You may know Inka Magnaye as the voice behind Philippine Airlines's on-board safety announcements, which earned her the nickname "the voice that launched a thousand flights". To us, the voice-over artist (she's been doing it since she was five years old!), announcer and content creator is also an advocate for giving better; avoiding last- minute scrambles and making well-thought out decisions when it comes to gifting.
With the holidays just around the corner, we recently caught up with Inka to find out how she'll be spending Christmas, and what she loves the most about buying gifts for her loved ones.
WHAT DOES "GIVE BETTER" MEAN TO YOU?
For me, "give better" means putting thought into the gifts that you choose, and giving things that have better quality. So for example, really good jeans that you can pass down even to your kids—things that last so that they can use them over and over again.
“MY FAVORITE PART [ABOUT GIFTING] IS SEEING THEIR REACTION. THEY'RE LIKE, 'OH MY GOSH, I'VE BEEN WANTING THIS!”
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GIFTING?
I actually get some anxiety about gifting! Because I want to make sure that they love the gifts that I give. But what I love about it is I get to show them how much I care. Like, I pay attention to the things that they say, so I know more or less the things that they need or want. So I think my favorite part—and it's so cheesy to say—is seeing their reaction. They're like, "oh my gosh, I've been wanting this!"
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS YOU CONSIDER WHEN GIVING GIFTS?
The first thing is usability. I try to get things that they need, over things that they want. If I can get something that they need and want, like in one item, that's the one I'm going to get. So, a lot of the things I bought here at Levi's® are perfect because they're literally something that they can use, and in styles that they really like. So two birds with one stone.
WHAT'S THE BIGGEST GIFT FOR YOURSELF THIS YEAR?
That's a great question. This year, I paced myself so I was able to do a lot of work and in between that I was able to get good quality rest—and in the process spend quality time with my family. I think that's the best gift I gave myself this year because last year I was so ngarag [stressed]. This year was way better!
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO SPEND THE HOLIDAYS?
It's been years since I spent the holidays with my family in Cebu. My mom's from there, so we're flying over for Christmas. It'll be so nice.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LEVI'S® ITEMS THIS SEASON?
The new collection really catches my eye because I've been wanting to try brighter colors, something more vibrant. I even got a colorblock rugby shirt for my brother, because that's his style. And then, of course, classic jeans like the 501® Original, because that's something I can wear over and over. There's also all the little cute accessories like sling bags; I didn't know you could also add patches to them at the Levi's® Tailor Shop.
For more on Inka, follow her on Tiktok @inkamagnaye.
Need gifting ideas? See our Give Better Guide for so many more great gifting ideas.
