ARTICLE SERVICES            Reprint this article     Print this article       Send as an e-mail     Send Feedback       Post a comment       RELATED STORIES   Her ‘Repujado’ Precedes Her A Souffle Industry Are We There Yet? GALLERY 1 2 3 4 Next   Zoom    Paraluman Zoom    A country Lass Zoom    Susan Roces Zoom    Angel Aquino Dysfunctionally Pinoy By Cate de Leon Tagline: Send comments to catgdeleon@ yahoo.com or drop the author a line at http://writer-cat.livejournal.com. I RECENTLY attended an anthropological l ...More Dysfunctionally Pinoy My Favorite Action Hero Pinoy Cult Films: The Cinema that Won’t Die Hearsay & Heroics Hope, sweat and a healthy cervix ‘Lights, Camera, AKSYON!’ No One Can Cook Like Nana Meng Numbers More Stories » Showbiz and Style Why a bachelor like me chose to adopt Elevating the ‘toyomansi’ barbecue Instant noodles are not balanced meals Oils that help remove body toxins Deep-fried foods lower body energy Documenting heritage Wife nags husband about past infidelity Running the marathon for a healthy lifestyle Doña Maria is perfect for ‘bagoong’ rice Be practical–but keep the style Showbiz and Style Singer-actress a glorified ‘yaya’ Miley says no to dad Billy Ray’s dream King of Pop may be viewed in glass casket Lessons learned from Jackson’s tragic tale I am no Michael Jackson fan Global fans won't beat it from Jackson thrill Interesting stories about Michael Jackson ‘Sad' Madonna plans Jackson tribute Diet collapses, now out of danger 10 reasons to watch the UAAP opening weekend Great moments to remember ‘Katrina, Aljur deserve a break’   Showbiz and Style Most Read RSS Diamond Hotel Philippines Look for: Lourdes Vera Cruz Tel. No.: 528.3000 loc. 8414 Mobile: 0915.434.3010 (Lourdes) Fotoloco Rent Fotoloco for your parties! Call 453.3417 / (0917) 851.0228

MANILA, Philippines – Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro is easily the most prolific of the country's purveyors of coffee-table books, reaping honors for such books as “Lamesa: The Philippine Table” and “Sayaw: Philippine Dance.” He has always infused his projects with gorgeous photographs and injected them with his passionate love for Philippine culture.

Two of his recent books present an unusual but compelling look at something at the very heart of the Filipino's world: beauty. Published in 2005 by Unilever Philippines, “Magandang Filipina: Beauty for Life” took a topical and scholarly approach to the question of beauty. The first part of “Magandang Filipina” discusses beauty in the world - delving into everything from Greek mythology to the science of aesthetics. The second half of the book, however, is devoted to Filipina beauty, and here we can see an inclusive and incisive vision of what is considered “maganda,” from beauty queens to the mestiza and beyond, graced by photographs by the likes of Jun de Leon, Bob Razon and Rupert Jacinto. “Magandang Filipina's” pages are dotted with sidebars featuring choice quotes and factoids about beauty.

Out of that first book is spawned “The Beautiful Filipina,” published in 2007 by Katakataka Creative Concepts. This book “focuses on the Filipina's beauty across generations as defined by more than 60 Filipinas.” This tome is the showcase to the study that is “Magandang Filipina,” boasting full-page photographs as well as quotations from various sources. It's an enthralling exhibit.

But it is the combined effect of the two books by Alejandro which creates a truly memorable tableau as we see the faces of the legendary (Paraluman), the glamorous (Susan Roces) the popular (Angel Aquino), the undiscovered fresh faces from the provinces, beauty from all walks of life, from different points in time. There is something to read, something to learn and much to gawk at, in color, in black-and-white, posed, candid, made up, natural, current - and timeless.

• Her ‘Repujado’ Precedes Her
• A Souffle Industry
• Are We There Yet?

• Dysfunctionally Pinoy
• My Favorite Action Hero
• Pinoy Cult Films: The Cinema that Won’t Die
• Hearsay & Heroics
• Hope, sweat and a healthy cervix
• ‘Lights, Camera, AKSYON!’
• No One Can Cook Like Nana Meng
• Numbers