Belle de Jour and the journaling habit: A powerful tool for intentional living

How a local journaling brand grew into a movement empowering Filipino women

- By JESSICA PAG-IWAYAN

MINIMALIST The 2026 planner embraces a clean, understated aesthetic simple yet refined, designed to feel timeless.

Studies have shown that journaling offers wide-ranging benefits. An article by the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences even reports that it can have a direct impact on intelligence and physical health.

For local journaling and planner brand Belle de Jour (BDJ), however, journaling goes beyond research-backed benefits, it can be life changing.

Since its founding in 2006, BDJ has championed journaling as more than a daily habit, it is a powerful tool for self-belief, clarity, and intentional living. Created by Filipina entrepreneur Darlyn Ty-Nilo, the brand was born from a deeply personal desire to design a planner that went beyond organizing schedules and deadlines.

"BDJ is born from one woman's desire to create a planner that didn't just organize your schedule, but helped you believe in your own potential," Darlyn tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. Drawing from her own resilience and early failures, she envisioned a tool that would empower women to turn their dreams into actionable steps, long before self-development became mainstream.

From pages to movement