Wishes for 2026

When Kevin Tan hosted a Christmas lunch for publishers and journalists, his comms exec Harold Geronimo asked us: What is your wish for 2026? Answers were topped by: “Justice. End to corruption. No more ghost projects. Healing.”Then Dax Lucas said: “Those are dreams. How about shifting to reality?” I gathered wishes from personalities in the news. You judge whether their dreams are fantasy or reality.

Ernesto Tanmantiong
Jollibee Group global president and CEO

Wishing 2026 to be a year of joy and progress for the Philippines—one that shines with enlightenment, thrives on collaboration, and stands strong in resilience, bringing prosperity to every Filipino. Bee Happy!

Isidro Consunji
President and CEO of DMCI Holdings; 
CEO of Semirara Mining Corp.

My wish for 2026 is simple: that taxpayers’ money be used wisely.

Frederick Go
Secretary, Department of Finance

For the country, a robust economy and fiscal deficit reduction. For everyone, good health and peace of mind.

Eman Pacquiao
Rising boxing star

My wish for everyone is to be happy with what you have. Always pray to God. Enjoy bonding with your family. (As told during Swatch event to Matteo Guidicelli)

Kevin Tan
President and CEO. Alliance Global Group

I wish our country and our countrymen continued strength and well-being. May 2026 be free of calamities, and may we move forward together with resilience, unity, and hope.

Menchu Tantoco-Lopez
Board member, Rustan Commercial Corp. and SSI Inc.; director, Rustan Coffee Corp. Store Development

My deepest prayer is that forgiveness will gently find its way into every heart. There will always be moments of misunderstanding and pain among our countrymen—but I hope people choose compassion over pride, love over resentment, and peace over anger. May we all learn to forgive as we have been forgiven, and may we always be bound together by grace, mercy, and a love that heals and endures.

Roman Romulo
Pasig Congressman

May goodness triumph over evil!

Florabel Co-Yatco
Nanay Partylist Representative

My wish for 2026 is simple, yet it holds my whole heart: that my family will be healthy and truly happy.

More than anything, I wish this for my husband, Chris. His health and happiness mean the world to me. To see him well, smiling, and at peace would be the greatest gift I could receive. Everything else fades in comparison to that hope.

Donnie Tantoco
Chairman, Rustan’s Commercial Corporation, SSI Inc., and Nena’s Sanctuary; CEO, Royal Duty Free Inc.

My wish for 2026 is for a lot more genuine empathy and trust, especially among people that mean well but have convictions that clash with one another. And I hope this will translate to the collaboration, creative and pragmatic problem solving, synergy, and accountability that is sorely lacking and that our country, our families, and citizens sorely need.

Most of all, I wish for more collective and individual empathy for those that are suffering the most severely and disproportionately from the corruption, inequality, and all the insatiably greedy evil that is happening every day. May we help address the most urgent needs of those directly in our midst.

Crickette Tantoco
President, Nena’s Sanctuary

In the year ahead, I wish for an abundance of good news and inspiring events. I wish for unity in our diversity, where hope and resilience thrive as we celebrate our differences.

May the Filipino spirit unleash its full potential, guiding our nation toward authentic progress and igniting a renaissance.

Steven Tan
SM Supermalls president

For 2026, I wish for the adoption of more sustainable business practices. Let’s all do our share in protecting the country’s resources.

Nikki Coseteng
Former Senator, 
Congresswoman; educator

My New Year wish for myself: lose 15 pounds.

For the country, wishful thinking: swift justice.

For the world: end of genocide.

Matteo Guidicelli
Actor

This Christmas, my heart is full of gratitude. For my wife, my family, and the love that keeps us strong no matter what season we’re in. May our home always be filled with faith, patience, and quiet moments that matter most. For our country, I pray for unity, honesty, and leaders who serve with integrity. May this Christmas remind us that love, discipline, and kindness can still move a nation forward.

Ramon Orlina
Sculptor

This January 2026, I will be turning 82. As I married late, I will be having only my second apo later this month. I am truly overjoyed for the blessing of apos, and so I wish for good health to spend lots of quality time with my growing family.

In January 2026, I have a special project unveiling at the Archdiocesan Our Lady of Caysasay Shrine in Taal.

It’s a project close to my heart that I wish will be well received by the Catholic faithful and people of Taal.

Like vintage wine, I wish to get better and better in my art even after 50 years as an artist and continue to uplift Philippine art here and abroad.

Jor-El Espina
Fashion designer

My wish for 2026 is to continue creating with purpose to honor Filipino craft, uplift the artisans and communities behind each piece, and design work that is deeply felt, meaningful, and enduring. I hope for a year of growth rooted in integrity, collaboration, and gratitude, where creativity remains generous and the stories we tell through fashion truly matter.

Cary Santiago
Fashion designer

My wish is for a better and brighter Cebu for 2026. It was heartbreaking seeing up-close all the devastation that has caused havoc, especially to those that I know and those who work with me. I hope we all can rise again and live a normal life. For myself, I always wish for peace of mind and the best of health. Because with good health, everything else follows.

Lito Camacho
Chairman of Nickel Asia Corp. , 
and University of the Arts Singapore

For 2026, my wish is that the man-made disaster of massive and systemic corruption that we are suffering from will at least lead to genuine and lasting political reforms, such as the enactment of a true and effective anti-political dynasty law and a cleansing of the party-list system, so that we can finally get rid of politicians and other public officials who make government positions lucrative family business enterprises at the expense of the Filipino people.

Kim Camacho
Chairman/president of Schools 
of Encounter Foundation, Inc.

My wish for 2026 is for the foundation that Lito and I are setting up in obedience to the late Pope Francis to successfully launch its first program in 2026. The foundation will be the Philippine arm of Scholas Occurrentes, which was co-founded by Pope Francis in Argentina in the early 2000s and became a Pontifical Foundation in 2015. It aims to foster dialogue among students of all faiths and socio-economic backgrounds and empower them to act on their social pains.