Manhood takes a new, exciting turn

In this age, it isn’t just enough to be a man. The rigid definitions of machismo have taken a sharp turn and what now counts as a true, modern man is someone who is cultured, style-conscious and has a strong aesthetic sense. This includes knowing how to experiment and color-coordinate his clothes, which lotions, creams and other products to use for specific occasions and where to get a pedicure. No need to raise your eyebrows because nowadays, looking sharp and clean means everything to the poised, metropolitan men.

Take RJ Ledesma for example. The young, savvy real estate executive and editor-in-chief of Manual magazine takes grooming very seriously and his being the mastermind behind the monthly men’s style bible only proves his good taste.

Crush Advertising managing director and Philippine STAR columnist Rod Nepomuceno is also among the list of the influential and brilliant metropolitan men. The former MTV Philippines Corporate Affairs and Communications director has exceptional skills and talent which have helped make MTV the powerful lifestyle brand it is today, and he is using his planning and communications expertise to propel his ad agency to the top. He is truly a master of style and strategy and a natural trendsetter.

Successful lawyer, public relations guru and race car enthusiast Mike Toledo also joins the list of the admirable and debonair gentlemen. More than the positions he had and currently holds such as being the president and CEO of Weber Shandick, and a former press secretary and broadcaster, his beguiling appearance earns him the respect and admiration wherever he goes, and for good reason because he understands the importance of good grooming.

ABS-CBN Publishing marketing director and editor-at-large Philip Cu-Unjieng is gifted not only with the flair for words but also for style. And like the three stylish gentlemen, he knows how smart, stylish appearance can spell success or failure in his line of work.

Metro’s urbane men are not to be outdone in either work or appearance. They work as hard in looking fresh and clean as they do in keeping up with the demands of their lives and respective careers. They know for a fact that smart presence, which requires excellent grooming and hygiene, not only affects their personal confidence but also creates a strong, favorable impression on people, so they need to be stricter with their hygiene routines and more stringent in the products they use.

To this, Rod agrees. He recalls a time when he met and tried to close a deal with a client in a loud place. He had to shout in her ear and he was naturally conscious of his breath odor. It was a good thing he gargled with a mouth rinse before the meeting and looking back now, he is sure he made a positive impression. He closed the deal.

Philip admits he has experienced breath woes, too. "As a columnist and someone involved in the world of publishing, it would be great if all I had to worry about was my printed word; but ’reality bites,’ as a good amount of my work at ABS-CBN Publishing involves dealing with advertisers over lunch and evening events. Oral hygiene becomes a major concern, especially when coupled with the fact that I still have the nasty habit of smoking. I can’t stop, but hate the smell of cigarettes and how it leaves your breath smelling like an overused ashtray. I tried strong minty mouthwashes but they just mask the odor and their efficacy leaves much to be desired. Then I started using OraCare Mouthrinse. I feel that it works better and differently. There is no sting and strong minty taste yet I feel much cleaner and fresher for a longer period."

Is OraCare for you? "The best gauge of knowing if one has bad breath is if another person tells you so," says oral health specialist Dr. Wil Coronado, president and CEO of Zinnelle Labs, Inc. that makes OraCare. "We get so used to the smell of our own breath that our adaptive senses no longer pick up on it. The foul smell is ignored by our brains but it doesn’t mean it’s no longer there."

"Many have even called OraCare a miracle drug. I beg to disagree. Its effect is not because of some miracle, but of the power of its active ingredient," he says. Dr. Coronado, a Filipino based in the US for 40 years now, has been actively promoting proper oral hygiene that makes use of Stabilized ClO2 technology for almost two decades. OraCare oxidizes bacteria even in hard-to-reach places in the mouth. It does so via stabilized chlorine dioxide; active ingredient in OraCare that kills a broad spectrum of bacteria, viruses, microorganisms and other odor-causing Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSC).

In July 2006, Dr. Coronado talked about treating periodontal disease using the ClO2 technology at the Department of Periodontics of New York University. He worked with Dr. Richard Lockhart, head of Periodontal Department of University of Las Vegas, for advanced Periodontics courses. He was also the keynote speaker in Natural Expo Asia, which was attended by the movers and shakers of the Asian health market and held in Hong Kong in 2004. Dr. Coronado has also given lectures at gatherings held or sponsored by various organizations including Philippine Dental Association, American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Alternative Medicine, civic groups and college of dentistry of several universities worldwide.

Quezon City High reunion

Calling all alumni of Quezon City High School Batch ‘82. You will be hosting the Alumni Homecoming on April 2007. For details, call Art Dialogo at 416-4898 and Lourdes Daminal at 930-1515.