If you’ve never delved deep into the world of podcasts, it’s high time for you to make this your new downtime distraction. There’s so many to discover no matter what it is you’re interested in—entertainment, education, or relaxation—that we’ve compiled a list to help you find your next favorite show! Check out these great suggestions of Pinoy-made podcasts you can listen to during your long commutes, work breaks, or leisure time at home.
25. Endslate
Endslate is a pop culture and entertainment podcast hosted by writer and film critic Ramon de Veyra, filmmaker and Globe Studios head Quark Henares, and film and television producer Mel Lozano-Alcaraz. Through this podcast, the three aspire to spark discussions on different shows and movies (shown locally and abroad) while also allowing other filmmakers, creators, and celebrities to share their insights.
“We are all film/TV fans and that’s usually what we talk about when we meet up so this is just a slightly more structured version of our get-togethers,” Ramon says about the show. “I regularly recommend things to watch on Netflix on my Instagram and that kind of became the early concept, of talking about what’s new on streaming services, be they movies or tv, and then we expanded it to more of a general pop culture umbrella so we could talk about whatever else was exciting to us.”
Being a newly launched podcast, Endslate promises a lot of content that listeners can enjoy in the near future.
“We have a horror-themed episode next week for Halloween with a special guest, and we have more guests lined up, from comics artists to musicians. We’ll also be talking about the Cinema One Originals festival coming up soon, and a bunch of Best of Decade lists,” Ramon shares.
Check it out on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 1: The Joker, Succession and What We’re Streaming” (October 14, 2019)
24. Woke Up PH
Woke Up PH aims to do what its name suggests, which is to “wake up” the young Filipino generation to see and discuss the pressing social issues of the country. It is hosted by founder Edmer Maguan, a graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Communication Research and a candidate for a Masters Degree in Business Administration at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
According to Edmer, Woke Up PH was created following the results of the 2019 Midterm Elections. He, together with a group of volunteers that breathe life into the show, come up with topics relevant to the youth and invite guests to discuss those topics with him. Prominent individuals have already graced the show, including KaladKaren Davila, COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez, and former senatorial candidates Samira Gutoc and Atty. Chel Diokno.
Woke Up PH currently has 12 half-an-hour to hour-long episodes with a new one being released every Wednesday. Check it out on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 11: Climate Change and the Role of the Philippines with Parabukas” (October 9, 2019)
23. Stage Left Indios
For fans of theater, Stage Left Indios is worth checking out. It is hosted by aspiring theater artists Angelo Esperanzate (@pananaghoy), LJ Galvez (@ljzglvz), and Salve Villarosa (@cuckooforbooks) and shines a spotlight on other artists and their craft. The podcast also aims to give people insight on the professional life of stage actors and actresses in the hopes of developing a deeper appreciation for local theater.
They currently have 17 episodes since 2018, the most recent one being an interview with cast members of Himala: Isang Musikal. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “LGBT in Theater” (January 5, 2019)
22. Agam the Climate Podcast
Agam the Climate Podcast (which is based on the Filipino word “agam-agam” meaning foreboding and doubt) is a literary podcast about climate, consciousness, and crisis, but without the jargon. It is based on an award-winning anthology titled “Agam: Filipino Narratives on Uncertainty and Climate Change” which was published in 2014 by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities and featured photographs, poems, and stories about the environment without mentioning the words “climate change.”
The podcast is the ICSC’s effort to make the book available to the public in a unique way. Each episode features one of the authors who reads their work and discusses it with the podcast hosts Padma Perez and Joseph Santos-Lyons.
“We hope that each episode, like AM radio, will help spark conversations on climate change and literature,” says Padma. “We like to think of the podcast as a descendant of AM radio, which people listen to in the mornings, on the way to work or school. […] In the same way, we hope that this podcast will get people to talk about climate change in their own terms and through their own experience of it.”
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 1 with Merlinda Bobis” (September 25, 2019)
21. The KoolPals
For Comedy Manila stand-up comedians GB Labrador, James Caraan, and Nonong Ballinan, podcast show The KoolPals is essentially a live comic act shared through a different medium. “The concept [of KoolPals] is a combination of all our ideas for a podcast show—a podcast show that is also a live show that has elements of news, sketch segments and games, and we’re always evolving,” the hosts tell us.
The show aims to entertain audiences while also discussing important issues. “We want to create something fun, that everyone can enjoy and leave a positive mark on our audience,” they add. “We want everyone to be our KoolPals.”
