Portfolio Night Manila 2026 shows what happens when the industry invests in its future; UP Diliman’s Miggie Bacungan clinches All-Star title

A portfolio can be many things. It can be a collection of finished work, a record of what a young creative has learned, or a glimpse of what might become and at Portfolio Night Manila 2026, it became all three.

Held on October 5 at Ayala Museum, the fourth consecutive Manila edition of the global initiative brought together more than 60 emerging creatives from 14 participating schools and organizations, giving them the rare opportunity to present their work before some of the Philippines’ most accomplished creative leaders.

Presented by The One Club for Creativity and adobo Magazine, Portfolio Night Manila 2026 was built around a simple but consequential idea: talent needs more than a place to simply display work. It needs people willing to look closely, ask difficult questions, offer honest feedback, and make room for what comes next.

“By showing up tonight, you’re joining a creative community that’s been growing since Portfolio Night began in 2003. More than anything, though, you’re showing up for and connecting to your local creative community. That means sharing your work, learning from people in the industry and meeting other creatives who are figuring things out alongside you,” Jenna Brandvold, Director of Education at the One Club for Creativity, said during her welcoming remarks. 

Angel Guerrero, Founder, President and Editor-in-Chief of adobo Magazine, who sits at the heart of Creative Futures and its longstanding commitment to informing, inspiring, and connecting the creative community, also lauded the idea.

^{Angel Guerrero underscores the importance of investing in the next generation of Filipino creative talent.}

“For nearly two decades, adobo has stood by one belief: creativity is a force that moves business, culture, and society forward,” Angel said. Referring to adobo Magazine, she added, “We call ourselves the ‘word on creativity’ because we believe in documenting where the industry is today while helping shape where it goes next, and tonight, we are looking at that future.”

Angel likewise alluded to the evolving creative landscape, saying, “We are living in a time of extraordinary change. Technology is transforming how we create, communicate, and experience ideas. AI is opening new possibilities, while the creative industry continues to evolve alongside it.”  

A global platform, with a distinctly Manila pulse

Portfolio Night is a global initiative of The One Club for Creativity, the New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating creative excellence and supporting the global creative community.

The Manila edition joins more than 20 creative cities around the world, but its strength lies in what happens when a global format meets a local creative ecosystem.

For the fourth consecutive year, adobo organized Portfolio Night Manila not simply as a portfolio review, but as a space where the country’s next generation could encounter the people, practices, and possibilities shaping the industry they hope to enter.

That meant placing emerging creatives across disciplines and institutions in direct conversation with creative leaders from agencies and organizations. These include Abi Aquino, Creative Chief Officer, Treyna Group; Andi Olbes, Group Creative Director, BBDO Guerrero; Angie Tohid, Executive Creative Director, Havas Ortega Group Philippines; Bianca Fernandez, Executive Creative Director, ALAB MNL; Biboy Royong, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Creative Philippines; Carl Urgino, Head of Art, Leo Manila; Chino Jayme, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy Philippines; Dana De Leon, Creative Director, GIGIL; Dustin Carbonera, President, CDAP Communication Design Association of the Philippines; Greg Martin, Executive Creative Director, Ace Saatchi & Saatchi; Jasper Ilagan, Chief Creative Officer, NJYN; Javey Villones, Deputy Executive Creative Director, VML Manila; John Ed De Vera, Executive Director, TBWA\ SMP; Lisa Sioson, Executive Creative Director, McCann Philippines; Maan Bautista, Executive Creative Director, Publicis JimenezBasic; Marcel Lacap, Creative Director, Octopus&Whale; Michelle Edu, Creative Director, Propel Manila; and Rina Dela Calzada, Deputy Executive Creative Director, Seven A.D.

^{The 18 Creative Reviewers for this year’s Portfolio Night Manila.}

The 18 Creative Reviewers represented different agencies, disciplines, creative philosophies, and career paths. Together, they offered participants something that a classroom or online portfolio submission cannot fully replicate, where emerging creatives had face-to-face encounters with people who spent years turning ideas into work for brands, audiences, and culture.

“Portfolio Night Manila really helped a lot. It paved the way for the next generation, and I really think that because of Portfolio Night Manila, everybody has a chance to showcase their work, learn from experienced professionals, and open doors to opportunities they might not have had otherwise. It gives aspiring creatives the platform to be seen, the confidence to pursue their ideas, and the chance to realize that their talents and perspectives have a place in the industry,” Rina Dela Calzada, Deputy Executive Creative Director of Seven A.D., said.

