Putting pet lovers in the spotlight
ANIMAL SCENE
2016 saw Animal Scene moving from strength to strength, beginning with the bestselling January 2016 Monster Fish special issue. More such issues followed, which are still being ordered to this day: the February Pomeranian special, May’s Flowerhorn special, and August’s feature on local efforts to save the Astrochelys radiata and Thailand’s fabled fish farms. All were beautifully shot by talented managing editor Jeffrey C. Lim.
Our magazine broke new ground with its first two-cover issue featuring the Green Tree Ball Python in March; the unexpected positive response gave rise to the October issue, in which two entirely different cover subjects (the Ragdoll Cat and the Oriental FireBellied Toad) were featured—again, to positive response.
Our regular columnists consist of iconic portraitist Norman B. Isaac; fur, feather, and fin enthusiast and acrylic enclosure expert Manuel Yap; fishkeeping guru Angel L. Ampil; and multi-awarded doctor-slash-writer Stef dela Cruz. A stellar list of contributors, specimen sources, and expert sources kept Animal Scene vitally relevant to our diverse audience. In response to current creature-keeping trends, the Reptile and Invert Spotlight sections now appear every issue.
We also feature the biggest animal-related events, such as international dog shows and the biggest local exotic trade show, and our popular November issue featured exclusive coverage as the sole Philippine media partner of international phenomenon Aquarama.
A soft launch of our social media sites in late 2016 began with the “My Pet’s Life” contest conducted on Facebook, which saw the number of users “Liking” the page reach over a thousand, surpassing our modest target of 500 Likes. With over 50 entries coming in monthly for the contest, which ended in December 2016, Animal Scene found a new, younger, and eager audience to add to its readers.
As part of our 2017 thrust to educate in addition to being the best source of information for local pet lovers and animal hobbyists, we’ve introduced several new sections. The Animal Scene advocacy aims to educate readers on what it means to be a hobbyist and/or pet parent while correcting misconceptions, while This Pet’s Life takes the best non-winning entries from the My Pet’s Life contest and features the most interesting and touching stories that have emerged. Vet Visit brings the veterinarian back into the spotlight to counter the dangerous tendency to rely on Google while neglecting to take a sick pet to the vet.
We pay tribute to our past by continuing to feature the column of former editor in chief Ramon Francisco and the contributions of former managing editor Johnny Filart. And we also look forward to the challenges presented by both the publishing and animal industry. In 2017, Animal Scene sets itself firmly within the Manila Bulletin’s thrust to innovate to better serve its readers across demographics and platforms.
The Animal Scene advocacy aims to educate readers on what it means to be a hobbyist and/or pet parent while correcting misconceptions