As of writing, they have released 26 episodes. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode:Â “EPISODE 25: SuperKool,” a live podcast recording at SuperManila (October 21, 2019)
20. Hilakbot TV
Hilakbot TV is a podcast for horror aficionados to listen to hair-raising stories both real and fiction. What began as a YouTube show was eventually brought to the audio streaming platform when they discovered the lack of local horror storytelling podcasts.
With a concept similar to once-popular show Gabi ng Lagim, Hilakbot TV narrates the stories in the style of radio dramas. “We’d like our listeners to imagine what is happening as if they were also involved [in the] scene. This might be very challenging [but] we guess [it’s] effective especially for horror fanatics [who don’t want to watch] horror movies [or are too lazy to read]Â horror stories,” says Story Editor Rhiko Loko.
Each episode is read by host RED (real name Jared Christopher Vince delos Santos) and is either written by the Hilakbot team or done in collaboration with different Wattpad writers.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode:Â “Ang Pagbubuntis ni Glendang Manananggal” written by Martin Tristan Carneo (October 10, 2019)
19. Small Talk! With Alec Cuenca
23-year-old engineering student at Mapua University Alec Cuenca (@awfcuenca) created Small Talk! with the aspiration to guide people towards self-improvement. He believes that topics such as mental health issues, self-help, and self-love are rarely talked about but needed to be discussed openly.
“I personally know how hard it is to be struggling with something and [to feel] like no one’s on your side and no one understands you,” Alec shares. “I wanted to make a podcast [that], when someone listens to it, will [make them] feel like ‘ah hindi lang pala ako yung nakakaramdam nito‘ (‘oh, I’m not the only who feels this way’).”
“I wanted to show that you could have meaningful, insightful, and deep conversations with people even though you just met them or you barely know them at all,” he adds.
As of writing, the podcast has 18 episodes. Check it out on Spotify.
Try an episode: “5 Things When You’ll Learn When You Hit Rock Bottom” (August 6, 2019)
18. MeLoreDrama
MeLoreDrama is a podcast created by Denice De Guzman (@angmgatuhod) and Juabe Inciong (@MisterJuaber) that talks about Philippine mythology and the stories people tell about it.
“We’ve always wanted to do something educational and entertaining, and talking about Philippine folklore and mythologies was something we both feel [was] missing from what we learned in school,” hosts Denice and Juabe share. “You always only hear about the aswangs and tikbalangs and engkantos in the context of scary stories, but we’ve heard of all of these because they were part of the belief system that we’ve somehow imbibed as Filipinos living in this culture.”
MeLoreDrama has 19 episodes so far, nearly an hour-long each. Check out the show on Spotify.
Try an episode:Â “Chickens: The Fowl-t In Our Stars” (August 26, 2019)
17. The Filipino-American Woman Project
The Filipino-American Woman Project started as a passion project by Jen Amos, herself a Filipino-American living in San Diego, California. It began as a Facebook Live show in 2017 which eventually transitioned into becoming a podcast by the summer of 2019.
Jen’s dream for the show is to gather 365 stories and life lessons by Filipinas-by-blood from all walks of life living (or who have lived) in America and publish a book on them that anyone can read and be inspired by for every day of the year.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 21: Your healing is so much more important than protecting other people’s feelings.” (October 6, 2019)
16. Wag Kang Lilingon
Wag Kang Lilingon is a passion project of horror and true crime fans Grace and Mimai who wanted to create a local version of their favorite podcasts. According to them, the show gives them space to talk about local beliefs and superstitions, share spine-tingling stories they’ve heard, and hopefully connect with other people who share the same love for all things horror, suspense, and mystery as they do.
Currently, they have four full-length episodes (and one “detour” episode) that discuss topics like haunted places in the Philippines, ghost stories in school, and must-watch horror movies.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 3: Spooky Spots (Haunted Locations in the PH)” (October 1, 2019)
15. Creepsilog
Creepsilog is a horror and true-crime podcast created by longtime friends Gideon Mendoza (@gideonwobi) and Glenn Tabarejos (@theglentot). The two have always been interested in topics related to the paranormal and the occult both in real life and in fiction and share a love for listening to “morbid” podcasts at the start of their day. They were then inspired to make a show of their own but with a unique Filipino flavor.
