancellation technology and a well-engineered suspension system that will willingly absorb any bumps on the road. What’s more, the vehicle’s body roll is kept to a minimum, meaning ‘patabi ng kotse, nasusuka si Juan’ moments along routes like Kennon Road are few and far between. The vehicle’s light and responsive steering makes it incredibly easy to drive—meaning even less-experienced drivers can have a shot at the wheel. This Everest has got speed covered as well. If you opt for the top-of-the-line variant, you'll be running on a 3.2-liter turbodiesel engine with enough power and torque to leave any lumbering truck or tricycle in the dust. That precise handling comes into play here, too—overtaking is a cinch. You and your buddies will be chilling by the beach in no time at all. Versatility-wise, the Everest’s 4WD capability and terrain control system and 225mm ground clearance allow you to tackle virtually any route possible. Want to plow through a rocky river bed? There’s a setting for that. Looking to take a detour for a little off-roading fun in the mud? This SUV has that covered as well. All you have to do is strap in, 110 FH M APRIL 2016 select the terrain via the turn of a dial, and let this baby work its magic. Other road trip-centric features include adaptive cruise control, hands-free music selection, a 100kg roof load and 750kg carrying capacity, and extra luggage space via third row PowerFold seats. With all that fancy tech, comfort and rugged reliability, no destination is too far or too tough. It’s easy to imagine your cool tito behind the wheel of the new Montero Sport. He wants something brawny and irresistibly handsome. If doubters ask him if he’s worried about mechanical ghosts, he will say real men can handle their machinery (and wink at your lady friend). Even if you’re not a tito of Manila who wants to be seen in the most popular SUV in town, there’s a lot to like about Mitsubishi’s much-awaited model. Its 2.4-liter turbodiesel may seem small compared with what its competitors are packing, but it can squeeze out an almost Herculean 178hp and 430Nm. Its wading depth of 700mm will laugh at floods that would overcome AUVs, letting its long taillights lead the way during rainy season. If the Toyota Fortuner is the sure bet, the Montero Sport is for the person who’s more confident of what he wants; the man with a rebel streak who appreciates a strong SUV because it reflects his character. Still, with this Mitsubishi’s numerous safety features, it can also serve capably well as a family transport. Seven airbags are positioned in the cabin, with stability and traction controls at the ready in case something goes wrong. There’s even a blind spot warning in case some buzzards aka motorcycles try to maneuver unexpectedly beside you. Finally, there’s a front mitigation collision system to prevent the Montero Sport from colliding with anything in front—even with the foot on the gas pedal. Sensors scan the horizon for possible obstacles, and once one is detected, the brakes will be applied by the SUV’s computer. It’s a feature anyone will appreciate, tito or otherwise. There has never been a time where we have so many choices of good diesel SUVs. The Montero Sport has stood at the top of the rankings for many years. It looks like its return to the throne has begun. MONTERO SPORT SPECS ENGINE 2.4-liter CRDi turbodiesel OUTPUT 178hp and 430Nm PRICE P1.5 M and up facebook.com/FHM.ph • twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph The Kikay Barkada is at it again! The Morning Rush hosts Chico Garcia, Delamar Arias, and Gino Quillamor are back with an all-new collection of crazy lists from the popular radio program on Monster Radio RX 93.1! Available at bookstores and on newsstands for P195 BO O K E N D E R B I KE T O WO RK Y o u r e d i t o r A l l A n P . H ernA ndez H As no world- s Av i ng AgendA f or P e d A l in g t o t H e of f i ce. H e does i t becAu s e H e cAn PHotogrAPHY: MArK JesAlvA I bike to the FHM coop along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City thrice a week. If I’m any crazier, sometimes the entire work week. From my place in Marikina, my route takes me to Pasig through a narrow street fondly called the old Daang Bakal road (literally “railroad,” which is what it is exactly—the old American-era railroad that stretched from Montalban to Pasig). I come out at Floodway onto Rosario, then to C-5, then right to Julia Vargas. From there I have a choice to go straight up to Meralco Avenue, or, if I’m any crazier and selfabusive, go left to Lanuza for the steep climb of St. Martin Road where the PSC-ULTRA stadium is. Or, if I pity myself halfway, the gentler climb of St. Paul Pasig. Then it’s Capitol Commons-Kapitolyo-Pioneer Street, and finally the office in Cybergate 3. Total distance: about 13 km. Total time: usually an hour and 10 minutes. Going home, I take a relatively scenic route: Pioneer StreetKapitolyo-Capitol Commons-St. Martin-Lanuza-Meralco AvenueGreenmeadows Avenue-C5 Libis—then as I approach the boundary of Quezon City and Marikina, I get off the main road for the Marikina Riverpark bike lane that follows the winding river and is a pleasant ride at night because you can still hear cicadas chirping and bamboo groves whistling in the wind. It’s a slightly longer route, about 15 km, but takes me about the same time to travel. I alternate between two bikes. One is a steel commuter bike with moustache handlebars and the other is a lighter bike in the style of classic French randonneurs (touring bikes) with drop bars. Both are made by the same Japanese manufacturer (Maruishi). Bought them cheap online, cleaned them, replaced the saddles, and they serve me well. I am not a bike collector, much less an aficionado. I just read somewhere that your bikes should be for the purpose they’re meant to serve. I almost got myself a fixed gear because it looked cool, but after riding one for the first time—for a distance of about five feet—I quickly 112 FH M APRIL 2016 facebook.com/FHM.ph • realized looking cool should not be at the expense of going knee-less, and fixed gears will take the knees out of any dumb old biker who wants to go Premium Rush-cool. So I did more research and stumbled upon the bikes I have now—geared, with fenders and lights, for going the distance, oldlooking—and found them to my taste and for how I’d want my bikes to serve me. I still think a bike with fixed gears is cool. Why do I do it? I’m afraid I have no world-saving agenda for doing so. I’m not reducing my carbon footprint. I’m not advocating for a traffic-free city. I’m not even doing it for my health. I just wanted to save on fucking gas. Bought a car eight years ago and now I hate driving to work, it’s everyday is like going out to war. Two Christmases, I bought my kids supermarket bikes. There was a poor copy of a fixie (it looked like a fixie, but had coaster brakes, so it’s not a fixie. Fixie hipsters would find it hilarious) on display beside the kids’ bikes and bought one for myself. The plan was so we could ride as The Simpsons on weekends. One crazy day, I thought, what if I took this to work? And I did. The amazing thing was, I actually made it to the office. I began to do it more often. By then, I was well into it deep enough to have sold the cheap bike and buy two better bikes for commuting. I found out that I did save on gas. Obviously. By a lot. Now I do it because, well, I can. And I suspect for others, regardless of reason or compulsion, it’s the same thing. We like the freedom of not staying put in traffic. We like the feeling of moving like walking, only faster. We like the silence of the bike as it moves despite the chaos around, as though in meditation. We like going through back roads and side streets where cars can’t. We like to stop where we want to stop, go when we feel like going. I personally like looking in at other people’s houses and catch a glimpse of how they live as I move along on a bike. There are stories in there, and ultimately, that’s what we do in a magazine—tell stories. FHM twitter.com/fhmphil • fhmphilofficial www.fhm.com.ph