The Truth About Wellness

Wellness is one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—forces in our industry. To some, it means skin care and supplements. To others, it’s therapy, movement, sleep, or stillness. For many, it has become a curated lifestyle. It’s everywhere today: It’s a hashtag, a headline, a product category. But a few decades ago, wellness didn’t mean any of these things.

Back then, to be “well” simply meant you weren’t sick. Wellness existed in hospital charts and annual checkups. It was reactive, medical, and mostly physical. The mind was often ignored. No one asked how you were sleeping. No one talked about hormones or burnout or trauma. Emotional and mental health weren’t part of the conversation. And beauty? It was seen only as skin-deep.

Today, wellness is being redefined. It’s no longer just physical or the absence of illness, but deeply emotional, mental, and relational—and this shift has changed beauty forever.

You can’t talk about skin without talking about hormones. You can’t talk about confidence without confronting burnout. You can’t sell a “glow” without asking about sleep, stress, or trauma. Wellness is no longer separate from beauty. The topics we once tiptoed around—periods, libido, therapy, boundaries—are now central to the beauty conversation. As they should be.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Wellness is also about access. Because for too long, wellness was sold as a luxury. A privilege. A lifestyle only some could afford. But real wellness—the kind that lets you rest, feel safe, feel seen—should never be a trend. Or a product. Or a reward for the few.

It should be a right.

And so, in this Wellness Issue, we ask a bigger, more honest question: What does it really mean to be well in the Philippines today? 

This issue is our answer. 

Inside, you’ll find stories that reflect a more expansive, more inclusive definition of wellness—one shaped by Filipino experiences, Filipino needs, and Filipino voices.

We begin with Zen Z, our cover story featuring ten breakout stars from Pinoy Big Brother, who open up about life after the house. Together, they reveal the new wellness mindset of a generation—one rooted in setting boundaries, protecting peace, and learning how to care for themselves from the inside out. 

In Homegrown Heroes, we spotlight six Filipino founders—Liz Uy, Isabelle Daza, Mark Entrata, Cat Triviño, Rosalina Tan, and Mary Jane Tan-Ong—who are building brands that are setting new standards for what care can look like when it’s created by us, for us. In The Morena Manual, next-generation morena icons Bianca Umali and Michelle Marquez Dee champion the causes they care about most, proving that wellness isn’t just personal—it’s also political.

In Wellness, Rewritten, we celebrate Filipina excellence across industries. Abi Marquez, Dr. Nette Asuncion-Uy, and Dr. Carmencita Padilla are reshaping what wellness leadership looks like—from food to mental health to newborn screening. And in Still in the Game, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Felicia Hung Atienza, and Bubbles Paraiso show us that wellness has no age limit. 

These stories are not just reflections of where we are—they’re blueprints for where we can go.

Because being well isn’t about following trends. It’s about reclaiming agency.
It’s about knowing that beauty doesn’t begin with appearance—it begins with awareness.
That wellness isn’t a luxury—it’s a right.
And that being Filipino isn’t a limitation—it’s a strength.

This is our invitation to rethink what care looks like—individually and collectively. To honor our bodies, protect our peace, and widen the circle so more of us can feel seen, safe, and whole.

This is The Wellness Issue.

Rooted in care.

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Photographed by Kieran Punay. Makeup: Booya. Hair: Patty Inojales. Styling: Alvin Navarro and Pat Pleno of Studio.24C.