L&rsquo;Officiel Philippines speaks to Ava and Isabelle Daza about creating a joint podcast, spreading sexual awareness, and combatting a taboo.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time we talk about sex,&rdquo; says actress and host Isabelle Daza.&nbsp;
In the Philippines, conversations about sex are usually done in whispers. It&rsquo;s seldom one hears expressions of sexuality loud and proud.&nbsp;
But there are benefits to being open about intimacy, and it isn&rsquo;t solely social. These discussions can also affect one's wellbeing. Many Filipinos, young ones especially, have important questions about their sexual health. However, they often cover them up in fear or shame.
Hoping to bring about a more positive mentality towards intimacy, sisters Ava and Isabelle Daza launched The Sexytime Podcast.&nbsp;
"We are creating a safe space to talk about sex," express the sisters. "In each podcast, we have guests that come on who we chat with and learn from. We try to come from a neutral place of understanding, which goes against our nature of judging."
The podcast shows Ava and Isabelle openly discussing topics like virginity, mindful sex, and consent. To diversify the conversation, they invite knowledgeable and prolific guests&ndash;doctors, artists, and celebrities. &ldquo;Everyone has the right to pleasure.&rdquo; shares Ava. &ldquo;It is nothing to be ashamed of (unlike many of us were taught growing up).&rdquo;

Discussions about sex and sexuality are still quite taboo in the country, and your podcast is unique in that it promotes open and unabashed conversation on these topics. It must have been daunting to start it. What moved you to create The Sexytime Podcast?
Ava: My sister really encouraged me! Personally, I'm really comfortable talking about it among friends but I was reluctant to come on so publicly because of what my husband's family might think. In the end, I'm so happy she convinced me to join because we're getting so many listeners emailing us telling us how our episodes have helped them navigate through questions on sexuality when they had no one to turn to before.&nbsp;
What moved us to create the podcast was really the amount of support our immediate friends and family gave when we even mentioned the idea. Everyone felt the Philippines was ready for it and that got us curious and excited.
Belle: Definitely, we had our hesitations about launching the podcast but we tried to push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Our mission is really to get people comfortable talking about sex to help us make more informed decisions surrounding it. And it's fun!
What message or information would you like to send to your listeners?
Ava: The main message I want people to know is that everyone has the right to pleasure. It is nothing to be ashamed of (unlike many of us were taught growing up). If there's anything I would like for our listeners to take away from our podcast, it's having (at the very least) a slightly more open mind towards the topic of pleasure and sexuality.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Some listeners have emailed us that after listening to our episode with Say Tioco, they went out and bought their first sex toy, and to quote one email, "All I can say is THANK YOU." That's an example of the result we want to create with this podcast, a listener who was encouraged to try something for the first time and loved it!
Belle: The message we want to send to our listeners is it's about time we talk about sex!

Can you tell me more about the process of making each episode?&nbsp;
Ava: We work with a team of five to create each episode: My sister and I, our producer, and cousin, Billie. Our content manager, Sef, and our designer Karla. We meet weekly to discuss guest line ups and we try to record an episode on a weekly basis. We do have guide questions in mind but most of the time the conversation is very organic.&nbsp;
Belle: So we think about what topic we want to tackle. Then we research a guest for that topic, then we screen the guest and then we record the episode. The guest has to have the same values aligned with our mission. They need to also be interesting and somehow thought leaders in their space. Also, we have been getting a lot of DMs on certain topics to tackle.&nbsp;
There is a wealth of topics to discuss because we can agree, Filipino culture doesn&rsquo;t talk about sex a lot at least not in a positive way. How will you tackle sex positivity specifically? What about super practical things like basic sex education or family planning even, would you cover it on TSP?
Ava and Belle: Sex positivity is our underlying mission right. We are creating a safe space to talk about sex. So in each podcast, we have guests that come on who we chat with and we learn so much from. We try to come from a neutral place of understanding which goes against our nature of judging.
As for the practical things we do have episodes lined up like contraception, virginity, and fertility. We have specific guests for each that will shed light and educate us on each topic.

