Esquire explains Mar cover photo on 'Yolanda' issue

MANILA - Esquire Philippines magazine finally cleared the air about its "Yolanda" issue cover photo featuring Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas after it drew flak from social media users.

Esquire posted on Facebook a copy of the cover of its latest issue last Thursday. The cover photo shows Roxas smiling, waving his hand while sitting on piles of wood. The caption beside the photo reads: "Hello from Tacloban."





Facebook users, especially those from the "Yolanda"-hit city of Tacloban, quickly reacted to the Esquire cover photo, calling it an "insult" and a "sick joke."

"Are you mocking us Taclobanons by putting that man's face on the cover?" asked Cecile Therese Dueñas.

"Is this a sick joke? You bring this cover to Leyte and we will burn it," warned Neil Warren Chu.

"The Warays will use the cover as toilet paper," Prospero Pulma added.

In response, Esquire on Sunday released a statement on Facebook, explaining their choice of cover the issue dedicated to "dignify the memory of those lost, and the pain of those left behind in Tacloban City."

The magazine said its writers and photographers revisited Tacloban in order to present the tragedy that are still ongoing after "Yolanda" and to also "sift the facts" on the government's response.

"Secretary Mar Roxas is on the cover as a symbol of the national government response. Nothing less or more. We were certainly not paid or persuaded to put him on the cover. (The photo itself was taken a year ago, at the Tacloban port; this was not from a specially arranged Esquire shoot and is not to be misconstrued as an endorsement.)" it said.

Esquire further explained that their goal in the "Yolanda" issue is to draw attention to the situation in Tacloban.



Last year, just weeks after "Yolanda" hit central Philippines, Roxas drew flak when he was caught on video telling Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, "You have to understand, you are a Romualdez and the President is an Aquino."

Roxas, in defense, said the clip was spliced and it was trying to deceive people.

After the incident, he and Romualdez engaged in word war which eventually ended at a Congressional Oversight Committee on the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management hearing.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Heart Evangelista goes sexy for men's magazine

MANILA, Philippines – It’s confirmed: actress Heart Evangelista is on the cover of the “election issue” of the men’s magazine Esquire Philippines.

The former Kapamilya actress, who is currently in a relationship with re-electionist senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, is seen wearing a white, low-neck tank top bearing the word “vote” and a pair of black panties on the cover of Esquire Philippines’ May 2013 issue.


“Heart Evangelista wants you to vote wisely,” the magazine said on its Facebook page when it uploaded a photo of the cover on Tuesday afternoon.

Evangelista, 28, has often made the news for her controversial relationship with 43-year-old Escudero, whose marriage was annulled just last year.

The actress’ parents, Cecille and Rey Ongpauco, called for a press conference last month to express their disapproval of Evangelista’s relationship with the senator. The Ongpauco couple called Escudero a “braggart” and an “alcoholic” who is just “manipulating” their 28-year-old daughter to achieve his political goals.

Evangelista has consistently defended her boyfriend from her parents, and even said in one interview that she has considered marrying without their permission.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Solenn Heussaff goes nude on Esquire cover

MANILA, Philippines -- Solenn Heussaff is completely nude in her cover appearance as the "Sexiest Woman Alive" in the local edition of men's magazine Esquire.

The French-Filipina model-actress posed nude on the cover of the February 2013 issue of Esquire Philippines, which was unveiled on the men's magazine's official website on Wednesday.

"After much heated discussion and rigorous scientific verification, the Esquire Philippines team has determined, to our complete satisfaction, that [the Sexiest Woman Alive] is none other than Solenn Heusaff," the accompanying description of the cover said.

"The famous French-Filipina shows us how she does more with less – less clothing, inhibitions and fear," it added.

In the United Kingdom and United States editions of Esquire, Australian model Miranda Kerr and American actress Mila Kunis, respectively, were named "Sexiest Woman Alive" for the year 2012.

Heussaff also leads the list of the "Women We Love" feature in the February issue of Esquire Philippines. It also includes actress Dindi Gallardo, graphic designer Isabel Gatuslao, and other personalities from the fields of music, filmmaking, writing, journalism and politics.

According to the official website of Summit Media, which publishes Esquire locally, senatorial candidate Grace Poe-Llamanzares is also among the "Women We Love" list.

On Tuesday, Esquire released a video of Heussaff in a two-piece lingerie, as a way of announcing her being chosen at its "Sexiest Woman Alive."

Huessaff's appearance in the video was styled by Liz Uy and Raymond Gutierrez, with hair and makeup by John Valle and Paolo Maranan, respectively.

The "Seduction" actress was photographed by BJ Pascual.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Georgina Wilson has Twitter atwitter over sizzling Esquire cover

Georgina Wilson has her Twitter followers atwitter with her sizzling cover for the July 2012 issue of Esquire Philippines, released on Wednesday.

The cover shows the Filipina-British model and VJ with wet hair, sitting provocatively on a sauna room floor in a cream one-piece swimsuit that exposes her buttocks and legs. It teases, “Georgina Wilson will make you sweat.”

“First time I’ve done a cover that’s been tweeted about so much before the release!” Georgina tweeted on Tuesday.

Her friend and fellow It Girl Isabelle Daza enthused on Thursday: “Look at what God created. With a little help from the EsquirePH team. Freaking HOT!”

Iza Calzado, Esquire’s November 2011 cover girl, agreed: “Hot naman nun. Ang haba ng legs!!!”

“Awesome cover!” model and radio jock Andi Manzano said.

Upon seeing the cover, radio jock and AKTV sportscaster Jessica Mendoza immediately alerted her fitness trainer Chappy Callanta with this tweet: Wow, Georgina Wilson. Holy moly, can you make me look like that, dad?”

Cristalle Henares, daughter of Vicki Belo, tweeted: “So proud of our SexySolutions darling @ilovegeorgina. Sizzling the cover of EsquirePH.”

The cover Esquire Philippines released exclusively for the magazine’s iPad subscribers was also well-received.

“Another photo of Georgina Wilson for the iPad July issue of Esquire Philippines. Steamy July indeed,” remarked Twitter user Myke Soon.

source: interaksyon.com