MAYMAY IS A DREAM IN MOTION — A BOOK OF MAGAZINE

BY: JESSE ZAPATERO

PHOTOGRAPHER: IRVIN RIVERA, FASHION STYLING: DAISY STACKPOLE @THE REX AGENCY, MAKE-UP: ELAINA KARRAS, HAIR: RYAN TANIGUCHI, PRODUCER: JESSE ZAPATERO, LOCATION: GM STUDIO DTLA
MAYMAY WEARS GERT-JOHAN COETEEZ

Manila is a long way from Los Angeles, but the warmth Maymay Entrata brought into the studio bridged the distance in an instant. Greeted by our Editor-in-Chief with a warmth only Filipinos know how to share, her radiant smile lit up the room. Beneath her light-hearted demeanor lies a story of perseverance that defines her remarkable career.

Born and raised in Davao and Cagayan de Oro, Maymay grew up in the care of her grandparents while her mother worked overseas to support their family. Her journey to stardom began during a challenging time when she auditioned for Pinoy Big Brother to help with her family’s financial struggles. Winning the competition not only changed her circumstances but also catapulted her into the spotlight, showcasing her authenticity and determination.

Since then, Maymay has flourished as an actress, model, and award-winning singer-songwriter. Her single “Amakabogera,” became a powerful anthem, encouraging self-confidence and self-love during a time when she doubted her own abilities.

As she prepares to release NEW SINGLES, Maymay remains steadfast in her purpose: sharing kindness, positivity, and faith through her artistry.

Maymay’s path hasn’t always been easy, but her resilience and humility shine through every achievement. With each step forward, she proves that her story is more than a personal triumph—it’s an inspiration to those daring to dream big.

You’ve taken on acting, modeling, and music successfully. What keeps you motivated to continue growing and trying new things across different industries?
One of my dreams is to find what I love to do because I believe we are gonna start to enjoy what we do if we find the things we love. And to be able to find that, you must never stop learning, trying and finding what you love to pursue and be passionate about.

"AMAKABOGERA" became a powerful anthem. Can you talk about the emotions you were going through when you created it and how the song helped you find strength during a difficult time?
The year they told me that they’re going to make a song for me was the year when I was feeling down, when I almost gave up and when my confidence was gone and so I suggested to them that before they make a song for me, I asked them if it’s ok for them to have a meeting with me and for to try to know what’s going on with me mentally and emotionally so that the song that they’re going to make would help me get through what I’ve been through that year.

A month after that, true enough, as soon as I heard the song – Amakabogera, I began to cry because the song talks about confidence, embracing your own beauty, and your own flaws and it basically helped me regain my confidence and love for myself again. But I had a hard time singing that song or preparing to record the song because singing, wasn’t the field that I was passionate about and so because of that song, I reached out for help to learn how to sing. I told them to give me at least three months to learn singing before I recorded the song. Here I am now, I finally found what I love doing, and that is performing and doing music and it all started because of that song - Amakabogera

BRACELET AND RING: CALYPSO STUDIOS, DRESS: GERT-JOHAN COETZEE, SHOES: MASHIZAN

You’ve risen to international fame, but your connection to your roots remains strong. How do you maintain that balance as you continue to grow globally?
I am not even sure if your question is true hahahaha because I don’t feel that way yet and if ever that’s true, I don’t want to put that in my head but anyways, regardless of what’s gonna happen if I will be more known internationally then I will stick to what I believe in and that is, I don’t have the right to boast about anything that I am going to achieve because at the end of the day, everything is temporary, everything is going to end so instead of me focusing on the fame, I focus on my purpose and that is to spread kindness, love, happiness and positivity.

BRACELET AND RING: CALYPSO STUDIOS, DRESS: GERT-JOHAN COETZEE, SHOES: MASHIZAN

Winning Pinoy Big Brother changed everything for you. How do you think your life would have turned out if you hadn’t taken that risk to audition?
I have a lot of dreams since I was young and one of those was I would have loved to be a flight attendant and if that’s not going to happen, then I was going to study abroad and pursue my dreams and many more lol

Your perseverance is truly inspiring. Can you share aspecific time when things got hard, and what motivated you to keep going when it felt easier to give up?
When things got hard, I just need to accept that God created life and an imperfect world so that we depend on him because he is perfect and so depending on him is to ask for his strength to keep going and for wisdom to be wiser of my decisions on what to do next. And the wisdom that gave me when it felt easier to give up was to always go back of how I started and to be able to look back how far I’ve come, so why should I give up If I know I am almost there to achieve my dreams again? I did it before, I believe I’m gonna do it again.

