On Cover: YOU CAN SIT WITH US - MARIAH DEBORAH, ANGELA KEN, ANGIA AND AIKA LETTING EVERY WOMAN KNOW THAT THERE’S ROOM FOR EVERYONE TO MAKE IT

Manila, Philippines — In an industry where success can often feel like a race toward the same finish line, what would happen if women stopped seeing one another as competition and started seeing one another as collaborators, supporters, and reasons to keep going?

For Angela Ken, Mariah Deborah, Angia, and A!ka, the answer begins with recognizing that another woman's success doesn’t have to come at anyone else’s expense. Whether it’s watching a fellow artist finally receive her flowers, sharing this stage with women who understand the work it takes to get there, or seeing more Filipinas take up space in an industry that hasn’t always made room for them, every win can mean something bigger than the individual moment.

Each woman arrives at this conversation from a different place in her musical journey. Yet, across their experiences, there’s a shared understanding: the spotlight doesn’t have to be a limited resource. When one woman rises, she can help make the way forward clearer for someone else.

And sometimes, the most meaningful thing an artist can do is make sure she’s not the only one standing in the light.

A WIN FOR ONE, A WIN FOR ALL

For Angela Ken, celebrating another woman’s success has always come naturally.

“I have always been very vocal to everyone that someone’s win, lalo na kapag kakilala ko, I feel like I also won,” she shares. Seeing more women in the industry receive the recognition they deserve gives her “butterflies all over,” especially when it feels like a long-overdue moment.

“Sobrang ‘dapat lang’ moment siya sa akin.”

There’s something telling about that reaction. Rather than looking at another artist’s success and wondering what it means for her own career, Angela sees it as something worth celebrating in its own right. A fellow woman’s breakthrough doesn’t have to be measured against her own progress.

Mariah Deborah shares a similar sentiment, particularly when it comes to seeing Filipina artists make their mark in OPM. She recalls celebrating Janine Berdin finally receiving the recognition she deserves, BINI performing at Coachella, and Angela selling out her concert.

For Mariah, these moments carry a significance beyond individual milestones. In an industry she describes as historically male-dominated, seeing more Filipina artists thrive and take up space feels like a collective win.

A!ka, meanwhile, draws inspiration from the women around her who continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in OPM. As an independent artist herself, she points to Mariah’s success on local and global charts as one example of what can happen when women continue to stand by their art and their vision.

“Seeing women in OPM thrive at such a big scale in real-time makes you want to challenge the boundaries of how far OPM can really go,” she says.

It’s a kind of encouragement that doesn’t require a personal invitation. Sometimes, simply witnessing another woman succeed is enough to make the path ahead feel a little more possible.

Angia shares this belief, emphasizing that another woman’s success can be a reminder of what’s possible for everyone. For her, women have their own timelines, struggles, and victories, and one person’s breakthrough doesn’t take anything away from another’s.

“Because when one woman wins, it reminds us that we can, too,” she says.

THERE’S ROOM FOR EVERYONE

If celebrating another woman’s success is the starting point, sharing opportunities is where that support can become tangible.

For Mariah, one experience that has stayed with her was being invited by Angela to perform alongside fellow Filipina OPM artists at her concert. It’s a gesture she says she will forever treasure—not just because she got to share the stage, but because it demonstrated what it means to create space for other women.

It’s one thing to cheer someone on from the sidelines. It’s another to use the opportunities you’ve earned to help someone else be seen, too.

“Of course!” Mariah says when asked if another woman’s spotlight can make her own shine brighter. “I believe that when women support one another, there is more than enough room for all of us to shine.”

Angela shares this belief, while also recognizing the value of healthy competition. Watching another woman succeed can motivate her to aim higher and become better at her craft. But that drive doesn’t have to come at the expense of solidarity.

“Ang kinagandahan kasi sa mga kababaihan, ang panalo ng isa, panalo ng lahat,” she says. “Sino pa ba magtutulungan kundi tayo-tayo lang, di ba?”

For A!ka, the effect reaches even further. Every milestone achieved by a woman in music can shift another woman’s understanding of what is possible for her own career.

“Another woman’s spotlight has a domino effect on female representation,” she explains. The more women break records and reach new heights, the more others can see those achievements as attainable rather than exceptional.

For Angia, another woman’s success is never a reason to make herself smaller. “Another woman’s shine is never a reason for me to shrink,” she says. “It’s a reminder that there’s room for all of us to glow.”

It’s a perspective that reflects her preference for collaboration over competition. While friendly competition can be fun, she’d rather build something alongside another woman than feel she has to beat her to get somewhere.

Perhaps this is what it means to make the room bigger. It isn’t about giving up one’s own place in it, but recognizing that success can create opportunities for others to enter, grow, and find their footing, too.

BEYOND THE VOICE, BEHIND THE MUSIC

Making room for women also means questioning the roles they’re expected to occupy.

For Mariah, one narrative she’s ready to leave behind is the idea that women in music are only capable of writing and singing their songs, rather than producing them or shaping their sound.

“It’s time we retire the notion that women can only be the faces or voices of their artistry, rather than the minds behind it,” she says.

It’s a distinction that matters. An artist’s work doesn’t begin and end with the person holding the microphone. There are creative decisions, technical skills, production choices, and countless other contributions that shape the final sound—and women deserve recognition for all of them.

Mariah points to A!ka, who produces her own music alongside her sister, Kaz, as an example of the women helping challenge these expectations. She hopes more female producers will receive the same recognition and attention often afforded to their male counterparts.

