Ten entry songs for the Philippine Selection Night on August 30, 2026, one to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 Grand Final on November 14, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, joining the participating countries. Which of the entry songs will join in the inaugural Asian season of Europe’s most watched singing competition led by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Voxovation?
With the Philippine Selection Night of the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 gearing up for a live musical showdown, the event will feature ten entry songs, one of which will claim a spot to represent our country in the grand final in Idealive (Bangkok, Thailand) on November 14, 2026, joining previously selected singers Nyendra from Bhutan and Aina Abdul from Malaysia.
Hosted by Vice Ganda, Alexa Ilacad, and Darren Espanto, the Philippine Selection Night for ESCA 2026 will take place at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City, Quezon City, Metro Manila, on August 30, 2026, at 21:45 (Philippine Standard Time, UTC +8).
Viewers will take a closer look of the entry song performers bring the stories behind each song to life, including Between Bituin (Jungee Marcelo/DNA), Broken Beyond Repair (Angelo Gonzales/SAGA), Cheri(e) (Nar Cabico/Elha Nympha, Esang de Torres, Lance Reblando, and Nar Cabico), Di Yan (Red Flag) (Jason Marvin Hernandez/Jason Dy and Sassa Dagdag), Good For You (Hazel Faith Santos/Ryssi Avila), Make It Exist (Angelo Calucin/AJAA), Mapadama (Jeremy Glinoga and Jungee Marcelo/JM dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano), Reason To Live (Stephen Tan/Khimo Gumatay), Round ‘n Round (Bojam de Belen and John Michael Conchada/VVINK and Russu Laurente of WRIVE), and Sobra-Sobra (Nica del Rosario and Mat Olavides/Carmelle Collado).
Voting for the Philippine Selection Night of ESCA 2026 will be done on the day of the event via the Eurovision Song Contest Asia’s official website (no need to sign up for an account to vote) or by scanning the QR code shown during the broadcast on several ABS-CBN Platforms. The criteria for the representative entry song selection for the Philippine Selection Night are 40% from the Jury and 60% from the Public Vote (40% from the Philippines and 20% from elsewhere).
The voting process is to visit the ESCA’s online voting website (https://eurovisionasia.com/vote), select the entry song of their choice they wish to vote for, and use their 8 (eight) free voting allocation and/or purchase a vote pack with 10 (ten) votes for PHP 90.00 (or equivalent currency). Each voter can have a maximum of 18 votes, but they can also distribute their votes across a minimum of 3 (three) entry acts in the Philippine Selection Night.
Viewers in the Philippines may watch the live broadcast of ESCA 2026’s Philippine Selection Night on-air and online via Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live Philippines, Myx (delayed telecast), ALLTV2, and A2Z. Viewers elsewhere in the world may also watch it live via TFC, iWant, and on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest.
They can also watch the lyrics, visualizer, and behind-the-scenes videos of each entry song on the official YouTube channel of ABS-CBN Star Music and on iWant, or stream them on all music platforms worldwide.
After the Philippines chose an entry song, the next entry selection for each participating country in the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 will include South Korea (ENA), Laos (VTE9), Nepal (Himalaya TV), Thailand (BEC Channel 3), Bangladesh (NTV), Cambodia (TV5 Cambodia), Vietnam (VTV), and Mongolia (Mongol HD TV).
Who won the Star Magic All-Star Games 2026?
Star Magic Shooting Stars beat GMMTV Thailand at the Star Magic All-Star Games 2026; possible GMMTV rematch by 2027?
On August 23, 2026, the “SEAbling” basketball showdown between several Filipino artists from the ABS-CBN talent agency firm Star Magic and Boy’s Love actors from GMMTV in Thailand took place at the SM Arena, Mall of Asia, for the Star Magic All-Star Games 2026.
Hosted by Ai dela Cruz, Migs Bustos, Aiyana Perlas, and Patrick Ramirez, the celebrity sporting event delivered three exciting games, including Junior Basketball, Women’s Volleyball, and the Main Star Magic vs. GMMTV Basketball game, which fans cheered on at the venue and viewers at home and elsewhere abroad through the exclusive live streaming via the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel membership and iWant Tickets.
