Google Year in Search 2025: Filipinos turn to AI, elections, and entertainment

Google has released its 2025 Year in Search lists, showing the top trending topics among Filipino users. The most searched term overall was Gemini AI, reflecting growing interest in AI tools for daily tasks and projects.

Why It Matters: Search trends show what topics and events shape public interest. This year highlights how Filipinos rely on online resources not only for entertainment but also for news, safety, and information.

Other top searches included Halalan 2025, related to the national midterm elections, and earthquakes, which prompted users to seek updates and safety alerts. In entertainment, Netflix’s Squid Game remained a major trend after its series finale. Roblox and its in-game variant Grow a Garden also ranked among the most popular searches, especially among younger audiences.

Filipino personalities also drew significant attention. Tennis player Alex Eala was the top female personality and fourth in sports, while boxing legend Manny Pacquiao ranked second in sports. Local singer Dionela topped the male Filipino personality list with his hit “Marilag,” ahead of Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters’ song “Golden.”

Streaming shows dominated the Shows and Series category, with titles exclusively available online, mainly on Netflix. This reflects the growth of digital media in the Philippines, which had a 16% year-on-year expansion in 2025, alongside Indonesia and Vietnam.

Here’s the full list of top search trends in the Philippines this year:

With AI, local personalities, and streaming content leading searches, which trends do you think will define Filipino interests in 2026?