Likewise, Portfolio Night Manila is also an experience and a chance to see where the next generation is headed. For Abi Aquino, Creative Chief Officer of TREYNA Group, an open mind that’s receptive to constructive criticism can be just as valuable as having confidence in their own ideas, particularly in young creatives. 

“The emerging creative is not afraid to ask questions. They were very confident. They listened very, very thoughtfully and actively. They were eager to listen to what we had to say. They were eager to learn, and that goes a long way at any age, but most especially at theirs,” she said. 

The creatives made an impression not just through their portfolios, but also through their attitude toward the creative process and their willingness to grow.

This also rings true to Publicis JimenezBasic Executive Creative Director Maan Bautista, who advised the young creatives against being stagnant.

“They should keep evolving because I’ve seen a lot of work where they take something and want to make it better, to push it to another level. I think and hope that’s something they carry with them as they continue their creative journey.”

60-plus creatives, 10 rounds of possibility

Each participant received three 15-minute portfolio reviews, distributed across 10 review periods. In those short windows, young creatives had to present their strongest work, explain their thinking, respond to questions, and absorb feedback from a different creative leader each time. It was an exercise in both craft and confidence.

^{Beyond showcasing craft, the sessions challenged aspiring creatives to communicate their ideas with confidence, engage with constructive criticism, and consider new perspectives on their work.}

The portfolios themselves reflected a generation creating across different forms, interests, disciplines, and cultural references. Rather than presenting one uniform idea of what a young Filipino creative looks like, the room revealed a more expansive creative landscape, with participants bringing different approaches to design, advertising, visual communication, storytelling, technology, and ideas.

For the participating institutions, Portfolio Night Manila also served as a bridge between education and industry, bringing students from different academic backgrounds into the same room as working creative professionals and opening pathways to the country’s creative sector.

The event welcomed participants from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, CIIT College of Innovation and Integrated Technology, Enderun Colleges, FEU Institute of Technology, Holy Angel University, De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila, Mapúa University, Meridian International College, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, and iAcademy, alongside participants from The Lead Realty and Mata Technologies. Their presence reflected the breadth of institutions and organizations nurturing the next generation of Filipino creative talent.

Among the participating institutions, MINT College has maintained a particularly strong presence in Portfolio Night Manila, having been part of it for four consecutive years. For Hendrik Kiamzon, MINT College Executive Vice President (EVP), the partnership has offered students more than a chance to compete. It has given them direct access to industry professionals, opportunities to build relationships with agencies, and a clearer view of where their creative careers could lead.

^{Young creatives present their portfolios to industry professionals, receiving feedback and fresh perspectives on their work, ideas, and creative potential.}

“Our students have been top finalists every year we have competed,” Hendrik shared. MINT students placed second in 2023, won the All-Star Manila grand prize in both 2024 and 2025, and secured second and third place in 2026.

Hendrik emphasized how—beyond the accolades—Portfolio Night connects classroom learning with the realities of the creative industry. MINT College has participated in Portfolio Night since 2023 and the adobo Design Awards Asia since 2017, making 2026 its tenth year participating in adobo events.

“Year after year, students receive offers from their reviewers. Even those who don’t win the competition leave with something more valuable: the chance to work with the country’s top creative agencies,” he said.

Hendrik also pointed to the Philippine creative industry’s “spirit of coopetition,” where agencies share knowledge and ideas despite competing with one another. At Portfolio Night Manila, this collaborative culture extends to the conversations reviewers have about the young creatives they encounter, which helps promising talent gain recognition beyond the event itself.

“Our students benefit even more in this environment, because reviewers talk to one another about the young creatives they meet at Portfolio Night Manila, and good word travels,” he added.

Kiamzon credited adobo Magazine alongside The One Club for Creativity for sustaining a platform that brings education and industry closer together. He also recognized Angel’s commitment to placing Filipino talent on the global creative map.

“These opportunities are invaluable. We are deeply grateful to Angel Guerrero, adobo Magazine, and The One Club for Creativity for creating this platform that continues to drive the Philippine creative industry forward.”

Beyond the portfolio

The reviews were the heart of the evening, but Portfolio Night Manila 2026 was designed to extend beyond the table.

For the first time, the program integrated an adobo Masterclass on Creativity, led by Abi Aquino, who, aside from being the CCO of TREYNA Group, is a 4As Philippines Creative Guild Hall of Famer.

^{Abi Aquino leads the adobo Masterclass on Creativity, sharing how courage, curiosity, and “culit” can help creatives push ideas further.}

Abi’s own career offered a fitting perspective for the evening. A homegrown talent who rose from writer to chief creative officer, she has helped lead work including the Right To Care Card and Stripes Fit Check, while earning recognition locally and internationally.