According to Gideon and Glenn, “We did not want to limit ourselves to just one horror genre. We wanted to be able to jump around between true crime, strange phenomena, and full-blown horror. We believe that the human experience encompasses these dark facets and we want to be able to cover it all. Eventually, this worked so well for us – we keep getting topic recommendations from listeners and the possibilities are endless.”
Creepsilog is currently on its 2nd season with 8 episodes so far. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: ” Season 1 Episode 4: Tsutomu Miyazaki” (July 15, 2019)
14. Kudazzers
Kudazzers is not your ordinary podcast and one you’d rather much listen to with headphones on. The show touches on a variety of topics generally considered “sensitive” and “vulgar” that are free-flowingly discussed without censors and inhibitions by its dynamic hosts: Iris Montesclaros (@irismontesclaros), Natalie Estrada (@leigh.estrada), Eudes Garcia (@theeudesgarcia), Athena Cobey (@athenacobey), and Martin Glen (@martinglennn).
The name of the show is derived from the gay slang term of the Filipino root word kuda, meaning “to speak about something.”
According to Iris, the “queen ant” of the Kudazzers team, “The beauty of kuda as a format, is its uncensored, free-flowing and malleable treatment. Kudazzers takes advantage of this by choosing to seriously talk about taboo topics with a splash of dry and tongue-in-cheek humor. Always balancing (and “occasionally” blurring) the lines between discourse and chismisan [gossiping]; decency and obscenity, but ultimately always allowing a safe and radical space for good-old conversation.”
Kudazzers is currently 11 episodes into its 2nd season. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Season 1 KUDA 17: When Rock Bottom is a Bottomless Pit” (August 12, 2019)
13. Telebabad Tapes
Telebabad Tapes is the passion project of wife-and-husband tandem Cj de Silva (@cjdesilva) and Wincy Ong (@wincyaquinoong) who wanted to get people into the conversations they have on topics they love to talk about. The name of the show comes from 90s slang telebabad meaning “to have a long phone call,” and it’s an experience both Wincy and Cj want to emulate with their podcast.
“Even though I’m really a visual person, I’ve always been obsessed with all things audio,” Wincy says. “Growing up, I liked listening to audio books and radio plays in our school’s library. I collected sound effect libraries on CDs. I used to use our karaoke machine to record myself for school projects and submitted these cassette tapes to my teachers. So obviously, I’m also addicted to the whole idea of podcast. The indie, homemade, DIY aspect of it excited me.”
“I see our podcast as [a] personal project, something that we do not for the sake of money or fame, but to just put something out there in the world,” he continues. “The simple fact that we can create something out there that people can listen to is motivating enough.”
Cj adds, “Our day jobs sort of instilled in us the discipline of committing to a schedule and finishing things. But it’s easy because every recording session is exciting for us, as we’re both lone wolves when it comes to making things, and this podcast is our one true collaboration.”
As of writing, Telebabad Tapes has 20 episodes that discuss well-loved films, the local music industry, love and relationships, and life after 30. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 15: Why Do People Cheat?” (July 18, 2019)
12. Ganap: An Okay Fight Podcast
The young creatives of Okay Fight Prod House (@_okayfight) wanted to find the answer to the question, “Anong mangyayari kapag pinalibutan niyo ng mic yung inuman niyo? (What would happen if you were surrounded by microphones during your drinking sessions?)” Thus, Ganap: An Okay Fight Podcast was born.
The whole concept of the show is to gather friends together and talk about a variety of topics over food and alcohol because, as executive producer EJ David (@_ejdavid) says, all great conversations occur while having a good drink.
They have 15 hour-long episodes so far that touch on love and dating, Filipino culture, and nostalgia. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 14: Things Filipino Kids Did Before the Internet Existed” (May 8, 2019)
11. Kanin Konvos
Hosted by husband-and-wife tandem Jed Llanes (@jed.llanes) and Paulina Sotto-Llanes (@paulinavls), Kanin Konvos is a podcast where the couple can air out their thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics—whether it’s about milk tea, their dogs, getting married, or their 90s childhood.
“We’re both very opinionated people, and to put it simply, we love to talk about our opinions. It just seemed like something fun to do in our spare time,” they share with us. “We like to talk about our experiences, life learnings, and things that interest us. To put it simply, we talk about everything and anything.”
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 5: Getting to know Mayor Vico Sotto” (June 27, 2019)
10. The Eve’s Drop
Former radio jocks of RX 93.1 Francesca Tobias, Gelli Victor, and Delamar Arias all admit that their podcast, The Eve’s Drop, had been a eureka moment over bottles of wine one fine evening. With all the great conversations they have, together with show producer and likewise former radio DJ Jude Rocha, it was only natural that they give people a chance to listen in on them.
