Ria Atayde is the calendar girl of White Castle Whiskey this year.

It is a surprise move, given her wholesome image.

But Ria doesn’t see anything wrong with the idea.

She said, “I agreed to it mainly because I want to promote body positivity. Through this calendar, I could show people that being sexy is about confidence. I may not look like your typical calendar girl but in this day and age, beauty cannot and should not be confined in a singular mold.”

“I am honored to be chosen as a White Castle Whisky Girl as the brand allows and supports me in my advocacy to empower each and every woman to embrace her femininity and celebrate her body,” she added.

And how did her boyfriend, Zanjoe Marudo, react to it?

“He is happy for me. He is very supportive,” she quipped.

Does this mean she is now ready to accept more daring roles?

“Well, I’m of age. As long as the material is something that excites me, I’ll go for it.”

According to Destileria Limtuaco President and CEO Olivia Limpe-Aw, picking Ria as their newest calendar girl is a no-brainer.

“She is beautiful, confident, but best of all, I think, she could best represent inclusivity, something that our brand has embraced,” she said.

Just before 2021, the brand shocked netizens when they unveiled YouTube chef and content creator Ninong Ry as their first ever White Castle Boy.

“We weren’t looking to take ourselves too seriously at the time. Coming from the pandemic and working with our tagline Dapat Light Lang, we decided that we should feature someone that had also persevered and created a following during the pandemic,” shares Aaron James Limpe Aw, Executive Vice President of Destileria Limtuaco. “Ninong Ry created some content for us during the year and we thought why not support those who supported us.”

In 2021, the brand decided to give the reigns to the people as they opened the calendar model title to the public. During this public online search, it was TikTok sensation Sassa Gurl who came out on top and her 2022 White Castle Calendar was lauded for being truly inclusive and a win for the LGBT community. “It wasn’t our intention initially and it was definitely a gamble. We knew there were those who would have negative reactions to our move,” shares Brandon Jon Limpe Aw, VP for Administration of Destileria Limtuaco.

Ria now joins the prestigious roster of White Castle girls which includes Evangeline Pascual, Lorna Tolentino, Techie Agbayani, Carmi Martin, Maria Isabel Lopez, Cristina Gonzales, Glydel Mercado, and Roxanne Guinoo to name a few.

For more information, like White Castle Whisky on Facebook.