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The Philippines’ podcasting scene just made its boldest statement yet. The Pod Network (TPN) hosted Press Play, its first-ever company media launch, at The Split in Bonifacio Global City last February — unveiling its full 2026 content slate and making a case for why trust, not traffic, is the real currency of audio media.
CEO and Founder Alan Fontanilla didn’t mince words: “We believe the future belongs to media that people choose with intention — not content that fills time, but conversations that actually mean something.” TPN’s 2026 flagship lineup spans comedy (The KoolPals), relationships (Lecheng Pag-Ibig ‘To), public affairs (Let’s Talk with Pia Hontiveros), curiosity-driven learning (Ano Ba Talaga? with Kuya Kim Atienza), and the newly launched Between Us with Iza Calzado and Ben Wintle. Spotify Philippines was recognized as a key platform partner, with the Spotify Studio at TPN headquarters supporting creator production. Media coverage was amplified by When In Manila, with event support from Salveo Barley Grass.
The Key Points:
TPN hosted its first-ever media launch, Press Play, in Manila, unveiling its full 2026 podcast slate across five content verticals
CEO Alan Fontanilla anchored the network’s 2026 strategy on a single principle: intentionality — “reach creates awareness, trust creates preference”
Veteran broadcaster Kuya Kim Atienza revealed that podcasting forced him to unlearn decades of broadcast habits — specifically, learning to listen instead of lead
New show Between Us with Iza Calzado and Ben Wintle launches on Spotify starting February 19, focused on relationships, identity, and personal growth
Spotify Philippines was spotlighted as a key ecosystem partner, underscoring platform investment in Southeast Asian creator development
Why It Matters
The Pod Network’s press launch isn’t just a content announcement — it’s a market signal. In a region where podcasting is still establishing its business infrastructure, TPN is making a deliberate bet that audience loyalty, not raw download numbers, is the foundation for sustainable growth. Fontanilla’s framing — “reach creates awareness, trust creates preference” — is something Western podcast executives have been grappling with for years. The Philippines is arriving at that conversation early, and doing it with intention.
Let that sink in.
The Big Picture
For podcasters and producers watching from anywhere in the world, TPN’s approach offers a practical framework worth stealing. The network isn’t chasing volume. It’s building category depth — comedy, relationships, public affairs, lifestyle — with hosts who have genuine audience relationships before the microphone ever turns on. That’s not an accident. That’s a content strategy.
Kuya Kim’s admission that he “spoke too much” in the beginning is one of the most honest things any host can say — and it’s the lesson most podcast networks never teach their talent. The producers who build systems around listening first will build the shows audiences return to. Every week. Without being asked.
The Spotify partnership piece matters too. Platform investment at the studio infrastructure level — not just algorithmic distribution — is what separates markets that grow sustainably from markets that spike and stall. Southeast Asia’s podcast ecosystem is being built with intention. The question is whether the rest of the industry is paying attention.
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