During her talk, Abi explored how impactful creativity is built on three core values: courage, curiosity, and “culit.” She encouraged creatives to speak up, ask questions, explore beyond familiar influences, and persistently refine ideas until they reach their strongest form. Drawing from the above-mentioned campaigns, Abi demonstrated how these values can translate into meaningful creative work. 

Ultimately, she urged aspiring creatives to embrace imperfect ideas, welcome honest feedback, and find collaborators who share their values and drive to create work that makes a difference.

The program also featured LoudBox Studios music composers Isaac Garcia and Top Suzara, offering participants a different lens into creative production and the intersection of music, storytelling, technology, and visual craft.

^{LoudBox Studios music composers Isaac Garcia and Top Suzara offer participants a glimpse into the intersection of music, storytelling, technology, and visual craft.}

Ultimately, these sessions reinforced a central idea of the event: creativity is not confined to a portfolio page. It lives in the conversations, disciplines, collaborations, and decisions that happen around the work.

‘Opens a lot of opportunities’

After hours of portfolio reviews, feedback, conversations, and deliberation, seven creatives emerged as the strongest contenders at Portfolio Night Manila 2026. For the first time, the event’s creative reviewers deliberated on seven portfolios to determine the top three winners.

Michael “Miggie” Esguerra Bacungan of the University of the Philippines Diliman emerged as the Portfolio Night Manila 2026 All-Star Winner. Ian Borja of Meridian International College (MINT College), who placed first runner-up; and Xeline Maelin Sta. Ana, also of MINT College, who secured second runner-up; joined him on stage.

The other finalists in the Top 7 were Raven Marie P. Ang, Allen Gabriel Y. Rabang, Ashley Joyce Zuniga, and Jermaine Kobe T. Tiston, all from CIIT College of Arts and Technology.

^{Beaming with pride after an evening of creative exchange and portfolio reviews, Portfolio Night Manila 2026’s top three winners, Miggie Bacungan (center), Ian Borja (right), and Xeline Maelin Sta. Ana (left), pose with adobo Magazine Founder, President, and Editor-in-Chief Angel Guerrero and Managing Editor Ivan Medina, celebrating the talent, hard work, and creative potential that brought them to the podium.}

For Miggie, the recognition represents more than a title.

“Winning Portfolio Night opens up a lot of opportunities for me to continue and explore my own creative path. Whenever people ask me what I want to do, I always tell them I’m open to any opportunity that presents itself,” he told adobo Magazine in an interview. 

“As a creative I don’t want to be stuck doing just one thing; if it’s creatively fulfilling, then I’ll go for it. I mentioned in my presentations that I’m a multihyphenate, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I lose my voice whenever I switch disciplines. I believe that if you have a point of view, then it will reflect on any medium that you decide to tackle.”

Investing in the creative future

Essentially, adobo Magazine brings Portfolio Night to Manila as part of a larger responsibility. With its tagline, “the word on creativity,” adobo has spent nearly two decades documenting the people, ideas, campaigns, and cultural shifts shaping the industry. But documenting the creative community is only one part of the work. There is equal value in helping build it.

Portfolio Night creates a space where the industry’s established leaders can give something back through their time and experience, while young creatives can gain access to perspectives that may otherwise take years to encounter.

^{The fourth consecutive Manila edition of Portfolio Night reflects a shared commitment by The One Club for Creativity and adobo Magazine to nurture the next generation of creative talent.}

It is also why the initiative aligns so closely with adobo’s Creative Futures theme.

Technology is transforming the way ideas are developed and produced. Artificial intelligence is changing creative workflows. New platforms are changing how work reaches audiences. Yet the fundamental human qualities behind meaningful creativity remain essential: curiosity, empathy, critical thinking, imagination, courage, and the ability to see something differently.

The future of creativity will not belong simply to those who know how to use the newest tools. It will belong to those who know what to make with them, why it matters, and who it is for.

Investing in young creatives matters now, and Portfolio Night Manila is a place where this happens.

READ MORE:

‘Do it imperfectly’: Portfolio Night Manila 2026 All-Star winner Miggie Bacungan shows why taking a chance and trusting your creative intuition matters

Louise Pearce of MINT College to represent Manila in Global All-Star Program after Portfolio Night win

Portfolio Night Manila 2025 ignites creativity, showcases the Philippines’ next wave of creative talents; MINT College’s Louise Pearce bags this year’s Manila All-Star title

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