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Hi! My name is Anci Ninotchka Galicia, a 2nd-year BS Entrepreneurship student at Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao. I have a deep appreciation for Philippine pop culture, including sports, entertainment, music, food, and fashion. Golf has been my sport since I was four, and I also follow other emerging sports in the country. I enjoy Filipino horror films, rom-coms, and comedy movies, and I admire Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla for their individual talents. When it comes to fashion, I love Heart Evangelista’s elegant style, but I usually shop at brands like H&M, Uniqlo, Cotton On, and Forever 21, and my favorite food is Sinigang.

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Golf is a sport that demands patience, precision, and strategy, making it both physically and mentally challenging. I am passionate about it because it instills discipline, focus, and perseverance, which are valuable in both sports and life. The game also promotes camaraderie and sportsmanship, as it is often played with friends, colleagues, or new acquaintances. In the Philippines, golf is gaining popularity, with more Filipinos showing interest and influencers sharing their experiences online. This growing recognition reflects how Filipinos appreciate both competition and leisure, making golf an integral part of the country’s sports culture.

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Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, known as "KathNiel," are one of the most famous love teams in the Philippines, captivating audiences with their on-screen chemistry and real-life romance. They have starred in numerous blockbuster films and hit television series, shaping contemporary Philippine entertainment and influencing trends in fashion, music, and youth culture. Their impact extends beyond showbiz, as they use their platform for advocacies, endorsements, and philanthropic efforts, further solidifying their role in popular culture. With a massive fanbase, they dominate social media, setting trends and sparking discussions that resonate with Filipino audiences. Their enduring popularity reflects the deep-rooted love for romantic narratives in Philippine entertainment, making them icons of modern Filipino pop culture.

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Sinigang is a traditional Filipino soup known for its distinct sour and savory taste, usually made with tamarind, tomatoes, and a variety of meats like pork, shrimp, or fish. In Philippine popular culture, sinigang is frequently featured in cooking shows, social media food trends, and local films, emphasizing its status as a beloved national dish. Many Filipino chefs have also innovated sinigang by incorporating modern twists, showcasing the adaptability of Filipino cuisine while preserving its heritage. This enduring popularity reflects the Filipino people’s love for bold flavors and the importance of food in strengthening cultural identity and social bonds.

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Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay is a 2013 Filipino horror film starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, revolving around a group of friends who unknowingly break funeral wake superstitions, leading to deadly consequences. The movie highlights Filipino beliefs in paranormal forces and the importance of following traditional customs, particularly regarding death and the afterlife. As part of Philippine popular culture, Pagpag reflects the nation’s deep-rooted superstitions and fascination with horror stories, which are often passed down through generations. Its success also showcases the influence of mainstream cinema in shaping Filipino entertainment, especially through the love team of Bernardo and Padilla. The film’s popularity reinforces the Filipino audience’s love for supernatural folklore, blending modern storytelling with cultural traditions.

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"Lifetime" by Ben&Ben is a heartfelt song about missed chances and the regret of not confessing love when there was an opportunity. Its emotional lyrics and soothing melody resonate deeply with Filipinos, who value sentimental storytelling in music. In Philippine popular culture, hugot (deep, emotional expression) songs like Lifetime thrive because they capture the universal experience of love, loss, and longing. The song’s popularity reflects how OPM (Original Pilipino Music) continues to shape Filipino identity, with artists like Ben&Ben leading the industry’s modern folk-pop wave. Through Lifetime, Ben&Ben reinforces the Filipino appreciation for music that speaks to the heart, making it a staple in playlists for those reminiscing about "what could have been."

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Ben&Ben - Lifetime | Official Music Video

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Kryz Uy is a well-known Filipino content creator, fashion blogger, and influencer who gained popularity through her lifestyle and travel vlogs. She represents the modern Filipino digital personality, using social media to shape trends in fashion, beauty, and wellness. Her influence extends to Philippine popular culture, where social media figures play a significant role in shaping consumer preferences and aspirational lifestyles. As more Filipinos engage with digital content, Kryz Uy exemplifies how influencers bridge traditional and new media, blending personal branding with commercial success. Her impact reflects the evolving landscape of Philippine pop culture, where online personalities hold as much sway as mainstream celebrities.

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I chose Lifetime by Ben&Ben as my featured contemporary Philippine pop culture trend because it reflects the emotional depth and storytelling that resonate with many Filipinos today. Released in 2020 and continuing to be relevant in 2021-2025, the song captures themes of missed chances and unspoken feelings, which align with the sentimental nature of Filipino audiences. Its popularity on social media, where listeners share personal stories and emotional reactions, highlights the strong connection between music and digital culture. Ben&Ben’s folk-pop sound and heartfelt lyrics have solidified their influence in OPM (Original Pilipino Music), representing a shift towards introspective and relatable music in mainstream media. This trend is significant as it showcases how music serves as both an emotional outlet and a cultural force that unites Filipinos in shared experiences of love, regret, and longing.

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Ben&Ben - Lifetime | Official Lyric Video

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Ben&Ben - Araw-Araw | Official Lyric Video

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Ben&Ben - Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay | Official Music Video | Kathniel x Ben&Ben x JMS

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Make It With You - Ben&Ben (Music Video)

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Using the Uses and Gratifications Theory, the rise of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) pop culture is deeply changing how Filipinos relate to sound for their personal and social needs. OPM, and particularly soul searching, self-reliant songwriting like Ben&Ben, has in this way given an outlet for people's feelings.Via its melodies, those themes of love, pain and recollection can be examined a matter which normally lies beyond language itself. Many Filipinos thus use OPM as a means of catharsis during personal struggles, when they are feeling low and cannot even sing, they turn to its lyrics. On social media, fans actively share song interpretations, incidents in their own lives, and cover performances, knitting a community of feeling around shared emotions and experiences. In doing so, this engagement shows that OPM is not only entertainment but also an emotional and social support system in a society that is changing at furious speed.

The themes of OPM songs usually capture values of the Filipino people, whatever they are presently pursuing and what their sorrows may be. Even so, traditional remarks like “Goodbye Motherland" can be rendered into modern slang for new uses. Besides, OPM’s rapid commercialization has formed one part of the creative economy of this country being built its young musicians, digital content artists and local businesses that in future will have a strong interest in providing services for international trade exhibitions some still cannot afford to go to on their own today. In the end, everyone's involvement in OPM pop culture shows that it is more than just a form of entertainment. Instead, the large variety of audiences allows us to view this as both art and statement about Filipino identity and the way society is evolving.

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