Joyce Oreña

It’s been 25 years since @GeenaRocero left the Philippines, walking away from a trans pageant career she had begun dominating at the age of 15. From the eskinitas of Makati to the makeup counters of Macy’s, she’s made her way as a model, a public advocate for trans rights, and recently, as a filmmaker. Her most recent work is “Dolls,” a film that she wrote, directed, and starred in. The film is an 18-minute thriller with a mostly trans woman cast, premiering in five international film festivals. “I learn by doing. Call it self-belief, call it holding on to that unapologetic vision and letting it speak for itself. I’ve always been a self-starter. Right now, directing, writing, and producing, that’s what’s calling me,” she says. At the link in our bio, Vogue Philippines features editor @audreycarpio talks to Geena Rocero about her journey from pageantry to filmmaking. The May 2026 issue is now available on shop.vogue.ph and on newsstands. Photographs by @samspencework , styling by @dominickbarcelona , beauty editor @joyce.orena , story by @audreycarpio , deputy editor @pamquinones , art director @jannpascua , beauty writer & associate @bianca.custodio , Vogue Philippines producer @julianjrr , producer Stephane Gerbier of @societymgmt , makeup @laurelcharleston , hair @_andrewcchen_ , photography assistant @luke_stoychoff of @societymgmt , styling assistants @endyasimone , @ddominicmoreno , and @michelleuribe_ , shot on location at @cooktopstudio , Vogue Philippines, May 2026.

Blessed to celebrate another birthday and mother’s day with you, mommy 🤍

Icelandic Chinese artist #Laufey has always felt trapped between cultures, but she has since learned to make a home of the in-between. “I think that’s one of the reasons I love Filipinos so much,” she says. “Whether it’s literally being in the Philippines or among all the Filipinos around me in the States… I feel like that mix of cultures just makes you such a self-aware person somehow, and I always connect with Filipinos because of that. I feel like we just all are a concoction of so many different cultures.” For the May 2026 cover story of Vogue Philippines, Laufey talks about the A Matter of Time Tour, her connection with Filipinos, and throwing away the rule book. Tap the link in our bio to read more. The May 2026 Issue is out now on newsstands and on shop.vogue.ph. Featuring @Laufey wearing a @prada dress and @jewelmer Les Saisons earrings Photographed by @danieljacklyons , Deputy Editor @pamquinones , Beauty Editor @joyce.orena , Art Director @jannpascua , story by @bianca.custodio , styling by @leithclark , makeup @audurs , hair @danielsunghoonkim , Vogue Philippines producer @biancazaragoza , executive producer @alexeyg , producer @ivan.shf , director of photography @marty_rush , fashion associate @mrneilanthonie , multimedia artist @mcainecarlos , photography assistants @kurtmangum , @sabranasvictoria , styling assistant @mollysiennastack , PA & studio manager @justingbarahona , post-production @retouch_nataly_trach , Vogue Philippines, May 2026. Shot on location at @agpwest .

#Laufey is an era where she feels she's most herself, and so in turn she's making music beyond herself. She tells Vogue Philippines, “I feel like I’m now getting to be exactly the artist I’ve wanted to be.” Her platform has grown to become a stage for her and her audiences to come as their most authentic selves, where taking up space is the point. On tour, her fans arrive dressed for her universe, waiting for the curtain to rise. “My audience members are there, they’re quite a lot of teenagers, young people going through so much continuous change,” she says. “I know everyone has something going on in their lives. So to be able to come in and forget that for a moment is all I want to do. I want to create that feeling.” For the May 2026 cover story of Vogue Philippines, Laufey talks about the A Matter of Time Tour, her connection with Filipinos, and throwing away the rule book. Tap the link in our bio to read more. The May 2026 Issue is out now on newsstands and on shop.vogue.ph. Featuring Laufey wearing @rodarte , @jewelmer , @jude.macasinag , @gucci , and @bondeyejewelry Photographer and director @danieljacklyons , director of photography @marty_rush , Deputy Editor @pamquinones , Beauty Editor @joyce.orena , Art Director @jannpascua , story by @bianca.custodio , styling by @leithclark , makeup @audurs , hair @danielsunghoonkim , Vogue Philippines producer @biancazaragoza , executive producer @alexeyg , producer @ivan.shf , fashion associate @mrneilanthonie , multimedia artist @mcainecarlos , photography assistants @kurtmangum , @sabranasvictoria , styling assistant @mollysiennastack , PA & studio manager @justingbarahona , post-production @retouch_nataly_trach , Vogue Philippines, May 2026. Shot on location at @agpwest .

ARK’s Feed Back program emerged in 2020, but its philosophy reaches further back, to founder Ayesha Vera-Yu’s memory of her grandfather's stories. In the province, their neighbors would help with the harvest, and afterward the yield would be shared among them. “In his mind, it was just the right thing to do,” she says. “If the community helped bring the harvest in, then the harvest belonged to the community.” See the last word and full feature in the April 2026 Issue of Vogue Philippines, available on shop.vogue.ph and on newsstands. Featuring Ayesha Vera-Yu wearing @bagasaostudios Photographs by @artunepo & @chichimonsta , Deputy Editor @pamquinones , Beauty Editor @joyce.orena , Art Director @jannpascua , story by @tenshikun__ , producer @mavisulangi , styling @jiatorrato of @qurator_studio , makeup @makeupbyalodia , hair @hairbygillary , videographer @internetskater_ , photography assistants @choinarciso and @selagonzales , makeup assistant @chungarcia__ , ARK Team: @ark.solves , Ayesha Vera-Yu, @katlimchoc , @mcpagoncillo , @mkringkring , @arkibbo , Vogue Philippines, April 2026. Special thanks to Mayor Weng Rafallo-Romano, Renato Fuentes, Lany Astillero & Marissa Gaufo, Jannalyn Esureña, and Hazel Joy Fuentes of Bulusan, Mayor Mark Lozano, Leonor Forte Jr., Lara Fresado & Manny Fuentes, Shie Anne Gabanzo, Hon. Dovie Correa of Sta. Magdalena, and @milonaval .

