By Neil Ramos
- Sanya Lopez, Faye Lorenzo, Arra San Agustin and other Kapuso actresses share their thoughts on women empowerment as FHM Philippines returns with its November issue.
There is no denying that a big part of FHM's appeal has always been the women on its pages. And with the magazine making a comeback online and in print, six Kapuso actresses are giving readers a fresh look at what it means to pose for a publication long associated with beautiful women and the men who admire them.
Sanya Lopez leads the November issue, appearing on the cover in a black two-piece bikini with white trim. Her toned figure is hard to miss, but the actress says being part of FHM's return means more to her than simply posing for the camera.
“Kilala na ang FHM noon. Kumbaga, part na siya ng culture natin. At nakakatuwa lang na ngayon e, parte ako ng pagbabalik nila,” she said.
Sanya also brushed aside the possibility of criticism, saying people will always have different reactions.
“Kahit ano naman gawin mo, may matutuwa, may mga hindi natutuwa. I'm just blessed na maging parte ng moment na ito.”
The actress also disagreed with the idea that featuring women's bodies in a magazine automatically turns them into commodities. She said she was consulted throughout the shoot and was never asked to do anything she was uncomfortable with.
“Ako personally, hindi ako naniniwala kasi nung sa photoshoot pa lang they were really very collaborative, gusto nila yung input ko and they don't want me to do anything na hindi ako comfortable so, I don't think its disadvantageous to women.”
Joining Sanya in the issue are Faye Lorenzo, Vanessa Peña, Liezel Lopez, Analyn Barro and Arra San Agustin. They, too, welcomed the chance to be featured.
“I'm just so happy. Isang karangalan ito para sa akin,” Faye said.
Arra, who remembers admiring the women featured in the magazine when she was younger, said she was happy to finally be part of it.
“For me, nakakatuwa dahil fan kasi ako. Noon nakakakita ako nito at napapa-wow talaga ako sa mga babaeng napi-feature dito.”
Analyn sees the shoot as a celebration of women.
“For me, it's all about women empowerment, it is about celebrating femeninity, the beauty of women.”
The magazine's new team says the women featured will have a say in how they are presented. Adela-Mae Marshall, spokesperson for Playtime, the group behind the relaunch, said the shoots are meant to be collaborative, with the women involved in decisions about styling and presentation.
“There is no concept or styling imposed, they have a lot of say. We want it to be collaborative. We are telling their story and no one can tell it better than themselves,” Marshall said.
