FACE FORWARD
One Wednesday morning, in the middle of a rainy Pasay City, a group of at least 40 people (we followed health and safety protocols, FYI) scurry around from one big hotel ballroom to the next, all focused on making this photo shoot a success. Success is indeed the right word to use because when you put six of the future A-listers in one frame, it’s a lot of work. Case in point: It took almost an hour for the team to get this one group photo right—that’s one in more than 10 concepts. We’re lucky our subjects for today’s shoot are such professionals, it’s evident they’ve prepared for this their whole young lives.
When Belle, Andrea, Francine, Alexa, Jayda, and Charlie arrived—at different times during the day—the room turned gleeful. It could be their youth, that moment in life when you can wake up at six o’clock in the morning, stand in heels for hours, and do back-breaking poses, then end your night (yes, the shoot lasted past dinner time) with another gig. Or, it could be because all six of them are just happy to be here, watching their childhood dream come to life before their eyes.
Not only are their dreams coming true, but they’re coming true in full, bright colors. See, the way celebrities are influenced and are being celebrated have changed through time. And these six ladies in front of us are in the vanguard of this change. In between takes, some of them take out their phones and post photos or videos on their social media accounts—their glam teams, too, are doing the same thing. The others find a quiet corner in the room where they could dance a little bit for their Tiktok. Through it all, these ladies have stay on top, with millions of views and followers on their side.
During our interview with MEGA Man cover star Laurenti Dyogi, he describes what its like to find potential stars like them, among the millions who try: “It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. You change the template of what is being appreciated by the public. You are able to change the template of who people can look up to.”
As the public watches and looks up to these six bright, young ladies, we can only wait and marvel at their rise to stardom. Take heed: These stars will take over your viewing habits soon.
By BAM ABELLON. Photography JERICK SANCHEZ