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  • Pasig River Esplanade 3

    The Pasig River Esplanade Is a ₱32 Billion Bet That Free Space Still Matters

    by Ely Valendez

    The Pasig River was declared biologically dead in the 1990s. Manila is now spending up to ₱32 billion to bring it back — here's what that actually buys.

    September 17, 2026
    Comments 0
    Elsewhere

LATEST HIGHLIGHTS

Sophia Bianca Santos, Miss Elite World 2026.
September 20, 2026

Sophia Bianca Santos Lost a Crown Over Her Age. She Just Won a Bigger One in Egypt.

She was disqualified from one Philippine crown for being too young. Two years later, Sophia Bianca Santos brought home...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
Stephanie Ann Elmission Wins 4th Runner-Up at Miss Fitness Supermodel World 2026
September 20, 2026

Stephanie Ann Elmission Finishes Fourth Runner-Up at Miss Fitness Supermodel World...

Stephanie Ann Elmission finished fourth runner-up and won Miss People's Choice at Miss Fitness Supermodel World 2026 in Da...

by Ely Valendez
Comment 1
Merianne Gabrielle Dekit smiles wearing the Top Model of Universe 2026 sash and crown
September 20, 2026

Merianne Gabrielle Dekit Just Made Philippine Pageant History in Istanbul. She Wasn&...

Merianne Gabrielle Dekit becomes the first Filipina to win Top Model of Universe in Istanbul, hours after a second...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
Jacob Kier Gomez as Second Runner-Up
September 20, 2026

Jacob Kier Gomez Lands the Philippines on the Podium Again at Mister Fitness...

Jacob Kier Gomez finished second runner-up at Mister Fitness Supermodel World 2026 in Da Lat, Vietnam — the Philippines'...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 2

ELSEWHERE

Pasig River Esplanade 3

The Pasig River Esplanade Is a ₱32 Billion Bet That Free Space Still Matters

Published by Ely Valendez

The Pasig River was declared biologically dead in the 1990s. Manila is now spending up to ₱32 billion to bring it back — here's what that actually buys.

September 17, 2026
Comments 0
Elsewhere
Escolta is Manila's former Wallstreet before the central business moved to Makati and BGC

Escolta Is Rotting on Purpose. Almost Nobody’s Fighting It.

Published by Ely Valendez

The heat hits you first. Diesel smoke, damp concrete, and the low, heavy hum of a city moving too fast. Step off the LRT-1 — the Light Rail Transit...

September 15, 2026
Comment 1
Elsewhere

LIFESTYLE

Ford Everest parked outside a bed-and-breakfast in Baguio

Three Days, Every Kind of Bad Weather: The Ford Everest’s Baguio Verdict

Published by Ely Valendez

Ford Philippines loaned us an Everest for three days in Baguio — traffic, steep Cordillera grades, and a sudden June downpour. Here's the honest verdict.

September 15, 2026
Comments 0
Cars
Alex Eala front row at Tory Burch's NYFW show.

Alex Eala Landed on the Front Page of the New York Times. Then She Sat Front Row at NYFW for Tory Burch.

Published by Ely Valendez

A New York Times front page, a CBS Mornings sit-down, and three NYFW front rows — Alex Eala's New York had nothing to do with tennis.

September 11, 2026
Comment 1
Fashion
Drea Arellano and Iya Villania with their five kids

Drew Arellano Built a Wall Around His Kids’ Endorsement Money — and a Rental Villa on the Side

Published by Ely Valendez

Drew Arellano invests his kids' endorsements, insures his family, and runs a rental villa in Rizal. Inside the Arellano family's real money moves.

September 9, 2026
Comments 0
Finance
Donny Pangilinan in Louis Vuitton red

Beyond the Love Team: How Donny Pangilinan Is Structuring His Fame

Published by Ely Valendez

Donny Pangilinan cut prices at his family's gas station and quietly gave ₱300,000 to strangers on live TV. An inside look at how financial structure lets one actor make...