Given that most Filipinos find it difficult to discuss sex and sexuality, empowerment and inclusivity are important. How do you make sure the sexual conversations include and empower minorities such as the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities, among many others?
Ava and Belle: That's a good question. Our core target audience is really females aged from 18 to 45 years old. They are our main listeners but that being said, we have interviewed BJ Pascual and Jabar Esmael from LoveYourself who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and have plans to tackle sex with PWD. We think there's a lot to learn from them.
You mentioned that your core audiences are females from&nbsp; 18 to 45 years old. Will you consider including female audiences like lesbians, bisexual women, and even asexual women who do fall under 18 to 45 females?
Ava: Yes, definitely. Whenever we brainstorm for topics, we try to choose topics that most people can generally learn from. As long as you&rsquo;re a &ldquo;vulva owner&rdquo; or a &ldquo;penis owner,&rdquo; we want to make sure there's something in our podcast for you to walk away with. Our goal is to be as inclusive as possible, although sometimes it isn&rsquo;t always that easy, we try our best to cover enough for everyone.

What were some of the challenges you faced while making the podcast? How did you overcome these hurdles?&nbsp;
Ava: I think a challenge for me was there was always a lingering thought in my mind of "What my in-laws think if they hear this?" but thankfully they're super accepting and I made it clear my intention is nothing perverted and mainly to encourage a culture of sexual wellness that brings positivity to people's lives.&nbsp;
Belle: Definitely what will other people think, how brands or people we work with react. One challenge was not to make our podcast vulgar. We try to put a lot of thought into each episode with an objective and really listen to it again and again before we publish it. We want to add value to people's sex lives.
Aside from empowering your listeners, how did this podcast empower both of you?
Ava:&nbsp; I think I'm learning the most from interviewing and asking our guests! Even in terms of learning what I'm comfortable discussing publicly, it's all a learning process for me that I'm really enjoying.
Belle: It empowers us because we can talk about sex with no shame. We feel more knowledgeable on the topic and lastly, friends come to us asking for advice on sex.
Has making this podcast bettered or changed your relationship as sisters? How?
Ava: I think it's challenged our working dynamic a lot but it's also made me understand how to collaborate with her. At the end of the day, when we're actually there recording already, we forget everything and just enjoy.
I remember for our first episode, we interviewed my mom, up until we clicked record we were arguing so much on the call with my mom there because she wanted to record without video (she wasn't feeling good cause she was in quarantine with her kids and didn't have time to fix herself), but I told her it would be a waste of content if we didn't get it. Anyway, we argued for around 20 minutes, and at one point canceled the call, but then we both just agreed to suck it up and record. We're used to it.
Belle: Definitely Ava and I argued and fought a lot because she likes things done her way. I am more kalat, and I move things or I will cancel at the last minute because of my kids, but I think the important thing is we realize we are on the same team.

Who are your current inspirations when it comes to female empowerment and sisterhood?
Ava: I love the sisterhood of the Kardashians. I just love how they're each other's only friends and they're all individually successful. I love Karen Davila too. I love the way she interviews people and how intelligent she is.
Belle: Michelle Obama! I read her book "Becoming" and it was so good. Also, I love how Kim Kardashian just kicks ass in everything she does.
What podcasts do you both listen to to get inspired to keep on creating?
Ava: I've been listening to a lot. For sex podcasts, I've listened to "<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYxNTRhZWRiZDJiMDBjMDAxMzE1NThiMQ?sa=X&amp;ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwio4Ifq_On0AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&amp;hl=en-PH">Sex With Emily</a>" and "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/conservative-ako/id1494878311">Conservative Ako"</a>! 
I also like listening to other genres of podcasts because I like learning from other people's methods of conversation. Truthfully, I'm a big Joe Rogan fan because my husband got me into listening to it, and I admire the way he's able to communicate so clearly with his guests. It's really entertaining.
Belle: I love "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297">How I Built This</a>" by Guy Raz and "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-first-podcast-with-erin-sara-foster/id1564670445">The World's First Podcast</a>" with Erin and Sara Foster!!

We&rsquo;re super eager about your podcast, and we agree it really is about time! Are you considering putting it up on other platforms too like Youtube or even something like Clubhouse for a special occasion?&nbsp;
Belle and Ava: We are such a small team, and we are very thoughtful in what we put out there. So right now, the podcast seems to be the best area for us. Maybe in the future!
We know you're only five episodes into the show, but what's next for The Sexytime Podcast? Do you already have some plans?
Ava: Our upcoming episodes are so much fun. I can't wait to release them! Also, I love the episode requests our guests write in, so you just have to stay tuned!
Belle: Stay tuned!
Listen to The Sexytime Podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ldeo1XmuoU2Kufc5V289g?si=3bd6ff815a4d457c&amp;nd=1">Spotify.</a>

Why Ava and Isabelle Daza Created The Sexytime Podcast

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