52 women. So the all-new, all-different UNO magazine was launched last June 10, at a ceremony that counted business leaders and fashion models and political presences in its crowd, as well as artists and writers and musicians. I’m the Editor-in-Large of the revamped men’s magazine, and while putting the new UNO together hasn’t been what you would call easy—many sleepless nights, endless rounds of editing, heated discussions, hunger pangs, and 3 AM epiphanies were involved—the end product is something I’m quite proud of: a savagely smart, grinningly gorgeous publication, which features actual substantial articles alongside all the pictures of beautiful women.

One of the main features in this June 2009 issue is “52 Women on Top”—a tribute to our favorite women of talent and influence. Here’s the intro I wrote for the feature: “We learned to accept some time ago that we can’t live without women. The sad fact of the matter is, the reverse probably isn’t true: we get the feeling that if all men were wiped out tomorrow, the fairer sex—particularly here in the Philippines—would get along just fine. Thrive, in fact. So consider this a thank-you note, for tolerating our sorry superfluous asses, and a celebration: of those women whose sheer talent, unquestionable influence, and straight-up power make us all giddy inside. These fifty-two women are on top, and we like—no, we want—it that way.”

The list of women we celebrated is quite diverse: from fashion icons to fitness instructors, business magnates to bestselling authors. Of course, there are a handful whose contributions to our world are mainly musical in nature. They are:

Myrene Academia. Not only does she provide the musical backbone for several of the local scene’s hottest bands (Sandwich, Imago, Duster), she shaped an entire generation’s listening habits in the ‘90s with her massively influential radio show, “Not Radio,” which introduced people to music that was sometimes challenging, sometimes obscure, but always, always, good.

Gang Badoy. As the founder and very vocal leader of the Rock Ed foundation, she has become adept at using the enormous pool of musical talent here in the Philippines to further many a meaningful cause, from raising funds for those in need to educating the public about important issues. In many ways, despite the fact that she doesn’t play an instrument as far as I know (though apparently she has a great singing voice), she is the most influential woman in rock today.

Sarah Geronimo. Not just an extremely popular singer, with hit movies under her belt she is now an entertainment force to be reckoned with. And really, unless she is an even more skilled actress than is apparent from her movies, it seems that it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.

Lizza Nakpil. It’s said that it is better to be a kingmaker than a king. If that’s true, it must be very enjoyable indeed to be Lizza Nakpil, who can be credited with bringing Rivermaya to the height of their fame, and who is now handling other acts that range from rock to hip-hop with that patented combination of unflinching confidence, deadly intelligence and charming ruthlessness that have made her loved and feared in the industry.

Lea Salonga. One of those world-class talents whose inclusion requires neither explanation nor introduction.

THE BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR SO FAR. One of the articles I wrote for this new issue of UNO is a guide to what I believe are the best local albums of the year 2009, so far. Since we’re at the half-way mark, we have a pretty good idea of what kind of a year in music it’s shaping up to be, and things are looking pretty good. We have Sweetheart Snackbar, by the feisty all-girl group Duster; we have the poptastic Fall Crash Infect, by Zach Lucero; we have the appropriately named The First Album by hip-hop supergroup Corporate Lo-Fi; and we have the mind-blowing Pasta Groove with The Distinktive Sounds of Pasta Groove. (Incidentally, Pasta Groove was one of the extremely talented DJs spinning at the UNO launch, alongside hip-hop guru Caliph8.) And it’s not out yet so I couldn’t write about it, but since I’ve heard about half the songs slated to be included on it and they are brilliant, I think it’s safe to say that Outerhope’s second album is going to be on my year-end Best of 2009 list too.

I didn’t write about foreign albums for that feature, but if there had been space, I would have counted the incredibly infectious instant pop classic Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix; It’s Blitz by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; the debut album of Telekinesis; Yes by synth-pop stalwarts Pet Shop Boys; and even the hilarious Incredibad by musical comedy group The Lonely Island.

Send questions and comments to Luis at thekingofnothingtodo@yahoo.com.