Tatler Philippines – April 2026

Summary

OceanX founders Ray and Mark Dalio, photographed aboard the research vessel M/V OceanXplorer, lead Tatler Philippines April 2026 with a 12-page ocean-exploration package that also profiles 25 entrepreneurs driving change in Philippine business. The 170-page issue positions ocean conservation, sustainability and corporate innovation as its three editorial pillars.

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The cover feature ("Taking the Helm," p.104) follows billionaire hedge-fund founder Ray Dalio and his son Mark as they deploy OceanX's submersibles to map the Philippine Trench—one of the ocean's least-surveyed deep-sea environments. The "Next Establishment" list (p.86) profiles 25 Filipino founders and CEOs under 45 across fintech, health-tech, agritech and renewable energy, with a combined valuation of PHP 12 billion. The Style section runs 20 pages anchored by a 10-page "Shaped by the Sky" fashion shoot at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant—an abandoned 1980s structure now a heritage site. The Scene (p.20-44) covers 5 events: Invisible Strings (Tatler's Front & Female partner dinner), On Time, Always (Audemars Piguet launch), Guarding the Blue (OceanX partner reception), Prosperous Beginnings (Chinese New Year celebration), and Victory and Vuitton (Louis Vuitton cruise show). A 4-page drinks feature ("What's Brewing," p.154) profiles 6 Philippine coffee roasters.

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Regular departments include Editor's Note (p.17), The Guest List (p.16), and The Last Word (p.170). Features include a profile of Singapore-based Filipino fine-dining chef ("Paradise Regained," p.138), a meditation and wellness centre in Tagaytay ("The Tree of Life," p.120), and a sustainable-fashion brand in Cebu ("Notes of Distinction," p.112). Advertising density runs at 42 percent with heavy OceanX-adjacent brand integrations.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.104 · Taking the Helm
Ray Dalio, 76, and Mark Dalio, 36, have deployed OceanX's 2-person submersible Limiting Factor to 11,000-meter depth. Their current mission in the Philippine Trench deploys 6 underwater drones to map 5,000 square kilometers of seabed. Data is shared with the Philippine government's UP Marine Science Institute. The M/V OceanXplorer carries a crew of 60 and operates 340 days a year.

▸ Features

p.86 · The Next Establishment
25 entrepreneurs under 45 with PHP 12 billion in combined valuation. Fintech leader Lito Villanueva (RCBC) has onboarded 8 million unbanked Filipinos. Health-tech founder Dr. Minguita Padilla's Medschool PH placed 1,200 nurses in UK hospitals. Agritech CEO Chit Juan's ECHOstore sources from 2,000 smallholder farmers.

p.112 · Notes of Distinction
Cebu-based fashion brand Anthill Fabric Gallery employs 80 indigenous weavers from the T'boli, Yakan and Ilonggo communities. Each handwoven piece takes 3-7 days to complete. Annual revenue reached PHP 35 million in 2025, with 40 percent from export.

p.138 · Paradise Regained
Filipino chef Johanne Siy, based in Singapore, runs restaurant Lolla with a Michelin star since 2019. Her new tasting menu (SGD 248 per person) sources 80 percent of ingredients from the Philippines—kinilaw with Bicol paho, lechon with Ilocos garlic, and a dessert using Negros muscovado sugar.

▸ Style

p.62 · Shaped by the Sky
Shot at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant—a 620-MW facility completed in 1984 but never commissioned. The 10-page spread uses the plant's cooling towers and control room as backdrop for technical-fabric outerwear and structured separates from Puma, The North Face and local brand Bayo. The plant is open for guided tours (PHP 500, booking required).

▸ The Scene

p.20 · Invisible Strings
Tatler's Front & Female partnership dinner at the Manila House: 40 women leaders, keynote by GCash's Martha Sazon. The initiative has 1,200 members across 3 chapters in Manila, Cebu and Davao. New members must be referred by an existing member and approved by a 5-person board.

p.30 · Guarding the Blue
OceanX partner reception at the Ayala Museum: 80 guests, hosted by the Dali o family. The museum's OceanX exhibition ran 4 weeks and drew 15,000 visitors.

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Editor's Take

The OceanX package—12 pages with specific mission data, submersible specs and government partnerships—is the strongest science journalism in any Tatler edition this year. The 25 Under-45 list (p.86) delivers healthy sector spread across fintech, health and agritech, though the combined valuation of PHP 12 billion seems conservative for a group that includes GCash-related ventures. The Bataan Nuclear Plant fashion shoot (p.62) is conceptually smart—using an iconic abandoned structure as a sustainability conversation starter. But the Scene section has 3 straight luxury-brand advertorials (Audemars Piguet, Louis Vuitton, OceanX reception) within its first 24 pages, blurring the edit-commercial line further than usual.

Strengths
• OceanX mission specifics—submersible depth, drone count, seabed survey kilometers
• 25-entrepreneur list with employment, revenue and banked-user numbers
• Bataan Nuclear Plant fashion shoot uses heritage-listed site for conceptual coherence

Weaknesses
• Three consecutive Scene entries are brand advertorials disguised as event coverage
• Combined PHP 12 billion valuation for Next Establishment list lacks attribution methodology

Verdict: Recommended — The OceanX editorial justifies the purchase; skip the front-of-book luxury events section.