FHM.com.ph

How did you end up here in our country?
I was modeling in Guangzhou, China, for about a month then decided that China was not really for
me. I wanted to try a new market, and one of my girlfriends who had modeled here told me that I would do good here. So I contacted an agency here and they flew me over.

Why did she say you’d “do good” here?
Because of my skin. The problem in China was they wanted to bleach me, like bleach my skin white. I was always the dark girl at castings and everybody had blonde hair—you’d automatically get jobs for blonde hair. So she said that my skin would do good here. People here are nicely tanned. It was such a transition, from everyone bashing my skin to here where everyone was, like, “Oh, maganda.” It was good.

Where else in the world have you worked?
I filmed an indie movie in Honduras called Lost Friend. I also did TV hosting in Costa Rica and Panama.

What’s the one thing you always want to learn whenever you are in a foreign country?
The culture. A lot of times they put us up in really nice hotels but I really enjoy seeing the real life of each country—the good and the bad, everything. I love seeing how people actually are. I actually love Makati Avenue.

Why?
It’s so diverse. There are street kids, people selling DVDs and peanuts—all kinds of stuff. And it’s always busy, like a little New York City. I love it.

Was this the idea you had of the Philippines before you came here?
I was actually terrified, because everyone told me that I was going to be kidnapped.

That’s not good for us.
No, it wasn’t. I was really nervous. But it was the complete opposite of everything I expected. Everybody was friendly. The food is great, which was something I was also worried about beforehand. Actually, when I talked to my agency here, my first question was, “Do you have chicken…that I can eat?” Because I went through a really bad time [with local food before] and they were, like, “Yes, we have chicken.”

You’re actually American-Puerto Rican, but you sure look like you have some Filipino blood. Anyone ever told you that before?
Every day. All the time.

And why do you think we’ve made such an assumption?
My skin, my face and, I don’t know, people just say that I look like a Filipina.

How did you get into this line of work?
I started in the States. I never really saw myself as a pretty girl or whatever. I’ve been hanging out with boys my whole life. Then somebody approached me and was, like, “Can I take your picture?” and it kind of started from there. I was, like, “Okay, that’s my next adventure.” I mainly do it for the traveling— going to new places, learning new things.

You never thought you were pretty?
Yes, I was a tomboy. I always had my guy friends around, and we’d go mudding or building forts in trees or bike riding. My neighborhood was full of boys and we always played when we were kids. Even in high school I always hung out with boys.


FOR ALLY'S FULL INTERVIEW, GRAB THE NOVEMBER 2011 ISSUE OF FHM!