September 8, 2026
Comments 0
Finance

CULTURE

Metro Manila Flood August 9, 2026
Personal

‘Bad Weather’ Is a Luxury Word

Somewhere in Metro Manila this morning, someone is posting a photo of coffee by the window, captioned with some version of ang ganda ng weather, sana all pahinga. Not...

August 9, 2026
Comments 3

Connect with us

Connect with us

Latest

Sophia Bianca Santos, Miss Elite World 2026.
September 20, 2026

Sophia Bianca Santos Lost a Crown Over Her Age. She Just Won a...

Stephanie Ann Elmission Wins 4th Runner-Up at Miss Fitness Supermodel World 2026
September 20, 2026

Stephanie Ann Elmission Finishes Fourth Runner-Up at Miss...

Merianne Gabrielle Dekit smiles wearing the Top Model of Universe 2026 sash and crown
September 20, 2026

Merianne Gabrielle Dekit Just Made Philippine Pageant History...

Jacob Kier Gomez as Second Runner-Up
September 20, 2026

Jacob Kier Gomez Lands the Philippines on the Podium Again at...

Miss International Queen 2026 Red
September 20, 2026

Miss International Queen 2026: Red Spiegelman Makes Top 6 as...

Kristzan Delos Santos and Czar Olivar
September 20, 2026

Two Filipino Men Faced Off in Istanbul. The Philippines Won...

Tyrone Tan in a promotional photo for Mano Po Legacy: Her Big Boss
September 19, 2026

Tyrone Tan Doesn’t Want to Be the Next Chinito...

Bongga Ka Day Review
September 19, 2026

‘Bongga Ka, ‘Day!’ Silences Its Premature...

FEU Bamboo Band's MALAYA: Songs of Freedom Plays a Banned Protest Song and a Berlin Wall Anthem on the Same Bamboo
September 18, 2026

FEU Bamboo Band Turns a Local Instrument Into a World Tour of...

Will Ashley as a singer
September 17, 2026

Will Ashley’s Debut Album Drops Sunday. It’s...

Moira Concert October 4 - Where It All Started
September 17, 2026

Moira Dela Torre Heads Back to “Where It All Started&...

Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang at PETA Theater poster 2
September 17, 2026

Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang Returns to PETA Theater Center,...

Jacob Kier Gomez as Second Runner-Up

Jacob Kier Gomez Lands the Philippines on the Podium Again at Mister Fitness Supermodel World. Chinese Taipei Takes the Crown.

by Ely Valendez

Jacob Kier Gomez finished second runner-up at Mister Fitness Supermodel World 2026 in Da Lat, Vietnam — the Philippines' fourth straight podium finish, still no win.

September 20, 2026
Comments 2
Pageants, Special Feature

FEATURES

Tyrone Tan in a promotional photo for Mano Po Legacy: Her Big Boss
Entertainment, Exclusive Interview

Tyrone Tan Doesn’t Want to Be the Next Chinito Heartthrob

If Tyrone Tan hadn’t spent 2025 becoming Mister Chinatown Philippines, he says he’d probably be somewhere doing math. “My language is numbers,” he tells ElysPlanet. “My mind works better...

September 19, 2026
Comments 0
VR Relosa
Entertainment, Exclusive Interview

VR Relosa: Before the Vivamax King, There Was the Boy Who Slept at McDonald’s

VR Relosa slept under an MRT station at 17. A decade later, the "Vivamax King" is doing Cinemalaya, theater, and an indie shot years before any of it.

September 16, 2026
Comments 0
Jesus Guinto, Mister Glam International Philippines 2026
Exclusive Interview, Pageants

From Spain to Stories That Inspire, Jesus Guinto Built His Way to Mister Glam International

Jesus “Jessie” Guinto is heading into Mister Glam International this December with something he didn’t have the last time he stepped onto an international pageant stage: time. In 2023, he...

