Features

2026 Is the New 2016: Unbasic Reset

In 2016, the Philippines felt hopeful in a way that’s hard to explain now. The internet was loud but fun. Culture felt experimental, not optimized. We were mobile-first but not yet algorithm-ruled, and our phones were portals, not prisons. We were scrolling on YouTube, messaging on Viber and WhatsApp, discovering things together in real time....

Editor’s Letter: 2026 Is the New 2016

I’ve been listening to my 2016 playlist while pumping iron at the gym lately. The music hits harder than it should, not because I want to go back, but because my body remembers the feeling. I’m standing in 2026, but something about this year feels strangely familiar. 2016 was chaotic, expressive, and hopeful....

Columbina’s Long Awaited Debut Changes Genshin Impact

Columbina Hyposelenia is finally playable in Patch Version 6.3 through the Somnias a Luna banner. Years of lore and speculation become interactive gameplay, and she steps in with elegance, power, and a presence unlike any other character in Teyvat....

Nxled Chameleons Adds Five New Faces Ahead of PVL Season

Nxled Chameleons are shaking up their roster ahead of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, announcing five new signings on Tuesday as the team leans into a fresh rebuild. Headlining the additions are former Petro Gazz Angels players Jonah Sabete, Djanel Cheng, and Ranya Musa....

Alex Eala Makes Her Point With Doubles Win at the ASB Classic

Alex Eala just had a career-defining moment on the global tennis stage. At the ASB Classic in Auckland, the Filipina tennis player teamed up with American teenager Iva Jovic to defeat Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina in a doubles match, winning 7–6, 6–1. The match placed Eala and Jovic against two....

Energy, Elevations, Execution: NU Tops UAAP CDC Season 88; Adamson and FEU Follow Strong

The 88th season of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition once again took over the weekend’s cultural climate. Under bright lights and amid a roaring crowd of about 20,000 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena, the NU Pep Squad clinched their record-breaking ninth overall title, cementing....

Say Ey! All-Purpose Kween Yasmin Takes Over Canva and Social Media

Filipino internet personality and social media personality Yasmin Marie M. Asistido, or more popularly known as Kween Yasmin has officially entered the digital design universe with her “All-Purpose Kween” theme package on Canva, and Filipino netizens are already putting it to full comedic use....

The Zeenfluential Awards 2025 Highlights

The inaugural ZEENfluential Awards turned Okada Cove Night Club into a full-spectrum pop-culture moment. Artists, creators, and icons gathered under one roof for a night that felt like scrolling through a perfectly curated feed, only better because the energy was live, loud and impossible to look away from....

Meet the Winners of the ZEENfluential Awards 2025

In a landscape where virality is currency and authenticity is power, the Zeenfluential Awards stands as the roll call of culture-shapers who defined what it means to influence with intention. From rising creatives to industry-shifting icons....

DE LEON, EALA, SOTTO, JADAONE, SOHO—MEET THE ZEENFLUENTIAL VOICES OF 2025

In a culture that constantly reinvents, influence has never been about the reach, but about resonance. The inaugural ZEENfluential Awards 2025 celebrates exactly that: the figures who move culture, shift narratives, and spark....

The Setup Shift: Why Celebrity Collab 2.0 is Changing the PBB Playbook

After the massive success of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition, it was clear that the show had found a fresh spark. Last season’s duo format flipped the usual PBB dynamic, turning every challenge and nomination into a shared mission...

Dom Escobar is UAAP’s New Favorite Face and Force

The Ateneo Blue Eagles have always been under the spotlight, but a particular name has been leaving netizens and even basketball fans gushing. Outside the court, the spotlight’s just as strong. If you’ve scrolled through X or TikTok lately, chances are you’ve stumbled upon a clip....

Channel Your ‘Final Girl’ Energy this Halloween: 7 Events to be for the Spooky Season

The metro is turning dark for the Halloween season and it is ready to serve some scream-queen energy. Whether you’re the type to dance in the dark, solve an escape room with friends, or be crafty....

EXCLUSIVE: Inha Arceo on Art, Authenticity, and the Beauty of Becoming

For artist Gracinha “Inha” Arceo, art was never a sudden decision but a quiet, lifelong unfolding. Her journey began at the age of three when her grandfather introduced her to the world of painting. From that moment, art became....

A Golden Leap, Twist, and Landing: Yulo Flips His Way to a Gold (Again!)

Carlos Yulo doesn’t just perform but vaults and strikes with intent. In a sport where precision is everything, the 25-year-old Filipino gymnast once again reminded the world that discipline and passion can bring stellar outcomes....

