For as long as I can remember, a calendar girl for a liquor brand has always been presented as one in provocative poses with washboard abs and cavernous cleavage. White Castle Whisky shifted gears in its 60th year as the brand launched wholesome actress and celebrity daughter Ria Atayde as the 2023 calendar girl.
“I never thought I’d see myself as a calendar girl but here I am,” Ria shared her initial reaction when the endorsement was offered. “At first, I was in disbelief, like, really? I was also so touched. Again, big girls don’t usually get the chance to do something like this and here we are,” she added.
The bold move to represent the brand and subject herself to possible criticism was backed by support from her family, including her mom Sylvia Sanchez and brother Arjo Atayde, and boyfriend Zanjoe Marudo.
“Everyone has been supportive,” Ria smilingly shared.
“It’s not something I thought was possible,” Ria reiterated. “Usually, calendar girls fit a certain mold. We all had this one vision of beauty and I think that’s why the campaign of White Castle resonated with me. They’re out to prove that beauty goes in all forms, shapes, and sizes.”
Coming to terms with her brand of beauty was first revealed when the talented and doll-faced actress turned 30 last year. “I didn’t realize I could do it. I did a birthday shoot but that was more of a personal thing. For something like this that is blasted out so publicly, kaya pala! [Apparently, it can be done!],” Ria shared and admitted that the calendar girl project reinstilled confidence in herself.
This time, Ria exudes the quiet assurance of a woman comfortable in her skin. “I think you can be wholesome and sexy at the same time. You don’t have to show a lot of skin. It’s more of your confidence, how you carry yourself, and how you embrace your body, flaws and all,” she asserted.
“I’d be lying if I said I’ve always been confident,” Ria admitted when asked if she has always embraced her body. “Of course, no. I think the confidence took place as I was already acting. At the start, I was so pressured to fit a certain mold. And then I realized, this is my body structure. The most I can do is keep lean and stay fit. That’s when I learned to embrace myself and my body more.”
“If you look at my x-ray, my bones are pretty huge. I have it there on my phone. I saved that as a reminder that no matter what I do, I’m not gonna be stick-thin and that’s okay,” Ria casually said. She opened up that it took her a long time to accept reality after being surrounded by skinny and pretty girls in an all-girls school growing up. “My barkada, all of them are really thin. So, body positivity was something that I struggled with.”
Asked if she was ever bullied for her size, Ria’s eyes widened and answered, “Yes, yes! With social media, I got even more bullied. I’d receive messages like “Hoy, baboy, ang taba-taba mo. Ang pangit mo. Hoy, baboy, mamatay ka na.” [Hey, pig, you’re so fat. You’re ugly! Hey, pig, die.]
“Words stick,” Ria said. It worked to her advantage that her family, particularly her parents, are loving and supportive. When asked if they were instrumental in her journey to embracing her beauty, she agreed.
“My parents care more about medical health than the overall look. As long as my blood chemistry is okay, they are okay,” Ria revealed. “Being unbothered is a choice. I choose to be unbothered.”
“There are a lot of little big girls out there who start to hate themselves before even knowing who they actually are,” Ria expressed concern over young ladies on the heavy side who have yet to discover themselves. She offered some valuable advice, “Don’t starve yourself. The bounce-back is even worse. Crash diets are the worst, there is no shortcut. It’s the lifestyle change that you’re going to have to do, not just the quick fad diet. There’s no instant fix.”
Ria also added, “You’re always going to find flaws but it would help if you love and embrace your body and learn the ins and outs of it. I love science. It has helped me through this whole process even more.” She revealed that understanding how the body works, what makes her bloat, and similar concepts helped her with her relationship with food and her body. At one point, she emphasized how working out these days is not because she hated how her body looks but because she loves it enough to take care of it.
“It takes some time to get to this place of acceptance,” Ria weighed in. As she continues her advocacy, her brilliance and kindness amplify the beauty from within.
For others like her who fall prey to body shamers, Ria has this to say, “Tune out the noise. The only opinions you should listen to are the ones from people who truly matter.” To the body shamers, she asks, “Is there joy in seeing people miserable? I really don’t understand that. Why so cruel? If you’re going to say something, think if it’s kind, think if it’s necessary. And if it isn’t, then what’s the point of saying it?”
