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  • Philippines Team at the 2026 Asian Games

    The Philippines Wants 8 Golds at the 2026 Asian Games. Yulo and Obiena Have Delivered Three.

    by Ely Valendez

    Team Philippines set out for eight golds in Aichi-Nagoya. Eighteen medals in, it has three, two from Carlos Yulo and one from EJ Obiena, with Carlo Paalam and Alex Eala still alive.

    September 23, 2026
    Comments 2
    Sports

LATEST HIGHLIGHTS

artwork - lee cundangan 2
September 30, 2026

The Smudges Stay: Lee Cundañgan’s Hand-Painted Christmas Cards, Imperfections...

Look closely inside some of Lee Cundañgan’s Christmas cards and you’ll spot faint smudges, the kind a print shop...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
Dom Camozzi in Calvin Klein
September 30, 2026

Dominic Camozzi’s Superbods Run Started With His Mother’s Stroke

Dominic Camozzi’s mother was overseas when she had a stroke, and he could only follow the news from a...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
Key art for Super J: The Musical showing Jenjen in red surrounded by comic-book panels of the cast
September 30, 2026

Super J Dresses a Storm Story in a Superhero Cape

Super J: The Musical wraps a storm story in a superhero cape. Writer-director Patrick Libao on why the show...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
In Thy Name leads FAMAS nominations.
September 30, 2026

FAMAS 2026 Nominees: Quezon and In Thy Name Lead With 12 Each, and I’mPerfect...

The Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences named the nominees for its 74th FAMAS Awards on September 27....

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0

ELSEWHERE

Manila Pen - Peninsula Manila

Why Manila’s Biggest Luxury Hotels Keep Missing Michelin Keys

Published by Ely Valendez

The Peninsula, Shangri-La and Solaire are Michelin-recommended but Keyless, while an 18-villa resort in Sipalay got a Key. Michelin's criteria explain why.

September 30, 2026
Comments 0
Elsewhere
Tsana, kari na! Bonok-bonok ta! 🎉 This year marks the 42nd Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival of Surigao City, an energetic celebration of resilience, faith, and heritage. The term “Bonok-Bonok” refers to the heavy rains whilst “Maradjaw Karadjaw” expresses the Surigaonon spirit of positivity. Tag along as the city transforms into an explosion of color and rhythm, culminating into street dance and a showdown on September 9, 2026.

The DOT Wants to Stop Counting Tourists. Its New Target Is Investment.

Published by Ely Valendez

On World Tourism Day, the Department of Tourism said it would focus on investment and infrastructure over visitor counts. The newest global tourism ranking shows how far the country...

September 30, 2026
Comments 0
Elsewhere

LIFESTYLE & FINANCE

Empowered by the cutting-edge SEPA2.0 architecture, the XPENG X9 redefines the conventional norms of MPV models in the market.

XPENG Philippines Prices: L03 From ₱1.548 Million, X9 From ₱3.858 Million, and What Launch Night Changed

Published by Ely Valendez

XPENG took over the SM Mall of Asia Arena on September 25 and priced four more variants than it had announced two weeks earlier, starting ₱510,000 lower.

September 28, 2026
Comments 0
Cars
GCash IPO 2026

GCash IPO: What the ₱10 Ceiling, the October 6–12 Offer Window, and GStocks Actually Mean

Published by Ely Valendez

Most of the GCash IPO is existing shareholders selling, and the ₱10 figure is a ceiling. What If reads the offer before the October 6 window opens.

September 28, 2026
Comments 0
Finance
HONOR 600S Philippines Launch October 2026

HONOR 600S Philippines Launch: What We Know Before October 1, and How HONOR Got to No. 4

Published by Ely Valendez

HONOR's newest midranger lands in the Philippines on October 1, with the brand now the country's fourth-biggest smartphone vendor. Here's what's confirmed so far.

September 28, 2026
Comments 0
Tech and Gadgets
Nadine Lustre for Jag at the Manila Fashion Week

Filipino Fashion Is in Milan This Week. At Home, It Still Can’t Agree on a Fashion Week.

Published by Ely Valendez

Twelve Filipino labels just wrapped a Milan showcase, MNL Fashion Week closed weeks ago, and Philippine Fashion Week has changed course. So where does Philippine fashion actually live?

September 27, 2026
Comments 0
Fashion

CULTURE

GCash IPO 2026
Finance

GCash IPO: What the ₱10 Ceiling, the October 6–12 Offer Window, and GStocks Actually Mean

Most of the GCash IPO is existing shareholders selling, and the ₱10 figure is a ceiling. What If reads the offer before the October 6 window opens.