Season 88 Underway: UAAP Kicks Off with Stacked Basketball Matches

The UAAP is officially back in action, and host school University of Santo Tomas wanted no time in getting Season 88 underway with an opening weekend packed with basketball. Over at the UST Sports and Athletics....

Meet the Voices of UAAP Season 88

The UAAP sidelines are about to get even livelier as Cignal officially unveiled the fresh lineup of courtside reporters for Season 88. True to tradition, each of the league’s eight universities will once again be represented by its own student....

Meet Zeen’s September Campus Crushie: Zoe Georgina

Meet Zoe Georgina, our Campus Crushie for September, and trust us, she’s every bit as charming as you’d expect. A Communication Arts student from National University, Zoe is the kind of girl who can turn an ordinary school day....

Artista Para Sa Bayan: Voices of the Stars Amplify the Filipinos' Call for Justice

On September 21, 2025, exactly 53 years since the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines, thousands of Filipinos took to the streets at the Baha sa Luneta protest and the Trillion Peso March along EDSA, to unite their voices against corruption....

Meet Zeen’s Campus Crushies: Class of 2025

From classrooms to courts and hallways to hangouts, there are always those students who stand out just a little more than the rest. They are the ones who light up group chats, draw attention at org events, and carry themselves with a presence that people can’t help but notice....

Walang Aray: Where History’s Wounds Meets Today’s Voice

At the press conference held on July 28, Walang Aray made its intentions clear; this isn’t just a revival. It’s a movement in theater form. When Walang Aray first appeared on the stage, it reimagined it, letting the truth speak for itself....

Alex Eala’s Win Sparks Hope for a New Generation

Every once in a while, a young athlete comes along and makes you believe that barriers don’t have to stay standing forever. For Filipino tennis fans, that person is Alex Eala. At only 20 years old, she’s been rewriting the record books in a sport where the Philippines has ra....

How Brent and Mika Redefined What It Means to Win PBB

Week after week in Pinoy Big Brother’s latest season, Brent and Mika—known to fans as BreKa or MikBrent—became the pair people kept watching, talking about, and ultimately rooting for. And by the Big Night, they’d done more than just win the taumbayan over. They’d made franchise history....

Inside the Rise of PBB’s Final Four Duos—And How They Made It to the Big Night

What began as a house filled with strangers, solo stories, and secret strategies has now come down to four final duos—each of them a reflection of everything Pinoy Big Brother has always stood for: growth, grit, heart, and human connection....

ShukLa: The Big Winners We Never Had, the Duo We’ll Never Forget

very season of Pinoy Big Brother introduces housemates who stand out—not just for winning, but for creating lasting impact. Whether through touching life stories, unexpected connections, or simply by staying true to themselves, these individuals capture....

Bobby Pontillas Draws from the Heart of Storytelling

In animation, every frame is a labor of love—a mix of imagination, design, and emotion fine-tuned over hours, days, even years. And at the heart of some of the industry’s most beloved stories is Bobby Pontillas, a Filipino-American animator who has worked across film, television, and video games....

Cannes, Again: Arvin Belarmino’s Cinematic Rise

Some filmmakers chase Cannes their whole lives, Arvin Belarmino just keeps coming back. This year, the Filipino director returns to the festival not with one, but two short films—Agapito and Ali—both vying for the coveted Short Film Palme d’Or. It’s his third consecutive year on the Croisette, and while the....

What Beauty Empire Says About Power, Perception, and Playing the Game

What does it take to rule the beauty world? Beauty Empire doesn’t just ask the question—it sinks its perfectly manicured nails into it and refuses to let go. A collaboration between Viu Philippines, GMA Network, and CreaZion Studios, the series is a high-stakes, slow-burn drama set in the dazzling yet deeply unforgiving....

A Tribute to the Young Heroes of Philippine History

Independence Day may have passed, but it’s never too late to honor the ones who made our freedom possible—especially the ones who barely had the time to live out their twenties. While many of us today are still figuring things out in our early adult years—switching careers, saving for a condo, maybe booking a....

Chef Miggy Moreno Cooks with Purpose, Heart, and Mindanaoan Pride

Every year on Araw ng Kalayaan, we commemorate more than the hard-won battles fought for our country’s freedom—we celebrate the enduring spirit of being Filipino. Beyond the waving flags, historical tributes, and textbook retellings, Independence Day is an invitation to reflect on the roots that anchor us:....