Fans of JM Ibarra, Fyang Smith, and Fred Moser also took the opportunity to view their exclusive All-Star Fancam access of each game for a closer look at these favorites, following their concluded public voting for the Fancam Fave on the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel.
Star Magic also announced that, in the recently concluded fan voting, the Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11 ex-housemates and love team partners JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith (JM Ibarra) were proclaimed as the Fan Fave Duo Winners against nominees LelQuin, ArJas, and FranSeth. Additionally, Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab 2.0 Kapamilya ex-housemate Eliza Borromeo was also proclaimed the Fan Fave Muse winner through public voting.
Also appearing in the halftime performances during the Star Magic All-Star Games 2026 were P-Pop Groups BGYO, Baby Dolls (appeared during the main game), Wrive, and DNA (Mitra Sisters) (appeared before the main game), as well as PBB Gen 11 ex-housemates and Star Magic artists Jarren Garcia and Kai Montinola (appeared during the halftime of the Junior Basketball Tournament).
The Star Magic Blue Team from the Junior Basketball Game presented winning sportsmanship against the Star Magic Red Team with a score of 55-35. Fred Moser, the Fancam Fave winner of the Junior Basketball Game, was named Rookie of the Year. He, alongside Robbie Jaworski, Rocky Labayen, Jan Silva, and MVP Diego Gutierrez, is among the mythical five from the game, courtesy of its sponsor, Sun Life Financial.
For Women’s Volleyball, after Analain Salvador maintained her five-time MVP streak, PBB Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0 Big Winner Lella Ford from Star Magic Lady Spikers, the team from which they won against Lady Warriors with a set score of 1-2 (Lady Warriors: 20-18-13; Lady Spikers: 19-20-15), was declared the Most Valuable Player of the said tournament. She also won as the Best Spiker in the Women’s Volleyball match. Meanwhile, Bella Sapienza and Gillian Vicencio won as the Best Setter and Best Receiver, respectively.
Aside from Lella, among the Mythical Six players are Magui Ford and Analain Salvador from the Lady Spikers, and Reign Parani, Leona Andalio, and Gillian Vicencio from the Lady Warriors.
In last year’s Star Magic All-Star Games 2025, Gerald Anderson-led Star Magic Shooting Stars won against the returned basketball team led by Cong TV, Anbilibabols, following their unprecedented rematch between the two teams, scoring with a slim margin of 70-73. The Star Magic All-Star Games 2026 partnered with GMMTV for a “SEAbling” Basketball Showdown featuring several actors from the said talent agency in Thailand, including Teshow, Ping, JJ, and AJ, known for their appearance in the GMMTV-produced Thai series Match Point.
At the end of the main game, Star Magic Shooting Stars made another win against GMMTV All-Stars with a score of 53-83, 10 points higher than in the ASG 2025 main game against Anbilibabols, or 30 points higher than GMMTV’s team. Comparing the scores from last year, the opponent, GMMTV All-Stars, which had a score of 53, is 17 points lower than the previous opponent, Cong TV’s Anbilibabols Team.
Gerald Anderson, a TV and film actor from Blood vs. Duty, who is the Most Valuable Player in the main game, was also the Player of the Night courtesy of digital media entity PlayTime Entertainment. Argel Saycon also won the Sun Life Insure Player award, courtesy of Sun Life. Among the Mythical Five of the main game were Neo and Aston from GMMTV, and Ronnie Alonte, Argel Saycon, and Gerald Anderson from Star Magic.
The GMMTV All-Stars Team also announced at the end of the awarding ceremony that they will rematch Star Magic Shooting Stars at next year’s Star Magic All-Star Games 2027.
