'Para pogi pa rin': Pinoy metrosexuals aren't just in the metro anymore

You're so vain, you probably think this article is about you.

If you're a man, that is.

Almost a decade after its publication, a survey describing Filipino men as vain still holds water, with Pinoys from all parts of the country taking pride in their appearance—and always wanting to look good under any circumstance.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer report on the survey, Synovate Inc.'s 2004 study found that 58 percent of Filipino guys surveyed said it was “very important” to look good, while 48 percent felt that they were “sexually attractive.”

And we're not just talking about male yuppies in Makati getting mani-pedis on the weekends; in Rizal, for instance, fishermen wear custom-made masks to protect their faces.

“Para proteksyon sa mga lamok, init ng araw—pag malakas ang hangin nangingitim agad kami,” fisherman Gary Estacio told GMA News. “Para pogi pa rin.”



GMA News also spoke with 42-year-old Rod Martin, a street sweeper in Bulacan who maintains his skin with guyabano leaves mixed with coconut oil.

“Kahit ganito yung trabaho namin, dapat magandang lalaki ka,” Martin said. “Pogi points din yun eh.”

The term "metrosexual" used to refer to urban males with greater-than-usual regard for personal aesthetics. But the term is losing its potency as more and more men, whether they live in the cities or not, acknowledge that they take pains with their appearance and conduct. And unless taken to extremes, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

“Yung consious[ness] level nila, na-heighten na at nagiging aware na sila,” psychologist Lillian Ng Gui told GMA News. “They want to express themselves, so let it be.” — Roehl Niño Bautista/BM, GMA News