Philippine showbiz stories that defined 2025

By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

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2025 marked the year showbiz turned even more political amid protests over corruption scandals linked to flood control projects, even as lighter headlines, from breakups to first-time achievements, kept online chatter alive.

One of the biggest celebrity splits of the year was the end of the marriage of Cebuana celebrity Ellen Adarna to Derek Ramsay, after alleging that her husband had cheated on her.

After years of speculation, Liza Soberano confirmed that she and Enrique Gil had already broken up. Other couples who called it quits include Julia Barretto and Gerald Anderson, Barbie Forteza and Jak Roberto, Chie Filomeno and Jake Cuenca, and Kyline Alcantara and Kobe Paras.

After Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque abruptly called off their engagement, both found new partners. Alonzo is now dating businessman Vincent Co, while Roque is with Sue Ramirez.

Another former couple who moved on is Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez. Abellana has just remarried, this time to a non-showbiz partner and doctor, Reginald Santos. Rodriguez, meanwhile, has yet to publicly name his non-showbiz girlfriend, though the two already have a child together.

High-profile pairings that made headlines were that of Kapamilya actress Kathryn Bernardo and Lucena City Mayor Mark Alcala; and "Incognito" costars Daniel Padilla and Kaila Estrada.

Months of massive flooding across the Philippines revealed that even celebrities shared public anger over unfinished flood control projects, which raised suspicions of corruption among politicians and contractors.

As major taxpayers, celebrities such as Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Catriona Gray, Maris Racal, Gabbi Garcia, and others took to the streets to join anti-corruption protests last September.

Television programs such as "It's Showtime" and "Bubble Gang" also addressed the issue, calling attention to "ghost" flood control projects and highlighting the severity of the problem.