In 1967, 21-year-old Berkley dropout Jann Wenner founded Rolling Stone, the counterculture magazine that made icons out of musicians who graced its covers and titans out of its roster of trailblazing journalists and visionary photographers.
Almost six decades later, the revered American publication adds the Philippines to its growing list of international editions. Rolling Stone Philippines launched its website with a night filled with iconic appearances, a panel on what’s in store for the local edition beyond music, a performance by Filipino hard rock band Razorback, and to cap it off, an afterparty scored by an eccentric set by DJ Honey.
The Salon de Ning at The Peninsula Manila transformed into a swanky jazz club with an installation wall featuring the most iconic Rolling Stone covers and historic photographs — from the EDSA Revolution, to a chronicle of Manila’s underground scene through Eddie Boy Escudero’s era-defining images.
The guests — which included acclaimed Original Pilipino Music artist Noel Cabangon, Golden Globes-nominated actress Dolly De Leon, photographer and artist Mark Nicdao, and alt-pop singer Armi Millare — all came dressed in black as an ode to Rolling Stone’s rock roots.
Reframing Culture
The local edition will cover music, social issues, and culture, featuring rockstars across disciplines. For its first digital lineup, Rolling Stone Philippines strikes an intimate conversation with Filipino rock royal Ely Buendia, who re-examines his legacy with what he considers his first “official” solo album Method Adaptor.
“There were only two choices: To write something I knew would instantly get me back in the good graces of the fans — especially the Eraserheads fans, who have been so, so, critical — or write something I could be proud of, and resonate with the person I am now,” Buendia says in The Rolling Stone Interview.
“Of course, I chose the latter.”
While the 57-year-old publication is deeply rooted in music — and “the things and attitudes it embraces” — it is also synonymous with journalism that speaks truth to power. Some of the most prolific journalists of their generation graced Rolling Stone’s masthead, most notably Hunter S. Thompson, whose 1971 novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” that became emblematic of his, and the publication’s, brand of gonzo journalism, was first published in the magazine.
Jonty Cruz, Rolling Stone Philippines’ chief of editorial content, hopes to bring a new “attitude” with the upcoming edition. Prior to his appointment in November, he was the editor of the now-defunct Rogue Magazine and part of the founding editorial team of Esquire Philippines, where he championed critical and investigative Filipino journalism.
In a panel discussion with TV host Paolo Abrera, Cruz says, “That legacy is our vision for Rolling Stone Philippines: to tell iconic stories and cover the very best of Philippine culture beyond music.”
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros also graces the local edition’s first digital rollout, where she talks about her activism roots and what it would take to usher the country into a progressive new era.
“We cannot afford a third successive administration, which doesn’t represent the best of what we are, and what we want to become,” the Senator says. “This is just my biased point of view.”
Asked to define what a rockstar is, Cruz says, “It’s all about cultural impact. What you’ll see in Rolling Stone [Philippines] is how we define that in different ways. Even in the editorial team, we all have our own definition of a rockstar. For me, it’s all of these people who just changed culture and the industry they’re part of. ”
Closer to the Story
Under the leadership of Gus Wenner, Jann Wenner’s successor, who took the helm in 2021 following Penske Media Corporation’s acquisition in 2019, Rolling Stone expanded beyond traditional formats associated with magazines. It has since included films, TV, podcasts, and other digital executions in its content arsenal.
Rolling Stone Philippines’ digital editor Sai Versailles says the Philippine edition is keen to follow in its parent publication’s digital expansion footsteps. The multimedia journalist, archivist, music curator, and grassroots organizer was previously a culture reporter for the provocative news and entertainment digital platform Vice, which kept the torch of gonzo journalism ablaze in the 2000s. With the magazine, she wants to expand the possibilities of storytelling across text, image, video, and sound while pushing the envelope for cultural journalism in the Philippines.
That legacy is our vision for Rolling Stone Philippines: to tell iconic stories and cover the very best of Philippine culture beyond music
Aside from the website and the incoming print magazine, Rolling Stone Philippines also has podcast shows and a documentary series, “The New Rules,” slated for YouTube. “We have podcasts [like] the ‘Rolling Stone Show,’ where we sit down with our writers and talk about the stories that are really important on the website and print,” she says.
Revolutionizing Local Media
Rolling Stone Philippines was created through a licensing agreement between PMC and AGC Power Holdings Corp. subsidiary Modern Media Group Inc. (MMGI).
This is not the first time MMGI has partnered with Penske. In October last year, it brought music and entertainment media Billboard to the country. Rolling Stone Philippines is its latest with the American multimedia company after acquiring the rights to the local edition of luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report in June.
Anne Bernisca, MMGI’s Chief Operating Officer and Group Publisher, in her opening speech, says the addition of Rolling Stone Philippines to its international titles is a testament to their commitment to “revolutionize the local media landscape through innovative and unconventional storytelling.”
“We go beyond the confines of the printed magazines by creating immersive multimedia content that our audience can relate to on a deeper level; serving as the resonant voice of today’s generation,” she says.
Rolling Stone Philippines’ first print issue is slated for March 2025. It will be the Wenner-founded publication’s 15th international edition and the only one in circulation in Southeast Asia as of writing.
Follow Rolling Stone Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube for updates.
Photos by Keso, Alexis Dave Co, and KLIQ
Presented by Security Bank
Special thanks to Ploom, Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder, and Hyundai