September 14, 2026
Comments 0
Raymond Paris Cabuco
Exclusive Interview

Mister Globe Philippines 2026 Raymond Paris Cabuco Found His Voice in Pageantry

Raymond Paris Cabuco used to eat lunch alone. Now he's Mister Globe Philippines 2026 — and using his voice to spotlight Cordilleran heritage.

September 3, 2026
Comment 1
Rey John Paul Sabado - Featured
Exclusive Interview

Rey John Paul Sabado: The King Nobody Saw Coming

He finished Top 10 with no title in October. By January, he'd won a first-ever crown for the Philippines. Rey John Paul Sabado on the long way around.

August 24, 2026
Comments 2
Jose Carlos Paras main image for the ELYSPLANET story.
Exclusive Interview

Jose Carlos Paras Won a Crown. Then Came Adulting.

He's the first Filipino Mister National Universe. He's also 22, a breadwinner, and just graduated — turns out a crown doesn't skip you past adulting.

August 19, 2026
Comments 2
Having learned much from his pageant journey, Kristzan embraces the term “veteran” positively.
Exclusive Interview

Kristzan Delos Santos Is Giving Pageantry One More Shot

At 32, Kristzan Delos Santos had already decided that pageantry was behind him. It had given him what it was going to give him: two international runner-up finishes, one...

August 18, 2026
Comment 1
Jacob Kier Gomez - Mister Fitness Supermodel World Philippines Jacob Kier Gomez
Exclusive Interview

Jacob Gomez Is Used to Almost Winning. Now the Philippines Needs Him To.

Update, September 20, 2026: Gomez finished second runner-up at Mister Fitness Supermodel World 2026 in Đà Lạt, Vietnam. Chinese Taipei’s Danilo Valeriano de Melo took the crown — full...

August 17, 2026
Comment 1
Despite having one of the most striking faces in Philippine pageantry, Marck did not win a national title on his first attempt. Instead, in an unexpected turn of events, he was given the chance to make history as his country’s first Mister Celebrity International representative. He returned home victorious.
Exclusive Interview

Marck Marasigan: The Replacement Pick Who Became a King

Marck Marasigan had six days. That’s how much notice the Batangueño model and pageant titleholder got when the Philippines’ slot at Mister Celebrity International 2025 — an annual pageant...

August 17, 2026
Comments 0
Oliver Eugen Kretz in trunks
Exclusive Interview

Oliver Eugen Kretz Made History in June. The Real Test Is What Comes After.

Two months after becoming the first Filipino to win Man of the World, Oliver Eugen Kretz talks to ELYSPLANET about what winning actually built — and whether it outlasts...

August 16, 2026
Comments 3
Metro Manila Flood August 9, 2026
August 9, 2026

‘Bad Weather’ Is a Luxury Word

Somewhere in Metro Manila this morning, someone is posting a photo of coffee by the window, captioned with some...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 3
Naked shot of Spider-Man Brand New Day of Tom Holland
August 2, 2026

Spider-Man Keeps Finding Me at the Right Age

A charity screening, three actors, and two decades of birthdays — why the new Spider-Man movie hits differently depending...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 2

THEATER

Bongga Ka Day Review
Theater

‘Bongga Ka, ‘Day!’ Silences Its Premature Critics

walked into "Bongga Ka, 'Day!" carrying every premature criticism I'd heard about it. I walked out with my heart still dancing to the title track.

September 19, 2026
Comments 0
Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang at PETA Theater poster 2
Theater

Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang Returns to PETA Theater Center, September 21–30

More than a century after Severino Reyes first wrote her into the pages of Liwayway magazine, Lola Basyang is back on a PETA stage — the same stage she's...