More on entertaining stories this week:
It’s Showtime’s digital platforms reached 10 billion; Showtime Online U’s first decade; and GGV comeback this September
Billions of Madlang People in the Philippines and elsewhere continued to enjoy and connect online with the ABS-CBN’s noontime variety show, It’s Showtime, as it continued to expand its online presence since 2016 and garnered more than ten billion social media views on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, and TikTok, just a few months ahead of the much-awaited 2026 edition of Magpasikat and the show’s 17th anniversary since it premiered on ABS-CBN.
Its online counterpart, Showtime Online U (SOU), also celebrated its tenth anniversary, giving viewers another way to be part of the experience. The anniversary celebration opened with a performance from its hosts Wize Estabillo, AC Soriano, Nicki Morena, Lorraine Galvez, JM dela Cerna, Marielle Montellano, Anthony Castillo, Anne Tenorio, Jannah Alanise, Mackie Empuerto, Eris Gonzaga, and Zeah Pala.
The show’s hosts, together with the “Madlang Onliners”, also gathered at the Dolphy Theater to celebrate the online show’s first decade, complete with music, games, and entertainment. Nicki Morena, one of the hosts from Showtime Online U, shared that the program’s 10th anniversary is a meaningful occasion, as she has experienced Showtime as a contestant, a host, and now as an OFW-turned-online viewer who flew back to the Philippines to celebrate the anniversary.
Na-experience ko yung ‘Showtime’ from different sides—bilang contestant, host, at OFW—kaya mas na-realize ko kung gaano ka-importante ang SOU para sa mga OFW na malayo sa Pilipinas, Nikki shared.
Para siyang bridge of happiness. Dati, sa TV mo lang aabangan ng alas-dose, pero ngayon kahit nasa MRT ka o nasa abroad bilang OFW, pwede mo nang mapanood ang ‘It’s Showtime,’ AC Soriano shared how the online show has helped make the noontime show made available to online viewers, locally and globally.
The online companion show has been part of the noontime show experience, giving its online viewers and studio audience a way to interact, participate, and share the fun straight to any device, alongside their television screen. Showtime Online U is a part of It’s Showtime, seen on the social media accounts of ABS-CBN (via Kapamilya Online Live) and It’s Showtime from Monday to Saturday at 12:00.
Meanwhile, one of the noontime show’s hosts, Vice Ganda, announced that the Phenomenal Unkabogable Star will bring Gandang Gabi Vice once again on several ABS-CBN and GMA Network platforms within September. Back in 2020, months before the main Kapamilya network shut down amidst the pandemic, Meme Vice promised that the evening talk show would soon return after a “long commercial break”.
[I’m] super, super excited. Ipinagdasal ko ‘to, winish ko. When I had the chance to talk to both Ma’am Annette [Gozon-Valdes] and the ABS-CBN Management, tinanong nila kung anong gusto kong show. Ang sinabi ko, GGV ang gusto ko, Meme Vice shared in an exclusive interview on ABS-CBN News and GMA News.
Meme Vice also shared that he is all set to invite some of the Kapuso stars from the talk show. Meme Vice said, Laging si Michael V. nasa listahan ko, [then si] Marian [Rivera]. Si Dingdong [Dantes] kasi na-experience na ang GGV. [Gusto ko rin ma-guest] sina Alden [Richards], at [marami pang] Kapuso stars.
Sobrang nakaka-happy kasi hindi siya naluluma. Patuloy na nagre-resurface ‘yung mga lumang episode na. ‘Yung GGV experience hindi nalalaos, kasi ‘yung fun experience ever since hanggang ngayon, ‘yan ang gusto nating maramdaman. Nakakatuwa dahil hindi nawala sa kamalayan ng tao kahit sa Gen Z, Meme Vice concluded.
Gandang Gabi Vice will soon be released on several ABS-CBN and GMA Platforms, including a full uncut version of each episode on iWant, within September 2026.
PBB Collab 1.0 Housemates Update:
Several PBB Collab Ex-Housemates to Appear in Half Sisters on iWant and The Way Back to You on Viu
Following the successful appearances of several Kapuso and Kapamilya ex-housemates from Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition in an ABS-CBN-GMA Collaboration Series, The Secrets of Hotel 88, some of them will feature in these two online original offerings scheduled to release within the second half of 2026 on two different streaming platforms, including Half Sisters on iWant and The Way Back to You on Viu.
