ASIA MAJOR

The rise of Asia as a global superpower is now well established. Made in Asia no longer has the same connotations it had years ago, and in pop culture, the dominance of BTS and other K-Pop acts, Asian-made and star-driven movies such as Crazy Rich Asians and Parasite have made it clear that we are taking over. Even the fashion world acknowledges this shift, as they look to Asia as a major market, creating specialized pieces and collections. No longer content to be part of the cast, Asians—all kinds—are demanding the spotlight.

In these trying times we look again to Asia in it’s measures to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 virus. To show our solidarity to the world, we gather men and women of influence to talk about their realization in these trying times and what cleansing means to them. Clad in all-white ensembles, we unite with the world in support of our front liners and everyone around the world. In Sweet Venom we honor the great Bong Joon Ho and his great story with his Academy award-winning movie, Parasite. Clad in both chic and casual dressing we navigate the home of a rich household as it holds secrets and ironies of wealth and its disparity in today’s society.

We are now the leaders of the world, and with that comes great responsibility. What we buy and consume affects everything. The stories we tell now matter more than ever. We are given the responsibility to lead the world to a better tomorrow. May we always choose wisely.

As we grapple with a global pandemic that has altered our reality, MEGA brings together some of the brightest stars and personalities in the country to help us gather our collective strength, unite ourselves in the spirit of empathy and stand against the threat of our lives

This is unprecedented. The issue you are now holding in your hands (or reading on your screen) is divided into two halves. The first half: pre-quarantine, prestate of emergency, is a world where we groused about the terrible traffic, went on coffee runs with our colleagues, packed the city’s numerous shopping malls, obsessed about the latest It Bag and It Shoe and planned for the upcoming summer holidays. This reality makes up half of the bright and airy sections you have come across. They are filled with gloss and cheeky wonder. And the second half? Well.

We are in the midst of a mandatory quarantine, the specter of the coronavirus seemingly in every handshake, in every doorknob and every look sent our way. Many of us are stuck in our homes, blocking out the rising panic by binging on mass entertainment and adjusting to a work from home setup while others fret about what is to come. And that’s just for the affluent among us. The less fortunate? Well, they have to deal with a reality that is far more grim than what they had before—as if it weren’t so dire already. There appears to be no good news, only bad, and it’s unceasing: of people clinging to life in overwhelmed hospitals, of world leaders struggling with an invisible enemy, of things breaking down—from global markets to communities. Today, the Philippines, us of the resilient people, used to catastrophes and tragedy, is now a society floating in a state of limbo, fearful of the worst and despairing that hope might just be a silly daydream.

So why do we release a fashion magazine?

Yes, in part, we need a little diversion. There’s no harm in looking at our favorite celebrities (and many of them are found in the next few pages) to gush about their exquisite bodies and symmetrical faces, their innate beauty shining through despite the lack of professional help (we asked them to take selfies at home). No, don’t feel guilty about that. Like soldiers breaking for a holiday football game, we are entitled to a little entertainment. But more than that, we are also here to remind us all, yes even ourselves, that life, however bleak, is lit by hope. This hope, that we can do better, be better, that we can learn our lessons and not just survive, but thrive in the face of uncertainty and the threat of loss and grief, must remain, must keep on burning.

We’re here to tell a story to help us stand up and fight, even if our fighting is confined to the walls of our homes (that’s enough—just stay home if it’s a privilege you have). We’ve collected a diverse group of personalities and asked them to tell us what they’ve been doing, what they’ve learned and how they’re coping. Discover what they have to say, in their own words and hopefully you’ll see past the gloss and filters of their glamorous lives and see the humanity that throbs and flows in all of us. More than ever, we need ourselves and the people who matter—those who want the same thing: for this threat to end, for us to learn our lessons and to begin anew.