When I first saw the photogenic display of a young Jeric Sigmaton shared in my

newsfeed, I felt delighted with the idea that his handsome face would soon go viral
on social media- and so it did, and even beyond. Initially, I was quite happy that a
notoriously shy young igorot man was getting all the limelight. Of course, as a fullblooded igorot myself, I also felt a sense of pride swell within me as another
testament and affirmation are made known to the public that there are as many
attractive igorots as there are in any ethnicity or race. However, I could not dispel a
sense of indignation that seemed to creep in every time I read comments and
reactions that showed how surprised a lot of Filipinos are with the prospect of a
handsome igorot.