September 28, 2026
Comments 0

Connect with us

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Latest

artwork - lee cundangan 2
September 30, 2026

The Smudges Stay: Lee Cundañgan’s Hand-Painted...

Manila Pen - Peninsula Manila
September 30, 2026

Why Manila’s Biggest Luxury Hotels Keep Missing Michelin...

Tsana, kari na! Bonok-bonok ta! 🎉 This year marks the 42nd Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival of Surigao City, an energetic celebration of resilience, faith, and heritage. The term “Bonok-Bonok” refers to the heavy rains whilst “Maradjaw Karadjaw” expresses the Surigaonon spirit of positivity. Tag along as the city transforms into an explosion of color and rhythm, culminating into street dance and a showdown on September 9, 2026.
September 30, 2026

The DOT Wants to Stop Counting Tourists. Its New Target Is...

Philippine Passport processing price hike
September 30, 2026

The Philippine Passport Fee Could Rise to ₱1,500. The DFA...

Dom Camozzi in Calvin Klein
September 30, 2026

Dominic Camozzi’s Superbods Run Started With His Mother&...

Key art for Super J: The Musical showing Jenjen in red surrounded by comic-book panels of the cast
September 30, 2026

Super J Dresses a Storm Story in a Superhero Cape

In Thy Name leads FAMAS nominations.
September 30, 2026

FAMAS 2026 Nominees: Quezon and In Thy Name Lead With 12 Each,...

EJ Obiena Already Had the Asian Gold. He Asked for 5.91m Anyway.
September 29, 2026

EJ Obiena Retains Asian Games Pole Vault Gold With a Record 5...

Love at First Spike nominated for EMMY
September 29, 2026

Love at First Spike Is the Philippines’ Only...

Filipino Music Awards 2026: IV of Spades
September 29, 2026

Filipino Music Awards 2026: IV of Spades Leads With Nine...

Promotional image for DreamWorks' Forgotten Island
September 29, 2026

Forgotten Island Box Office: A $13 Million Opening and an &...

Spring Awakening 2027 - Alex Diaz and Sheena Belarmino.
September 29, 2026

Spring Awakening Returns to Rockwell in February 2027 After 17...

Dom Camozzi in Calvin Klein

Dominic Camozzi’s Superbods Run Started With His Mother’s Stroke

by Ely Valendez

Dominic Camozzi’s mother was overseas when she had a stroke, and he could only follow the news from a distance. “I was shocked, and being that far away made me feel completely helpless,” he tells ElysPlanet. Camozzi had spent years training his own body with real discipline. The stroke made him think about who else he should have been training for. “I hadn’t put that same energy into my family’s health,” he says. He decided to do whatever it took to help her recover, and to help her build habits that would lower her chances of another stroke. That decision shaped his run at Century Tuna Superbods 2026, the Philippines’ longest-running fitness search, now in its 20th year. The 35-year-old from Taguig made the men’s Top 8, and by the time our pre-finals rundown of the men’s field introduced him, his mother’s health was already the center of his story. A Park, a Dog, and a Set of Resistance Bands The first sessions were walks. Camozzi and his mother would take the family dog...

September 30, 2026
Comments 0
Special Feature

FEATURES

Jacob Kier Gomez as Second Runner-Up
Exclusive Interview, Pageants, Special Feature

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

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 3
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

Update, September 20: Kristzan was crowned Top Model of Universe – Asia 2026 in Istanbul — his first international title, after two straight runner-up finishes. The profile below was...

August 18, 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
iPhone Duo
September 27, 2026

I Want the iPhone Duo. I’m Still Not Buying It.

The iPhone Duo starts at ₱159,990 in the Philippines, and I really like it. Here's why I'm still not...

by Ely Valendez
Comments 0
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 5

THEATER

Key art for Super J: The Musical showing Jenjen in red surrounded by comic-book panels of the cast
Theater

Super J Dresses a Storm Story in a Superhero Cape

Super J: The Musical wraps a storm story in a superhero cape. Writer-director Patrick Libao on why the show asks students to question Filipino "resilience."

September 30, 2026
Comments 0
Spring Awakening 2027 - Alex Diaz and Sheena Belarmino.
Theater

Spring Awakening Returns to Rockwell in February 2027 After 17 Gawad Buhay Citations

The Sandbox Collective is bringing back its rock musical for a limited rerun at The Black Box in Rockwell. Here's what's confirmed so far.