“We wanted to put out something intelligent and with content that everyone could relate to. We wanted to have a platform where we discussed not just mom things, not just women things, but everything. We don’t want to be pigeon-holed,” says Fran.
“It was really just a need to talk to each other about many varied topics on a podcast format. We knew for sure it was going to be a female point of view kind of a podcast but that we wanted to explore topics beyond all things ‘motherhood’. It’s a womanhood show. And all the things that these women find interesting enough to talk about. Even chismis (gossip)! That’s actually the informal start of most podcast recordings. Which is undeniably fun and naughty!” adds Delle.
Gelli also shares, “We did not really sit down and discuss the nitty-gritties of the show. We all just knew we wanted to talk, share our thoughts and hopefully make someone’s day better.”
The Eve’s Drop currently has 27 episodes tackling a wide range of topics that include love and dating, mental health, adulthood, and their husbands. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 1: You Podcast, You Learn” (March 12, 2019)
9. Tevez of the Best
Tevez of the Best is the brainchild of radio DJ and vlogger JC Tevez (@itsmejaysee) who wanted a place where he could air out all the thoughts he had in his head. Since he wasn’t into keeping diaries, he decided to make his own podcast that would serve as a journal of his life in audio form.
JC says that he was inspired by Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast for his own project. “I pretty much emulated his style, which is just a straight talk podcast where he keeps it real. No BS, nothing pretentious, just him talking about his personal life and things that are on his mind. So I wanted to make a more Pinoy-Centric version of that where I can talk about my life in Manila and the things going on around me,” he shares.
He adds, “I always feel really good about posting things online that reflect the real me (as it should be), in these times, sometimes people find it hard to separate reality from the perfectly curated social media content that we see.”
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 3: Public Poops and Hosting Debut” (September 3, 2019)
8. Hustleshare
Hustleshare is a podcast all about startups and businesses—how to get started, how to overcome the challenges, and how to keep pushing forward to succeed. It was created by a startup founder, Ronster Baetiong (@hustlesharepodcast), who wanted to learn from other “hustlers” and, at the same time, pay forward his own knowledge and experience.
Every episode of Hustleshare features a guest speaker who is either a startup founder, a business leader, or someone with a unique passion project who can share their journey from getting that bright idea to making it better day by day.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 24: Minette Navarette – The Hustle Behind Kickstart Ventures” (May 13, 2019)
7. The Wrestling-Wrestling Podcast
For die-hard wrestling fans, this podcast is for you! The Wrestling-Wrestling Podcast debuted in April 2014 after the monumental WrestleMania XXX ultimately pushed good friends Stan Sy and Ro Moran to create a show to talk about it.
“We aren’t the first podcast to talk about pro wrestling, sure. But we were the first to do it here in the Philippines,” says Stan Sy, who is also a radio DJ on Wave 89.1 and a manager for Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR). “Ro and I were tired of people dismissing wrestling as ‘fake s***’ or ‘low-brow entertainment.’ Wrestling is an art form and a medium for storytelling. While it does appeal to the lowest common denominator, it also tells relatable stories that everyone can get behind.”
Hosting the podcast together with Stan is Ro, a PWR veteran bootcamper; Raf Camus, a PWR Head Young Boy; and stand-up comedian Chino Liao. Stan notes that since wrestling, unlike other sports, has no off-season, there’s always something new for them all to discuss.
“We wanted to raise awareness about wrestling as a community and as a culture here in the Philippines. Plus, it was a great way of bringing people together. We’re tired of people feeling ashamed about their fandom. There’s nothing wrong with being a wrestling fan. We’re out and proud about it!” he adds.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 293: The Story of Homecoming Part 1” (October 18, 2019)
6. Boiling Waters PH
Need advice on love, dating, and relationships? The Boiling Waters PH podcast will give it to you straight. It is hosted by two anonymous men (whom you may refer to as Cactus 1 and Cactus 2) who wanted to better guide people into making wiser decisions in love beyond the memes and quotes they post on their Facebook page.
“We’ve been creating content, articles, memes about life and relationships before and we just added [this] podcast to dive deeper on our topics,” they tell us. “We’re also inspired by the stories of people we are receiving every day. Sabi nga namin, ‘bawal masaktan kung friends lang’ (As we always say, you can’t take it personally if you’re just friends).”
