Metroscene Mag - For the young, empowered & creative

More than a collection of live recordings, ylona, so far. (live) revisits the songs that have accompanied Ylona from her formative years as a young performer to the artist she is today. Through fresh live interpretations of familiar tracks, the album allows Ylona to reconnect with music from different phases of her life, this time with a deeper understanding of herself and greater ownership of her art. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ylona. (@ylonagarcia) “It feels like a healing experience, and that means the world to me,” Ylona shares about the project. Revisiting the music she has released over the years brought back both beautiful and difficult memories: from the opportunities she once could only dream of to the pressures of growing up in the public eye and navigating expectations from both the industry and fans. “Looking back now, I’m incredibly grateful for all of it because it’s given me the perspective and experience to take more control over m...

Fresh from a strong showing at the 2026 Awit Awards , where they took home Album of the Year and Song of the Year, and the Filipino Music Awards , where they won Alternative Song of the Year , Filipino band IV OF SPADES returns with “ Rollercoaster ,” a new single that explores the exhilaration of surrendering to the moment and embracing life’s unpredictable turns. View this post on Instagram A post shared by IV OF SPADES (@ivofspades) Released during the band’s US/Canada tour , “Rollercoaster” borrows from a colorful palette of sonic influences while retaining the inventive sensibility that has defined their previous work. A vibrant, psychedelic-leaning track , “Rollercoaster” integrates the rhythmic pulse of reggae with indie rock and Manila Sound sensibilities . It’s a buoyant, groove-forward song that veers away from the usual hit-making formula: carefree and laid-back, but brimming with summertime Infectiousness. The song evokes an open-road journey: window...

Filipino shoppers have another reason to make a stop at SM Mall of Asia. Malaysian fashion brand Christy Ng has officially opened its third Philippine store, bringing its lineup of bags, shoes, and everyday accessories to one of Metro Manila’s busiest shopping destinations. The new store opened on September 17, 2026 , marking another step in the brand’s growing presence in the Philippines. With locations now in SM Megamall, Bonifacio High Street, and SM Mall of Asia, Christy Ng continues to expand its retail footprint while introducing more Filipino shoppers to its mix of fashion, function, and accessible pricing. But for its latest Manila opening, the brand wasn't keeping things strictly business. A Store Opening With a Filipino Twist View this post on Instagram A post shared by Christy Ng Philippines (@christyng.ph) The new SM Mall of Asia location gives shoppers another physical space to explore Christy Ng's collections beyond the online checkout screen...

There’s something about a bedroom that makes people talk. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s where we are most ourselves, where we cry over people we said we were already over, replay conversations in our heads, call our friends at 2 a.m., and tell stories we probably wouldn’t tell anywhere else. For Yani Villarosa, that bedroom became something bigger.

Actors are often asked to become someone else. To borrow another person’s voice, carry their fears, understand their choices, and, for a moment, live inside a life that is not their own. But perhaps the most important part of acting is not the ability to pretend—it is the willingness to understand. For Elijah Canlas, that seems to be one of the most meaningful things about being an artist. His career has been built on playing characters from different walks of Filipino life, but rather than simply treating each role as another performance, he allows every character to teach him something about the people—and the world—around him.

An actor can study a script, research a character, and learn every detail of the world they are about to enter. But there are some things that cannot be found on a page. To portray another person truthfully requires more than performance. It requires an actor to remain connected to the people and realities that exist beyond the frame—to listen, to observe, to understand, and to recognize that a character’s experience cannot always be reduced to what is written in a script. For Nour Hooshmand, staying grounded is part of that responsibility. Before becoming the actress audiences know today, Hooshmand was already learning how to understand stories from different sides of the room. It was through theater that she developed an early understanding of acting as something collaborative—an art that asks not only what a character says, but why they say it, what shaped them, and how their story exists within a larger world. Hooshmand eventually moved from the stage into film, finding a particula...

Being unafraid to be different is also about making space for people who see a little bit of themselves in you. For Sassa Gurl, that’s something she’s been doing for quite some time now—simply by being herself. Before the polished sets, film roles, music releases, and millions of followers, there was an Android phone, a malfunctioning ring light, and a persona that refused to become more palatable just to fit in. There was humor, “kanal” energy, childhood nostalgia, Jejemon culture, and an instinct to turn everyday Filipino experiences into something people could laugh about. What began as a way of being herself eventually became a way for other people to see themselves, too. But visibility, for Sassa, is not the destination. The starting point  Before becoming the popular “kanal” internet personality, Sassa Gurl’s path into the industry was anything but straightforward. After studying Communication at Far Eastern University, she found an audience during the pandemic through TikTok...

In a world full of stories waiting to be told, Ian Pangilinan has found himself exploring different ways of telling them. His career began in theater, with roles in productions including Rent , Spring Awakening , Reasons To Be Pretty , and Tabing Ilog . In 2020, he made the leap to the screen as Jose Vladimir “Vlad” Austria in the hit BL series Gaya Sa Pelikula , marking his breakthrough to wider audiences. Since then, Pangilinan has appeared in films and television projects including Niña Niño , Love in 40 Days , K-Love , Family Matters , and Five Breakups and a Romance . His work earned him a New Movie Actor of the Year nomination and a Movie Ensemble Acting of the Year win at the 39th PMPC Star Awards for Movies in 2024. In 2026, he appeared in The Loved One as Edward. Despite his growing presence on screen, he continues to return to theater, most recently playing Mark Cohen in Rent and Chris Abueva in Bar Boys: The Musical in 2025. But acting is only one part of his growing prac...

At an age when most children are still figuring out what they want to be when they grow up, Annika Co is already learning what it means to grow up in front of an audience. The young performer first caught the public’s attention through It’s Showtime ’s Mini Ms. U in 2023, where she emerged as a daily winner and quickly became known for her natural ability to perform and connect with an audience.  What began as a television appearance soon became the beginning of a career. By 2025, she had begun appearing in film projects, including Antoinette Jadaone’s Sunshine , where she starred alongside Maris Racal. The film would become an important part of Co’s growing filmography, eventually earning her nominations for Best Child Performer at the 74th FAMAS Awards , Movie Child Performer of the Year at the 42nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies, and Best Child Actress at the 28th Gawad Pasado. The recognition has continued into 2026. Co received the Outstanding Young Female Artist of the Year aw...