September 17, 2026
Comments 0
Ciara Sotto and Jose Vera Perez for South Pacific.
Theater

Ciara Sotto’s South Pacific Comeback Has Four Shows Left Before It’s Gone for Good

This week is your last chance to see South Pacific — UST Conservatory of Music's 80th-anniversary comeback, still featuring Ciara Sotto and Jose Vera Perez.

September 16, 2026
Comments 0

ELSEWHERE

Pasig River Esplanade 3
September 17, 2026

The Pasig River Esplanade Is a ₱32 Billion Bet That Free...

Escolta is Manila's former Wallstreet before the central business moved to Makati and BGC
September 15, 2026

Escolta Is Rotting on Purpose. Almost Nobody’s Fighting...

Cebu Pacific aircraft on the tarmac
September 12, 2026

Cebu Pacific Is Raising Its Hand-Carry Limit to 10kg — And...

Gondolas on the artificial canal at Venice Grand Canal in McKinley Hill, Taguig
August 22, 2026

Venice Grand Canal Is Manila’s Escape That Doesn’t...

Ayala Malls Arca South has opened to public earlier this year.
August 19, 2026

Arca South Used to Feed the Country. Now It Sells the Feeling...

Parqal Blue Final
August 17, 2026

Inside Parqal, Where Half the Visitors Are Trying to Leave the...

CULTURE & SPORTS

Alex Eala arrives at the Calvin Klein show during New York Fashion Week.
September 14, 2026

Alex Eala Is Skipping a Mandatory WTA 1000 for the Philippines. The WTA Hasn’t...

Alex Eala skipped a mandatory WTA 1000 to play the Asian Games for the Philippines. Indonesia's Janice Tjen made...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
Official poster for "Alex Eala Live: Game. Set. Celebrate" at the Philippine Arena, December 8, 2026.
September 6, 2026

Alex Eala’s Homecoming Has a ₱63,000 Ticket. Here’s the Math Behind It.

Alex Eala's Philippine Arena homecoming has tickets from ₱618 to ₱63,705 — a 103x spread. Here's the economics behind...

by Ely Valendez
Comment 1
Alex Eala embraces Iva Jovic after their US Open match
September 6, 2026

Alex Eala’s Best US Open Run Ends Against Friend Iva Jovic — a Third Time.

Iva Jovic beat Alex Eala for the third time this year at the US Open on Saturday night, 7-5,...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 2
Alex Eala vs Oliynykova US Open Round 2 on September 4
September 4, 2026

Alex Eala Beats Her Strasbourg Ghost. The US Open Draw Gets Harder From Here.

Alex Eala avenged her Strasbourg loss to Oleksandra Oliynykova at the US Open, 6-1, 6-4, opening with nine straight...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 2

Tyrone Tan Doesn’t Want to Be the Next Chinito HeartthrobIf Tyrone Tan hadn’t spent 2025 becoming Mister Chinatown Philippines, he says he’d probably...September 19, 2026

Will Ashley’s Debut Album Drops Sunday. It’s Coming Out on the Other Network’s Label.Will Ashley turns 24 the same week his debut album, "Liham," drops — and...September 17, 2026

Moira Dela Torre Heads Back to “Where It All Started” for Her First SM MOA Arena Headline ShowMoira Dela Torre headlines SM MOA Arena for the first time on Oct. 4....September 17, 2026

Pee Mak PH’s and WilBea’s Biggest Challenge: Filling Mario Maurer’s ShoesPee Mak PH opens October 14 without a Mario Maurer in its cast. Whether...September 16, 2026

VR Relosa: Before the Vivamax King, There Was the Boy Who Slept at McDonald’sVR Relosa slept under an MRT station at 17. A decade later, the "Vivamax...September 16, 2026

39th Awit Awards 2026: IV of Spades Takes Album and Song of the Year. SB19 Led the Nominations and Still Came Up Short.The 39th Awit Awards handed out its three biggest trophies tonight, and the act...September 15, 2026

Alex Eala featured Philippines tennis

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