The 2026 playbook
A forecast on trends that are set to redefine how we will live, where entertainment, mobility and technology will take us, and how sports will continue to pay tribute to the human soul
By REY ILAGAN, ROBERT REQUINTINA, RAMON BONILLA, INIGO ROCES & ICA HONTIVEROS-CHENG
We are claiming it: 2026 will be the best year yet. As we welcome the new year, opportunities for growth, transformation, and discovery unfold. In the spirit of new beginnings, the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Entertainment, Sports, Motoring, and Technology teams list the dominating trends, themes to discover, and challenges to watch out for this year.
Lifestyle trends
Travel
As a younger generation starts traveling, artificial intelligence (AI) becomes even more important in trip planning. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and India, and many private travel companies are already using it to improve itinerary planning, experiences, and multilingual support. It will greatly accelerate the Philippines' tourism competitiveness if we aggressively develop or use centralized AI platforms, generative itinerary tools, and even language support for visitors. An interactive trip planner will definitely help a lot of young travelers seriously consider us as a destination.
Travel will be a bit more costly this year as most countries battling overtourism find a solution in raising prices for entry to popular tourism sites. Japan already took a step forward by recently passing a bill that would see an astronomical increase in its visa processing fees (from 3,000 yen or ₱1,125 to 15,000 yen or ₱5,625). Some destinations in Europe have also upped their travel taxes for incoming visitors, adding fees to hotels and accommodations. For example, February will mark the start of a €2 entrance fee to see Italy’s famed Trevi Fountain up close.
Health and Wellness
Peptides (like weight loss star tirzepatide) have just recently moved from the realm of laboratories to mainstream use, greatly transforming how we manage conditions and illnesses. Soon, the World Health Organization is expected to come out with guidelines on their use as part of obesity care, and many companies are in the race to produce oral pill versions to make them more accessible and less expensive.
Arts and Culture
Human emotion will shine in 2026, as more online users grow tired of the AI slop they spot online. Already, we can spot artistic communities working on calls for transparency, if not a complete ban, regarding the use of generative AI in creating works. There will also be a return to physical media, particularly CDs and DVDs, as the growth of rival streaming platforms finds consumers limited in their choices.
Food
The food scene is expected to see a rise in tasting menus (or menu dégustation), fueled by a more competitive dining landscape following the Michelin Guide’s entry into the Philippines in 2025. Chefs are likely to push further into creativity and fusion as restaurants refine their identities and ambitions. Still, amid the pursuit of distinction and recognition, the enduring purpose of food, nourishment, and the fostering of togetherness should remain at the center of the table.
Fashion
As luxury fashion continues to be redefined, style has developed a new meaning for consumers—one rooted more in value and story than in trend-driven appeal. We can expect secondhand fashion to become more mainstream in the coming year, with jewelry and brooches dominating the game. With major online shopping platforms featuring pre-loved sections and vintage shops slowly infiltrating malls and department stores abroad, what will be interesting to see is not only the unique looks people create from found wearable treasures, but also how major fashion brands will react to this retail boom.
Beauty
The momentum built by the local perfume industry in 2025 is only the beginning. In 2026, more homegrown fragrance brands are expected to launch, alongside the rise of niche labels crafted by independent local perfumers. These scents will lean deeper into storytelling, heritage, and climate-conscious formulations. More importantly, Filipino-made perfumes are likely to gain stronger visibility in the international market.
Maximalist beauty is set to return in 2026, with bolder colors, statement finishes, and playful experimentation reclaiming space on vanities and social feeds. Alongside this, men’s grooming will continue its steady rise. The category is evolving beyond basic skincare, with more brands introducing tinted moisturizers, brow products, and subtle color cosmetics designed to enhance rather than transform.
Youth and education
AI is set to become a standard fixture in local classrooms by 2026. With platforms like Canva now formally integrated into school setups and teaching tools, AI will no longer feel like a novelty but a daily academic companion. Expect students to rely on AI as on-demand tutors, writing assistants, and personalized study guides that support their overall study habits.
Traditional letter writing
At the same time, a quieter countertrend is taking shape. As screens dominate young lives, 2026 will see a return to romantic, tactile rituals. Traditional letter writing is poised for a comeback, fueled by a renewed interest in premium stationery, textured paper, wax seals, and handwritten notes. Mindful journaling will also continue to grow, shifting from productivity-driven planners to more introspective, emotion-led writing practices that prioritize mental wellbeing.
Showbiz trends in 2026
CinePanalo 2026 ups production grants
The Puregold CinePanalo 2026 gives a boost to Philippine entertainment by offering hefty production grants—the largest ever in Philippine film festival history—to this year’s participants, both professional and student filmmakers. With P5 million to be awarded to seven full-length film directors and P200,000 to 20 student filmmakers, Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold CinePanalo chair and Puregold senior marketing manager, explained how raising the grants supports the festival’s vision.
