(Text and photo courtesy of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Manila — Posing in a jungle setting with their naked bodies covered only with painted-on tiger stripes next to the tagline “Even the Wildest Animals Don’t Belong in Zoos,” top Filipino models Ornusa Cadness and Borgy Manotoc appear together in the first of a series of three ads for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific.

Local postcard advertising company YOCard has printed 10,000 postcards of the ad and is now offering them at various restaurants, bars, bookstores, and cultural areas around the metro free of charge. The couple also stars individually in print ads with the tagline “Keep Wild Animals Free–Boycott the Zoo.” The ads were shot by ace photographer and PETA volunteer Xander Angeles. Indie film luminary Dante Mendoza donated his services to create the amazing set, and Leo Posadas was behind the makeup for the shoot.

Why do zoos have Cadness and Manotoc baring their claws? In the wild, animals spend their entire lives with their close-knit families. But in zoos, animals are separated from their families as babies and are sentenced to a lifetime of boredom, loneliness, and abuse–leading to self-mutilation and other abnormal and self-destructive behaviors called “zoochosis.”

Zoos claim that they educate people and preserve species, but they rarely succeed on either count. Zoos present visitors with a distorted view of wildlife. Tigers roam territories of up to 650 square kilometers in the wild, but the entire Manila Zoo measures only 0.055 square kilometers! Even the biggest zoos cannot provide the space, exercise, privacy, or mental stimulation needed by the animals they imprison, much less fulfill their other complex needs.

Named one of the “10 most beautiful women” by Mega magazine, Cadness’ exotic looks have landed her on many magazine covers. The multi-talented Manotoc is a radio and TV host and club DJ, in addition to his busy career as a top male model.

“I hope people will see these ads and think twice about visiting the zoo,” says Cadness.

“Zoos are a business; they make money by exploiting animals,” Manotoc adds. “Cages severely inhibit the animals’ natural behavior, and often animals in zoos are mistreated. Wild animals need to be free–that’s the best way for people to appreciate and learn about them.”

While similar postcard advertising companies exist throughout London, New York, and Hong Kong and have featured PETA ads, YOCard is the first to bring this innovative concept to the Philippines. YOCard postcards are distributed at the hottest locations around metro Manila, including Ricco-Renzo, Annabel Lee, Temple Bar, Caf� Benissimo, Green Papaya, UP Film Center, Active Fun, Fluid Lounge, Life Coffee & Tea, National Museum, Icing’s, AAK Fitness Center, San Mig Cafe, Metro Bar, Mojo Gym, PETA Theater, Popular Bookstore, Bizu, Jack’s Loft, Cerealicious, and all outlets of Fullybooked, Music One, and Elorde Gym.

For more information, please visit WildlifePimps.com.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) projects our population to 82.7M this year. Filipinos are being sexually active at a younger age but the government seems to be blinded by the fact, tied down by the conservative faction more popularly known as the Catholic Church and several ignoramuses who still believe that sex is done only within the constraints of marriage.

It is funny how a president such as Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can actually risk the ire of a superpower like the United States by pulling out its troops from Iraq yet be afraid to take a definitive stand on population control and run the risk of being criticized by the Church. Instead of providing proper counseling, facilities and strengthening the existing family program, we hear about a 2-child policy, 5-year moratorium on pregnancy and even a dim-witted one-woman policy being pushed into the legislature. As if this country condones infidelity. Of course there’s First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and her Vicky Toh. But that’s another story altogether.