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 11: Paano Galingan Maging Single” (May 6, 2019)
5. The Halo-Halo Show
Hosted by current RX 93.1 radio DJs Rica G and JC Tevez, The Halo-Halo Show is a podcast that talks about anything and everything under the sun (hence the name, halo-halo meaning a huge mix of things).
Both Rica and JC make it a point to make the podcast as real and as raw as possible and without post-editing. “The concept came from ignorance to be honest, because (even to this day) we don’t really know how to produce a podcast with effects, theme song, breaks etc. So we just kind of winged it, to the point where we sing our theme song every single time, make our own sound effects with our mouths, and it’s been that way ever since,” they share.
They love to connect with their listeners through ‘Leche Fan-Mail’ and occasionally invite guests on the show for their Tres Leches episodes.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Mix #36: Ipis Immunity, White Chicks, and Spit” (July 7, 2019)
4. The Linya-Linya Show
The Linya-Linya Show is a comedy podcast based on the daily experiences of Filipinos—and all the fun, laughter, and nuggets of wisdom that come our way. According to the host and founder of clothing brand Linya-Linya, Ali Sangalang (@alingawngaw), the goal of the podcast is to “share the unique Filipino experience and spread love and laughter—just like Linya-Linya.”
“Nag-stick lang kami sa Linya-Linya (We stuck with Linya-Linya) as a brand: Everyday Pinoy experiences communicated in a humorous but contemplative way,” says Ali. “Kaya kasi naming pag-usapan yung mabababaw hanggang malalalim na bagay, sa paraang magaan pa ring pakinggan. Parang nakikinig ka lang talaga sa ilang mga kaibigan. (It’s because we’re able to have shallow to deep conversations that are easy to listen to and follow. It’s really just like listening to your friends talking.)”
The Linya-Linya Show currently has 53 episodes, most of which Ali hosted with his previous co-host, standup comedian Victor Anastacio (@victoranastacio).
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episodes 27 and 28: On Health, Love, and Relationship w/ Dra. Gia Sison” (April 6 and 17, 2019)
3. Tsaastrology
If you hadn’t heard, your favorite local astrology meme Twitter account has its own podcast and it’s just as funny as you’d expect. Hosts VP Gregorio (@thatguyvp), Nikki De Guzman (@heynikkipoo), and Bern Abraham (@prodeeboy) created Tsaastrology: The Podcast mainly because they wanted to add a twist to their Twitter presence.
“We love talking about random things and dishing out harsh truths in person, so we felt like the podcast was a natural progression to our Twitter account. There are a lot more things that can be talked about in more than 240 characters,” they share with us. “The concept of the show is basically the same concept of our Twitter (@tsaastrology)—anything goes. We’re not really astrologers but we have a working knowledge of astrology and we use it to serve tea on each of the zodiac signs.”
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Tsaa 04: You’ve Got (Hate) Mail!” (October 7, 2019)
2. Wake Up with Jim & Saab
New parents Jim Bacarro and Saab Magalona admit that spending quality time together is much tougher now that they have their hands full with two baby boys. This is why they decided to create their podcast Wake Up with Jim & Saab wherein they can document their free-flowing conversations, unfiltered opinions, and life advice they want to share with their listeners.
When asked how the two stay motivated to consistently put out episodes for their show despite their busy schedules, Jim says that it’s all thanks to their audience who they lovingly call the “podkids.”
“We’re humbled by the letters we receive on our mailbag (we call it MALIBAG) asking for advice and sharing their love for the pod,” he shares. “Aside from that, we’re so happy that so many friendships have been formed through our pod (they have get-togethers and listen to the pod) It’s been amazing to connect with so many people and hopefully give them a break from the daily grind of Manila.”
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 20: Ely Buendia” (October 22, 2018)
1. Adulting with Joyce Pring
Joyce Pring’s podcast Adulting with Joyce Pring is something she made in an effort to share her tips and how-tos of navigating your 20s. “Basically the blind leading the blind, expectantly and with gusto,” she says on her podcast bio.
In all 20+ episodes uploaded so far, Joyce has discussed a variety of topics related to traveling, love and dating, money and time management, and even how to cope with a quarter-life crisis. She has also featured a number of guests on the show to share insights on their expertise.
Check out the podcast on Spotify.
Try an episode: “Episode 23: How My Anxiety Shapes Me” (September 17, 2019)
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