September 29, 2026
Comments 0
Antoinette Jadaone’s Sunshine earns eight nominations at the 49th Gawad Urian, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress for Maris Racal, Best Supporting Actress for Jennica Garcia, and Best Screenplay. Racal plays a teenage gymnast whose Olympic ambitions are thrown into crisis when she discovers she is pregnant just days before the national team tryouts. Her search for abortion care takes the film away from the familiar triumph narrative of sports dramas and into questions of bodily autonomy, fear, ambition, and the risks faced by women seeking reproductive care in the Philippines.
Theater

Maris Racal Will Play Sunshine Again in 2027, This Time With the Audience Walking Beside Her

Antoinette Jadaone's Berlinale winner becomes a site-specific play in mid-2027, taking over an entire Metro Manila building. It's part of the first slate from her new company, Ilaya Ilaya,...

September 28, 2026
Comments 0

ELSEWHERE

Manila Pen - Peninsula Manila
September 30, 2026

Why Manila’s Biggest Luxury Hotels Keep Missing Michelin...

Tsana, kari na! Bonok-bonok ta! 🎉 This year marks the 42nd Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival of Surigao City, an energetic celebration of resilience, faith, and heritage. The term “Bonok-Bonok” refers to the heavy rains whilst “Maradjaw Karadjaw” expresses the Surigaonon spirit of positivity. Tag along as the city transforms into an explosion of color and rhythm, culminating into street dance and a showdown on September 9, 2026.
September 30, 2026

The DOT Wants to Stop Counting Tourists. Its New Target Is...

Philippine Passport processing price hike
September 30, 2026

The Philippine Passport Fee Could Rise to ₱1,500. The DFA...

riyadh air plane
September 26, 2026

New Direct Flights to Manila: Riyadh Air, PAL’s India...

Lagen Resort 2 Michelin Key Hotels in Philippines
September 23, 2026

The Philippines Just Landed Its First Two-Key Hotels — Here&...

Pasig River Ferry
September 22, 2026

The Pasig River Ferry Is Free. Almost Nobody’s on It.

CULTURE & SPORTS

EJ Obiena Already Had the Asian Gold. He Asked for 5.91m Anyway.
September 29, 2026

EJ Obiena Retains Asian Games Pole Vault Gold With a Record 5.91m

The Asian Games pole vault title was settled at 5.75m. EJ Obiena asked for 5.91m anyway, and broke his...

by Ely Valendez
Comment 1
Bryan Bagunas Alas Pilipinas Asian Games
September 29, 2026

Alas Pilipinas Players Borrowed Fare Money to Train for the Asian Games. Wesley So...

Alas Pilipinas players borrowed fare money just to train for the Asian Games. Wesley So walked away over something...

by Ely Valendez
Comment 1
Alex Eala during her 2026 Asian Games match in Nagoya
September 28, 2026

Alex Eala Waited Five Hours for Her Asian Games Debut. The Match Took 55 Minutes.

Rain was the hardest part of Alex Eala‘s Asian Games debut on Monday. Her match was set for center...

by Ely Valendez
Comment 1
Carlos Yulo of the Philippines at the men's vault final of the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan
September 25, 2026

Carlos Yulo Wins 2026 Asian Games Vault Gold, by the Same 0.066 Points, Four Days...

On Monday he landed on his back and barely made the final. On Friday he won it.

by Ely Valendez
Comments 2

The Smudges Stay: Lee Cundañgan’s Hand-Painted Christmas Cards, Imperfections IncludedLook closely inside some of Lee Cundañgan’s Christmas cards and you’ll spot faint smudges,...September 30, 2026

FAMAS 2026 Nominees: Quezon and In Thy Name Lead With 12 Each, and I’mPerfect Gets FiveThe Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences named the nominees for its 74th...September 30, 2026

Love at First Spike Is the Philippines’ Only International Emmy Nominee. Its Director Has Been Here Before.The iWant volleyball series is up for Kids: Live Action, five years after director...September 29, 2026

Filipino Music Awards 2026: IV of Spades Leads With Nine Nominations, Weeks After Its Awit Awards Album of the YearIV of Spades' Andalucia already won Album of the Year at the Awit Awards...September 29, 2026

Forgotten Island Box Office: A $13 Million Opening and an “A” CinemaScoreDreamWorks' Filipino-inspired film opened fifth in North America, at the low end of tracking,...September 29, 2026

PMPC Star Awards 2026 Nominees: I’mPerfect Leads With 13, Sunshine Tops the Indie Field With 12The Philippine Movie Press Club named its 42nd Star Awards for Movies nominees on...September 28, 2026

Alex Eala featured Philippines tennis

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