TOP AND PANTS: TIGRA TIGRA, BOOTS: PSKAUFMAN, HOOD: JACKALOPE LAND, NECKLACE: CALYPSO STUDIOS

When you think about all the young girls in the Philippines who look up to you, especially those from humble beginnings like your own, what message do you hope they take from your story and your success?
I am always honest with my supporters even when they see me on cam as the perfect person that they want to look up to. I always told them that I am still not perfect. I am still a work in progress mentally and emotionally and I still made a lot ofmistakes, and so my message to them is to never stop learning, to be responsible, and to learn from your mistakes because that’s how you become a better person and have a better perspective in life.

Music has always been close to your heart. Who were the artists that inspired you growing up, and how do their influences show up in the music you create now?
The artist that inspired me growing up is Mr. Gary V. (Gary Valenciano). He is not just a good musician, but he is an inspiration to many and now that I am in the music industry, I also wanted to be able to be an inspiration to others through my music by being vulnerable and by making them feel that they’re not alone.

DRESS: LALO, BRA: SANTA MARIA UNIVERSE, SASH: MAYA SEYFERTH, SHOES: IRI

With millions of followers, you’re a powerful role model. How do you handle the pressure of being influential while staying authentic to who you are?
To be honest, there is pressure in being influential while staying authentic to who I am. It’s like walking on a thin ice, a little crack and people will see it right away. People will not notice it right away. That’s how hard it is.

A lot of people see your strength and determination, but everyone faces moments of doubt. How do you overcome those times when you’re unsure of yourself or your next step?
I pray and I know doubts, I can’t control that. So I just have to focus on the things I can control.

DRESS: LALO, BRA: SANTA MARIA UNIVERSE, SASH: MAYA SEYFERTH, SHOES: IRI

How do your personal experiences shape your music, and what do you hope listeners feel when they hear your music?
I just believe that when I am being vulnerable and being true to myself and sharing my personal experiences to my music I am just not healing on my own, I am healing with them (my listeners) that also gives me strength when I know that my music helps them to heal from their past relationships, mistakes, insecurities, depression and being lost. I want my listeners to feel that they’re not alone in this roller coaster journey and that there is always hope from a broken experiences.

You’ve achieved so much already, but what’s one goal or project you haven’t tackled yet that you’re excited to pursue in the future?
I am very much excited for my upcoming album. We’ve been working with this album for like more than a year now and I am very hands-on in everything that we planned for my next album and I cannot wait to share this most relatable vulnerable album I’ve ever had.

TURTLENECK: KKCO, JACKET AND SKIRT: SERPENTI

Faith plays a central role in your life. How has your faith guided your decisions, whether in your career or personal life?
Faith always guided me to the right path, especially when things don’t align with what I want. Faith made me believe that if I wanted to achieve something, I will be successful and I would be thankful and blessed. But even if I am unable to achieve it, I would still be grateful and blessed because I know there is something bigger and more joy will come from what is meant for me. That’s why I’m not afraid of dreaming big and being extraordinary; I will just keep trying until I find what God has in store for me.

You’ve spoken about the importance of allowing yourself to feel sad or lonely sometimes. What advice do you have for people going through tough times who feel stuck or unsure of how to move forward?

All I can say is healing is not an overnight process. It’s a roller coaster journey, and that includes the most pain in your life when you felt you’re stuck, but it is one of the process of the healing. You just need to be aware that it was part of it and just make the best choices while you’re in the process. Based on my experience, what I did was, I embraced those pains, but I did not allow myself to be stuck in it because I know to myself that a broken heart can still move on. All I need to do is to surrender it to God and not be hard on myself.

COAT: THEO, TOP AND SKIRT: SWYR STUDIOS, SHOES: IRI

You’ve emphasized doing what makes you happy in life. How do you stay focused on that when the industry can be so demanding and full of distractions?

I do the things I enjoy, I don’t focus on my problems I focus on the solutions, I laugh as often as I possibly can, I focus on what I have, not on what I don’t have.

Your music spans a wide range of styles and emotions. When you're working on new projects, how do you decide which direction to take, and what influences those decisions?

I pray for wisdom before I decide what’s good for my music and the people who listen to it. As much as possible, I want my music to be vulnerable, relatable, and hopeful for those who are lost and help them find their way back to the right direction.

COAT: THEO, TOP AND SKIRT: SWYR STUDIOS, SHOES: IRI

If you could go back and give advice to yourself when you were just starting in the entertainment industry, what would you say about what lies ahead?

I would say don’t be too hard on yourself, especially when you feel like you don’t know anything about your craft yet. Continue learning and expanding your knowledge of your craft.

What else can we expect from you this year?

We’ve been working on my next album for almost two years now, and I am so excited to share our album with so much passion, excitement, freedom, and, most especially, love.