Where have all the good guys gone?

Interviews by Cai Subijano

MANILA, Philippines - On my personal Twitter and nightlife pop culture poll, this seems to be the most popular question. Why? Because there seems to be more hot women than men in the Philippines, do you agree?

I certainly do not. There may be a lot of hot women in Manila, but the beauty quotient in this country far outweighs the rest of our neighbors, or dare I say the world. Within the changing contexts of “men being the new women,” it is safe to say that the tides have turned, and it’s about time.

Men in the Philippines have so much to learn in terms of grooming, manners, and just plain living well. We are not in the medieval ages anymore, and our brothers in the male population need a wake-up call. We are living in civilization, therefore, we must heed the call of the modern man.

Enter Esquire Philippines, your one-stop shop to help you achieve the finer things in life that every man must know about, talk about, and live for. Admittedly, there are quite a few men’s rags already out on the bookshelves, but not everybody intends to seek out the one that will help them become the best they can be. Some just want to be horny, others are confused, while some choose to pretend. But it’s all good. Respect is one of the distinguished gentleman’s most cherished traits, so no one is higher than the other. It is all about respect, and knowing what difference you can make.

The team behind the man

Team Esquire is made up of brilliant men and women led by Erwin Romulo. He now sports a suit to work  unthinkable in his early years as an artist and scene shaker, but a welcome change nonetheless. He is a prime example of a man becoming the best that he can be. Sarge Lacuesta has been at the forefront of the Pinoy literary world, pushing the word to its peak. Now he has a broader audience. Liz Uy has been behind every major cover and star styling of late, and has been linked to the most powerful man in the country. She’ll show us who wears the pants. I know she does.

Luis Katigbak, Jerome Gomez and Jonathan Roxas have been in the publishing industry for quite some time, and know what the readers want. The fact that they are alphas in their industries gives us a better idea of what is to come. Vince Uy, creative director par excellence, has been hungry to do something that would not just benefit women, but men as well. Art director Ces Olondriz has been moonlighting as a tattoo artist, and is more manly then most men we know. In fact she wants a real man, she most recently tweeted. Audrey Carpio just became more of a man after giving birth to Antarctica, her newly-born daughter. Hey, being a mom makes you more of a man, okay!

Raymond Gutierrez’s style is apparent. His taste is impeccable. And he, with the Esquire Philippines team made Manny Pacquiao look distinguished, polished and dapper. Doesn’t he deserve props for all this effort? Most people think that publishing is a glamour job. But as we here in Supreme can attest to, the glamour is only the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, the olive on the martini. We can go on and on.

In the end, my point is, we should all be the best we can be, whether man, woman or otherwise. We owe it to ourselves and to everyone around us. Welcome Esquire Philippines.

Finally, we can be taught to be better men.

* * *

Esquire Philippines will be launched in a formal gala on Oct. 5 at the Peninsula Manila. Their first issue will come out anytime now.

Erwin Romulo, editor in chief

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... editor for many magazines, a film scorer and sound designer, a radio talk show host for RockEd Radio, a writer for TV, a songwriter for various artists including Parokya Ni Edgar, and a producer of music videos (the most recent being Pupil’s 20/20). I am still part of the Philippine STAR as I have been for the past 15 years.

My role in the magazine entails... allowing the great talent that’s already in the magazine to flourish and make the best work possible. And to be true to the Esquire tradition of giving the best writing, photography for our readers.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... now’s the time for men to start acting at our best. Things are getting better. Men should rise to meet that challenge.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines. because... the women who work for, with, and contribute to Esquire Philippines love it as much as the men in the staff do. They’re an awesome bunch. They make us want to be better men.

Expect Esquire Philippines to... always be better with each issue.