From calling each other twins during their stay inside the PBB house to playing siblings on-screen, Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition Collab 1.0 Kapamilya ex-housemates Esnyr Ranollo and Bianca de Vera take their friendship to a whole new level, as for the first time, ABS-CBN Studios, Star Creatives Television, and iWant will offer a new comedy microdrama series coming straight to the streaming platform very soon, titled Half Sisters.
The lead stars play half-siblings Ramon and Emily in the comedy microdrama, together with PBB Collab 1.0 Kapamilya Big Winner and The Art of Breaking Up theatrical star Brent Manalo in a still-mysterious role. The recently released look test teased its viewers with a glimpse of the series, with Esnyr’s “Ramon” seen alongside Brent. The two have long called each other “twins” since their stay inside the Bahay ni Kuya and now play sisters in the series.
Directed by Julius Alfonso, the microdrama brings a light and entertaining story to the short-form, mobile viewing format that has been gaining popularity among audiences, including on iWant, where it recently released some of the successful and highly engaging Quick Feels drama shows on their streaming platform (as well as on the official social media accounts of iWant and ABS-CBN Entertainment for some microdrama series for the first five episodes of each), such as A Cake To Remember (Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin), Will You Fake Marry Me (JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith), The Chambermaid’s Daughter (Gelo Rivera and Alexa Ilacad), A Mother’s Vengeance (Kate Alejandrino-Juan), Runaway Love (Analain Salvador and Rob Blackburn), Twist of Fate (Yen Santos, Rafael Rosell, Tony Labrusca, and Angelica Lao), Shadow CEO (Dylan Yturralde and Vivoree Esclito), When Brothers Fall (Jas Dudley-Scales and Argel Saycon), and many others.
ABS-CBN Studios and Star Creatives promised that the upcoming microdrama series, Half Sisters, will soon be released exclusively on iWant within September 2026.
Esnyr Ranollo, together with PBB host Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, also appeared as the presenters of the ABS-CBN Studios video podcast, Hello Outside World, available for streaming on the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel and iWant. He also appeared as “Precious” in the recently held Star Magic All-Star Games 2026 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on August 23, 2026, during the main basketball showdown between the Star Magic Shooting Stars and the Thailand-led GMMTV All-Stars Team.
Meanwhile, several ex-celebrity housemates from PBB Celebrity Collab Edition 1.0, such as AZ Martinez, Ralph de Leon, and Michael Sager, will also star in a romantic-comedy Viu Original Series produced by Rein Entertainment and directed by filmmaker JP Habac, titled The Way Back To You.
Scheduled to release via Viu within the fourth quarter of 2026, the original series is set against the charming backdrop of a provincial town, which will ground the romantic and comedic offering made for Filipino audiences. The lead stars, AZ, Ralph, and Michael, will play the respective roles of Julia, Tristan, and Patrick.
Rein Entertainment also announced that production for the Viu Original Series will begin in September 2026. It will also feature two of the PBB Collab 2.0 Kapuso ex-housemates in the original series, such as Ashley Sarmiento and Marco Masa, both of whom previously appeared in a 2025 Kapuso Afternoon Drama series, Akusada.
Watch out for the Pinoy Big Brother Collab 3.0 very soon on ABS-CBN and GMA platforms, and stay in the loop on the official social media accounts of DRPS PHCA for updates.
The DRPS PHCA is always online, anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and Instagram for updates. Visit DRPSPHCA.com/Blog or download the DRPS PHCA App on the Google Play Store for more blog content like this. You can also support DRPS PHCA by donating via Buy Me a Coffee or Ko-fi.
© 2026 DRPS Philippine Commercial Archives (DRPS PHCA). All Rights Reserved. PHCA CID: PHCA-2026H2-4057/August 29, 2026.