A!ka knows firsthand what it means to resist being confined to one lane. As an artist who also produces her music, she believes women shouldn’t have to limit the sounds they explore or the aspects of the craft they pursue.

“Women truly can do it all,” she says.

That freedom to explore extends to the music women choose to make, too. For Angia, one word captures the women shaping OPM today: “Unapologetic.”

“I think we’ve seen enough of women being pitted against each other when, in reality, they can be each other’s biggest supporters,” she shares. “I want to see more women collaborating, celebrating one another, and creating spaces where everyone gets to shine in their own way.”

She sees Filipina artists embracing their individuality, owning their stories, and creating music that reflects who they are without feeling the need to fit into a mold. It’s a reminder that making room for women also means allowing them to sound different from one another—to bring their own perspectives, influences, and creative instincts into the music they make.

THE NARRATIVES WE LEAVE BEHIND

For Angela, the expectation that women must work harder than everyone else simply to be noticed is another narrative that needs to go.

“I’m so done with that,” she says of the mindset that women should have to exert more effort to gain recognition.

While she acknowledges that artists can be as extra as they want to be, she doesn’t believe women should have to constantly prove that they deserve to be seen.

“Natural na talentado ang mga babae, at kailangan mamulat na ang mga tao doon na KAYA RIN NAMIN.”

Her point isn’t that women should stop working hard. It’s that their talent shouldn’t need to be proven over and over just to earn the same consideration. Recognition should not feel like something women must exhaust themselves to deserve.

Angia strongly believes women shouldn’t have to apologize for being ambitious, having opinions, setting boundaries, or wanting more for themselves.

“We shouldn’t have to make ourselves smaller just to make other people comfortable,” she says. “There’s nothing wrong with knowing what you want and having the courage to go after it.”

A!ka’s answer offers another side to the same conversation: women should be free to explore different sounds, roles, and creative paths without being told which ones are appropriate for them.

Their collective perspectives point toward an industry where women aren’t constantly asked to justify their presence or remain within expectations that someone else has set.

WHAT A GIRL’S GIRL LOOKS LIKE

For all the bigger conversations about representation and opportunity, solidarity can also begin with something much simpler: how women treat one another when nobody else is watching.

Angela describes a real Girl’s Girl as “your shoulder to cry on and your number one support system.”

“Kapwa babae ang dapat kakampi.”

A!ka puts it just as plainly: a real Girl’s Girl will root for other women’s wins and speak kindly about them even when they’re not in the room.

Mariah’s answer is equally direct. A real Girl’s Girl will always celebrate other women’s victories.

For Angia, being a Girl’s Girl begins with choosing kindness, even when no one’s watching. She believes in speaking up when something isn’t right, offering help without expecting anything in return, and making other women feel safe enough to be themselves.

None of these definitions requires grand gestures. They speak instead to the everyday choices that shape relationships between women: offering encouragement, celebrating someone’s progress without reservation, and refusing to let another person’s absence become an excuse to tear her down.

It’s easy to celebrate solidarity when everyone is winning. The more meaningful question is whether that support remains when opportunities are scarce, careers take different directions, or someone else’s moment arrives before your own.

Being a Girl’s Girl doesn’t mean that insecurity, comparison, or competition will never exist. It means choosing not to let those feelings become the foundation of how women treat one another.

WHEN WOMEN RISE TOGETHER

Ultimately, the kind of community these artists hope to see goes beyond individual friendships. It’s about building an industry where the next generation has more opportunities, more examples to look up to, and fewer barriers to overcome.

For A!ka, women supporting one another is also a way of passing inspiration forward. The women who came before have helped shape the current generation, and she hopes that same cycle will continue for those who follow.

Mariah imagines a space where women keep sharing stages, celebrating one another’s wins, and opening doors rather than keeping opportunities to themselves.

Angela, meanwhile, looks toward a future where women’s power is recognized, discrimination is challenged, and achievements that once seemed impossible become reality.

“Ang sarap kasi isipin tsaka tanawin ng mga susunod na bukas knowing that the change we dream of today could begin with one woman brave enough to make a difference,” she says.

For Angia, women supporting women means helping create a world where kindness carries weight, success is something to celebrate, and no one has to feel alone while becoming the person she wants to be.

“Girls who support girls are creating the kind of world we all deserve to live in,” she says. “Imagine what we could change if, instead of competing for a seat at the table, we started building bigger tables.”

The beauty of solidarity is that its impact doesn’t end with the women who practice it. One artist’s success can inspire another to take a chance. One invitation can introduce a new voice to an audience. One woman being recognized for her work behind the scenes can help another imagine a career beyond the roles she’s been told to occupy.

The point isn’t to erase ambition or pretend that the music industry has no competition. It’s to imagine what that ambition can look like when it doesn’t depend on someone else losing.

For Angela Ken, Mariah Deborah, Angia, and A!ka, making room for one another is a way of changing not only who gets to stand in the spotlight, but what becomes possible once more women are there.

Because when one woman rises, the story doesn’t have to end with her.

It can be the beginning of someone else’s, too.

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ON COVER MARIAH DEBORAH ANGELA KEN ANGIA A!KA CREATIVE AND ART DIRECTOR H STORY BY H WRITER JAS RICO PHOTOGRAPHER SARAH DELLUTA KIM ANTONIO  SET ASSISTANT M FERRERAS LAI MARASIGAN LOCATION NEW FRONTIER THEATER

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