Luis Katigbak, associate editor

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... on the staff of various magazines, including PULP, Imagine and UNO. I was the co-founder of Burn magazine and the first EIC of Pulse.ph. I’ve worked for MTV Philippines, Smart Communications, and the Supreme Court (though not all at the same time). I’ve also written two books (Happy Endings and The King of Nothing to Do) so far.

My role in the magazine entails... brainstorming, quibbling, nitpicking, assigning and following up on certain stories, overseeing certain sections, editing, writing, rewriting, advising, supporting, and drinking too much coffee from the office vending machine. If the Esquire staff were the Justice League, Erwin would be our Superman. I would be like Batman, after too many pizzas.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... it’s funny, smart, stylish, imaginative, beautiful, practical, offers insights into the inner (and outer) lives of men (and women), and features the best writing in the country on a regular basis.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... see above.

Expect Esquire Philippines to be... a rewarding experience  entertaining, informative, life-enjoyment-enhancing, even enlightening  month in and month out.

Sarge Lacuesta, editor at large

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... all over the place, writing, working, wishing I could finally have some f*cking fun.

My role in the magazine entails... working with the rest of the team trying to come up with ideas for things we’d like to see in magazines.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... it might be more entertaining than videogames, it could be more useful than an owner’s manual, and it should be smarter than TV.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... they love Filipino men.

Jonty Cruz, web editor

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... I was looking for a job. I just graduated this year and was thinking of becoming a copywriter for an agency. Then Erwin Romulo came...

My role in the magazine entails... to assist everyone in the team and make sure our website lives up to the magazine. I also handle the videos, which is all kinds of fun. 

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... it is the solution to boredom, ignorance and whether or not you look good in that suit. 

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... it’s worth loving. 

Expect Esquire Philippines to be... 195 pesos. Bili na!

Jerome Gomez, managing editor

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... covering the entertainment biz in YES!, working under the best people in the business: Jo-ann Maglipon and Pete Lacaba.

My role in the magazine entails... knowing every single detail that goes into every issue. Critics have described it as “a role of a lifetime.”

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... finally, here’s a magazine they can actually say they buy for the articles. 

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... in the first issue alone, there are a hundred topics they can use to strike up a conversation with any man they like to pursue.

Expect Esquire Philippines to... become better and better.

Vince Uy, creative director

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... creative director (I still am!) for Preview magazine and consulting creative director for Cosmopolitan and Town & Country.

My role in the magazine entails... working with the team to visualize the stories for the issue.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... even if they refuse to ask for directions, they know they need it.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because… it’s literally the Filipino man at his best (but only on paper).

Expect Esquire Philippines to be... a fresh and detailed take on the usual.

Ces Olondriz, art director

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... an art college student, model, tattoo artist, overall freelancer.

My role in the magazine entails... me to stay long hours, go to photoshoots, make big decisions (visually). It can feel glamorous at times.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... it’ll guide you to being a better man.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... #1 it’s a good read, and #2 we love women.

Jonathan Roxas, art director

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... the art director of Yummy, Summit Media’s food magazine.

My role in the magazine entails... art direction and doing layouts.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... it will teach us how to be “man at his best,” no matter what the situation.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... it will help them understand (and win over) their men.

Expect Esquire Philippines to be... at the forefront of magazine design and writing.

Liz Uy, editor at large

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... and still am a fashion stylist and fashion editor at large of Preview magazine.

My role in the magazine entails... overseeing the magazine with main focus on the fashion pages.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... it’s what Filipino men deserve.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... it’ll prove that there are more than a few good men out there. And they read Esquire.

Raymond Gutierrez, style director

Before Esquire Philippines, I was... and currently am a host on TV, society editor of Preview magazine and columnist for Philippine STAR Young Star.

My role in the magazine entails... conceptualizing and producing shoots for the Style pages. Also, collaborating with the team for features and covers.

Esquire Philippines is a boon to Filipino men because... there’s nothing out there like it.

Filipino women will also love Esquire Philippines because... it delivers facts, opinions, and ideas on a variety of subjects.