Photographer #AlexiLubomirski once kept a corner of his office dedicated to the flowers his wife brought him, capturing them long after their petals had begun to curl and dry. For him, it was a meditation on beauty. “You touch them and they’re so fragile, and so stunning the way they are,” he told Vogue Philippines. “They’re incredible sculptures.” This study soon developed into 'Natura Sacra: When The Earth Was God,' his new book that captures the same photographs of flowers rotated and mirrored to create symmetrical compositions. Lubomirski's hope is that it invites us to look at the world differently. “It’s so rare that we actually sit and look at a rose or a peony or a tulip and study the lines in it and appreciate its beauty,” he says. “[But when we do,] it's easy to see how we would have gotten so lost in nature and its majesty.” All proceeds of #NaturaSacra will go to the UK-based charity Hope and Play (@hope_and_play_charity ), which is dedicated to supporting Palestinian children through education and trauma relief. Read more at the link in our bio. The April 2026 issue is now available on shop.vogue.ph and on newsstands. Photographs by @alexilubomirski , book design by @garlandlyn , Beauty Editor @joyce.orena , written by @bianca.custodio , Vogue Philippines, April 2026.

Behind the scenes from our Sorsogon trip with @voguephilippines and @ark.solves

A HUGE THANK YOU to @voguephilippines @_beavaldes_ @bianca.custodio @joyce.orena for this month's feature of my new photography book, “NATURA SACRA - When the Earth was God," which is out now and 100% proceeds go to charity @hope_and_play_charity . (link to buy book in bio) The idea behind this project is based on the fact that we as a species have become completely disconnected to nature. We used to look at nature for our answers. We revered nature as a deity, the source of our myths, our guidance, and our understanding of death and renewal. A flower was never merely decoration. It was an emblem of life's fragility and eternity. Now, images of nature have become a screensaver, something that we scatter our desktop files on top of. So with this project, I want to reintroduce the mystical, magical side of nature, where we look at a flower with a fresh perspective and see within its folds, images of insects, ceremonial masks, or other worldly beings. I want to remind people that nature is alive with symbols, with presence, and with meaning. This is an absolute passion project of mine and I hope you enjoy the book, as much as I did creating it. Thank you! All love Alexi xxx

As #EarthDay turns focus to our relationship with the land, this month's cover story captures @MariaIsabelaGaleria in garments shaped by it: raffia, piña, and abaca transformed into draped layers and sculptural forms by designers such as @King_Morden , @IdyllicSummers in collaboration with Geraldine Javier, and @RajoLaurel . Grounded in craft yet softly experimental, each look reflects a organic dialogue between material, maker, and environment. See the full editorial at the link in our bio. The April 2026 issue is now available on shop.vogue.ph and on newsstands. Featuring @mariaisabelagaleria wearing @mare.vn , @whiteant_official , @stephverano_ , @king_morden , @cultgaia , @touchofcraftinc_j.kessler , @vestido.manila , @sassajimenezstudio , @jeromelorico , @sandrodelapenaofficial , @idyllicsummers x Geraldine Javier, @celine , and @pinagtagpi Video by @internetskater_ , photographs by @artunepo & @chichimonsta , Deputy Editor @pamquinones , Beauty Editor @joyce.orena , Art Director @jannpascua , story by @tenshikun__ , producer @mavisulangi , styling @jiatorrato of @qurator_studio , makeup @makeupbyalodia , hair @hairbygillary , photography assistants @choinarciso and @selagonzales , makeup assistant @chungarcia__ , ARK Team: @ark.solves , Ayesha Vera-Yu, @katlimchoc , @mcpagoncillo , @mkringkring , @arkibbo , Vogue Philippines, April 2026. Special thanks to Mayor Weng Rafallo-Romano, Renato Fuentes, Lany Astillero & Marissa Gaufo, Jannalyn Esureña, and Hazel Joy Fuentes of Bulusan, Mayor Mark Lozano, Leonor Forte Jr., Lara Fresado & Manny Fuentes, Shie Anne Gabanzo, Hon. Dovie Correa of Sta. Magdalena, and @milonaval

For Charissa Bigornia (@issanoelani ), becoming a #VogueOpenCasting finalist wasn’t just pure luck, but a result of preparation meeting opportunity. Born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii, her journey has been shaped by movement and discipline, from ballet to helping women find confidence at Victoria’s Secret. Now, as she steps onto her first Vogue Philippines shoot, she brings a perspective formed in purpose and lived experience. “I always thought I was preparing for something,” she says, adding, “when I’m modelling, it’s like letting someone see a part of your soul.” Tap the link in bio to see the full editorial. The March 2026 issue of Vogue Philippines is now available on shop.vogue.ph and on newsstands. Featuring @issanoelani wearing @temperleylondon , @shushu__tong , @larroude , @brandonblackwoodnyc , @lillianshalom , @chanel , @zuleyhakuru , @zimmermann and @bode Photographs by @haroldjulian , written by @lawrence_alba , styling by @kylekagamida , edited by @joyce.orena , videography @bercasi @wainahjoson , makeup @kecialittman , hair @steveeliashair , talent agency @taylor_golda at @tngagency

Days of the harvest

Happy National Pet Day 🐾🤎