The latest cover of society magazine Tatler Phillippines features global tourism ambassador to the Philippines Vanessa Hudgens.

In a post by the said magazine, they explained how their July 2023 issue was about celebrating “Filipinos breaking boundaries and making their presence felt in their respective fields.” They acknowldeged that “her phenomenal success in the international entertainment scene has brought so much pride and joy to many Filipinos worldwide.”

It was in March 2023 that Filipino-American actress was given the title of Global Tourism Ambassador. Wearing a Filipiniana gown with her hair up in a bun, Vanessa personally made an appearance at the Malacañan Palace to receive the title.

While Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco clarified that Vanessa is not the sole face of Philippine tourism, she did confirm that Vanessa is part of the campaign to promote the country. As such, she is expected to promote the country’s culture and destinations via her platforms. She will take part in a range of initiatives to assist the country in reaching a wider global audience, creating awareness and conveying the Philippine brand as a tourist destination.

Before the conferment of her tourism ambassador title, Vanessa headed to El Nido, Palawan with her mother Gina and sister Stella.

The Tatler Philippines team tagged along with celebrity photographer BJ Pascual. With the tropical paradise as backdrop, Vanessa proudly showcased outfits by local designers.

For the cover photo, Vanessa wore a piña creation by Vania Romoff. She also wore outfits by Dennis Lustico, Patty Ang, Boom Sason, Rajo Laurel, and Hannah Adrias.

Vanessa shared the snapshots of the photo shoot on her Instagram page.

“Island girl,” she captioned the photos.

It was actually Vanessa’s first trip to the Philippines.

READ: Vanessa Hudgens on her visit to the Philippines: ‘The hospitality is unmatched’

She shared some snapshots of her trip on her social media accounts, where she was all praises for the country.

“Paradise,” she captioned one post.

“Might as well be heaven,” she captioned another.

Her trip wasn’t that long and she had already expressed wanting to come back.

“I can’t already wait to come back! I feel like the time that I spent here has been so incredible and so special but I need more time. The country is so big! It has so much to offer,” she said.

In an interview with Boy Abunda, Vanessa described the Philippines in her own words.

"It's got a bit of everything. It's got a metropolitan city. It's got paradise. It's beautiful and eye-opening... It's got kindness," Vanessa said. "Everybody is so warm and friendly. The people here are unique: I haven’t met anyone who seems to be having a bad day. The hospitality is unmatched; it's a magical place."

She also appreciated the Filipino value of strong family ties, which was something that she shared with her mom and sister.

“It’s been really interesting coming here, and really beautiful and eye-opening,” she shared. “I feel like just the family aspect of the Philippines is something that is so prominent and so strong, and I’ve always been so close to my mom and my sister, we kind of like roll as a pack all the time. That’s definitely something that comes from my heritage.”

READ: Vanessa Hudgens on her visit to the Philippines: ‘The hospitality is unmatched’

Vanessa has always admired her mother, and had hoped to tell her story someday.

"She's the strongest woman I know. To come out to the United States with my father, not know a soul here, and to build a new life for herself, it's terrifying and it takes great courage," Vanessa once shared, naming her mother as her biggest inspiration in both her personal and professional life.

"To see her now as an adult, and to be able to admire her, her journey, and the light and the spirit that she brings to every place that she goes to is just contagious,” she added.

READ: Vanessa Hudgens wants to make a movie about Filipina mother's immigrant story

Whether her upcoming travel documentary will include her mom’s story has yet to be seen. It will, however, definitely delve into Vanessa’s personal take of her first time visiting the country of her heritage.

"It's a really intimate look at my experience being in the Philippines for the very first time,” revealed Vanessa. “Really discovering this beautiful land and the wonderful people, and just really getting in touch with the piece of myself that has always been there but I've never known intimately."