10 things you should know about Hola!

MANILA, Philippines - 1It is historical and legendary. As the mother of all celebrity lifestyle magazines, with humble but passionate origins in the living room of a Spanish couple in 1944, Hola! was the inspiration of all celebrity news and lifestyle magazines that followed. It chronicles almost seven decades of the beautiful life around the world, and now with over 20 international editions and growing, there doesn’t appear to be signs of even remotely slowing down.

2For the Philippines, it is the first and only true celebrity magazine, wherein the word “celebrity” is specifically defined as an accomplished and successful individual who is both celebrated, and knows how to celebrate — regardless of whether they come from the realms of show business, high society, sports, business, or politics. 

3 The essence of the magazine is that it is all about the celebration of life, nothing more, nothing less. Life is beautiful, and you feel it in the pages of Hola!  

4 Its format is unique and it’s the first of its kind in the Philippines. With its distinctly large page size, Hola! Philippines will provide the reader with an entirely new and enhanced visual experience, with photos so clear, beautiful and blown-up, they breathe life out of the pages and draw readers into it. 

5 The stories we feature are of personal human interest. They bring the reader into the personal lives of celebrities (as we have defined it above), and talk about their loves, losses, and labors. 

6 It is the Philippines’ first and only paparazzi-style magazine. But a clear and important distinction must be made here: We are not, and never will be, a tabloid or gossip magazine. One of Hola!’s most important standards and principles, of which we are mandated by the Spanish headquarters to uphold, is that we always establish a friendly relationship with anyone that we feature in the magazine — a relationship based on trust. So, although the style of many of our photographs are uniquely and excitingly candid and paparazzi, we make sure the celebrities will not even remotely feel a discomforting sense of unwanted intrusion, invasion of privacy, or pursuance of scandal. We are not here to judge, offend, opine, or scandalize — but we will visually bring you closer to these personalities than any other magazine can.

7 It is a news magazine, but a “good news” one. It will report on currently relevant people and events, but will focus on the brighter side, the positive developments and accomplishments in these people’s lives. 

8 It is a magazine all about having FUN! And Lord knows, with all the stress that is regularly afflicting our country, we all need to be reminded that there are still some good people out there, and that life, with all its contradictions and complexities, can still be beautiful. 

9 It is a magazine that anyone can enjoy — men, women, and children of all ages. Because it never attempts to offend any demographic, because it never demands too much from its readers, because a beautiful life is something anyone can relate to, and because it is largely a photo-driven magazine (which anyone with a pair of working eyeballs can appreciate), Hola! instantly triggers people into picking it up and flipping through its pages. 

10Its content will be comprised of exclusive tours through people’s beautiful homes; paparazzi-style coverage of celebrities (again, as we’ve defined it above) enjoying life, whether they are vacationing on some exotic island, socializing in events, parties, and nightclubs/restaurants, or just shopping around the neighborhood; coverage of the most beautiful weddings, balls, and red-carpet events; the latest news on celebrity happenings; international coverage of royalty; and a significant section dedicated to fashion and style.

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Jose Mari Ugarte is the editor in chief of Hola!