Virtual actors to light up the screen
Virtual actors, AI idols, and synthetic celebrities are poised to make a significant impact on both the big and small screens in the coming year, according to a report by LinkedIn.com. Computer-generated pop stars and influencers like Lil Miquela and Noonoouri are already a regular presence on social media. In the following year, these virtual figures will be enhanced with AI personalities, allowing them to develop their own lives and establish careers in acting and modeling. Tilly Norwood, a character created by the talent studio Xicoia, has already sparked protests from actors who are concerned that AI could threaten their jobs. However, studios see this trend as an opportunity to tap into a new pool of affordable and flexible talent. The real test will come in 2026 when we will begin to understand how audiences and fans truly feel about these advancements.
Vertical shorts on the rise
Vertical shorts may be oversaturated in 2026. A vertical series is a short video series filmed in portrait format, specifically designed for viewing on smartphones, similar to content on apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels. But experts believe only a few vertical shorts will succeed because some productions have overlooked their essence, resulting in a loss of novelty and innovation.
YouTube is king
YouTube currently has more viewing time on TV sets than any other streaming platform, with only Netflix coming close. According to the Hollywood Reporter, 2026 is projected to be the year YouTube becomes the dominant force in television. Not only is it expected to maintain its top position on the Nielsen Gauge for total viewing time, but YouTube TV will also emerge as the largest pay-TV platform in the U.S.
SCREENX debuts in PHExpect movie fans to go to the cinema more as CJ4DPLEX, a worldwide leader in premium film formats and cinema technologies, and SM Cinema, debuted the country’s first SCREENX theater at SM Mall of Asia last November. This agreement introduced CJ 4DPLEX’s 270-degree panoramic SCREENX format to Filipino moviegoers for the very first time. It enhances the traditional movie experience by extending the image across the main screen onto the theatre’s right and left walls, creating a fully immersive viewing environment unlike any other.
Motoring forecasts
Battle of charging networks
With EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids becoming already widely available, one area where we will see massive growth is in the development of charging networks. We already have quite a few charging networks in the form of Ayala’s Evro, Tesla’s growing network, and that of mall operators like SM and Robinsons. However, we can expect even more players to enter the arena.
Perhaps the most interesting contender could be VinFast. The Vietnamese automaker is making great strides in expanding their presence in the country, first with their cars, and next with their EV taxi network, Green GSM.
VinFast is already working on the next logical step: developing a broad charging network to support their cars, their taxis, and other EVs in general. VinFast recently inked an agreement with Philippine-based CBEV Transport Technology Inc. (CarBEV) to develop a mobility ecosystem. The deal itself covers quite a lot of sectors like electrifying commercial and government fleets, but one of the most interesting plans is to develop a charging network.
We only need to look at how VinFast rolled out its taxi service, GreenGSM. Being app-based and offering drastically cheaper fares, we can bet that VinFast will also make charging your electric vehicle also as easy, seamless, and affordable. It’s quite possible that the fiercest rival to the convenience that the Ayala and Tesla charging networks offer could be VinFast’s own solution.
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In the world of Sports
From years of inactivity due to the Covid pandemic to going full swing with lively games and big audiences from barangay leagues to stadium-sized spectacles, sports continue to draw a massive following, as we, Filipinos, are naturally passionate and loyal to our dear athletes and favorite players.
Bigger audience
UAAP basketball concluded with much fanfare when La Salle dethroned University of the Philippines last Dec. 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The attendance? A staggering 24,339, all of whom wearing the green and maroon threads of the rival schools from the patrons up to the bird's eye section.
Expect the same intensity when women's volleyball comes to life in February, with estimates pegged at surpassing the record attendance of 18,514 in Game 2 of the Finals between National University and La Salle last May 2025.
Alex, the tennis princess
Alex Eala, the tennis princess, drew the admiration of fans with her unprecedented rise in the sport. Eala's popularity could spur the attention of more Filipinos when the country plays as host of the WTA 125 Philippine Open late January at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The Philippine Sports Commission is doing an overhaul of the playing area -- and even a fix and clean-up of the adjacent roads -- with organizers expecting to fill the planned 2,000-seater venue with roaring supporters wanting to see the young star in the flesh.
Golf piques interest
Golf piqued the interest of this country that has long regarded the sport as a rich man's game. It is correct to say that indulging to master the sport could mean heavy on one's pocket -- with one round of play costing from P2,000 to five digits with all expenses factored in, and club memberships soaring to astounding prices millions of pesos. But the pleasure of hitting that small, dimpled ball is second to none for those who love golf!
But access to the sport has become reachable in a variety of ways, and 2026 could see the numbers peaking up with the opening of more golf simulators, affordable rates at driving ranges, and the offering of installment-based financing programs for memberships in ultra-exclusive country clubs.
Technology trends
‘Body intelligent’ wearables
Smart wearables will not only provide users with data but with AI programming will also be able to generate specific and predictive data based on the user.
Smart rings and Smart glasses will make their way to the mainstream market. Rokid, an AR (Augmented Reality) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) smart glasses brand is already in the Philippines, with a concept store in SM North Edsa; while mWell released an ECG ring, which allows for ECG monitoring and accurate sleep tracking.
Smart wearable devices will focus on wellness monitoring.
RAM and SSD prices
The demand for more storage from datacenters to power AI has caused a RAM and SSD shortage, which in turn caused prices to go up. As a result, this will cause increase in prices of gadgets such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and computers.
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