Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Youth protesters clash with anti-riot police at Mendiola in Manila during an anti-corruption rally marking the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The violent confrontation erupted after a group of demonstrators pelted police with rocks, while officers used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. Protesters demand accountability from those involved in the alleged multi-trillion-peso corruption cases in government projects. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News Intern

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780105787162fd6a4191d6d9b111302609984885d240b592cb1fc4ca3cd5a03fba136729f069.jpg.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Youth protesters clash with anti-riot police at Mendiola in Manila during an anti-corruption rally marking the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The violent confrontation erupted after a group of demonstrators pelted police with rocks, while officers used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. Protesters demand accountability from those involved in the alleged multi-trillion-peso corruption cases in government projects.<em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — All-black oversized fits, leather backpack, jorts that reach below the knees, and a distinct way of speaking that turns heads. These are the common descriptions of the subculture, the youth, and the Filipino hip-hop scene going by the name “young stunna.”</p><p>In contrast to the fancy suits and colorful shirts of their respective regions, who would have thought a campus journalist donning that style of “young stunnas” dominated the recent National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) — seen as the biggest stage of Philippine campus journalism.</p><p>Vince Japson, whom the internet has dubbed as “Young Journa,” was crowned back-to-back champion in the 2026 NSPC’s editorial cartooning category.</p><p>Japson shared that the name originally began as a TikTok comment, which eventually became a part of his identity.</p><p>“Sila lang nagpangalan sa akin na ‘gangster pero may napatunayan.’ Sabi ko, ‘young stunna daw na may napatunayan.’ Pinagsama nila ‘yung young stanna tsaka journalist parang ‘Batang Journo,’ hanggang sa nabuo ang ‘Young Journa’,” he said.</p><p>Now an aspiring architecture student, Japson has continued to bring his brand and expertise to other campus journalists through workshops and training sessions.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width:960px;display:inline-block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17801042254891780104223125.jpeg" width="960" id="isPasted" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width:960px"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">‘Young Journa’ shares some tips and techniques to campus journalists on how they can improve their cartoons and illustrations in one of his workshops. <em>Photo from Vincent Japson/Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><p>Despite, or because of the distinguishable personality and trademark, the “young stunna” subculture has continued to polarize.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Behind the subculture</strong></div><p>The emerging “Young Stunna” subculture is more than just a passing internet trend, but an evolution of international and local influences on marginalized communities in the country, said Marc Angelo Sanchez, a professor at the University of the Philippines Department of Sociology.</p><p>While online discourse often reduces the subculture to fashion or behavior, Sanchez believes &quot;young stunnas&quot; are no different from other cultures that express their interests and how society approaches and treats them.</p><p>A clip of a group of young stunnas being kicked out of private estate Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City went viral last year and sparked online debate on discrimination and elitism.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/6/dilg-drinking-liquor-on-streets-is-banned-1139">READ: DILG to strictly enforce public drinking ban, minors’ curfew, other ordinances in Metro Manila</a></div><p>“Kung titingnan natin ang history of hip-hop... based talaga sa anti-authoritarian attacks para sa mga black American communities do’n sa US. Siyempre, nag-rereflect ‘yan dito sa Pilipinas kaya mga old raps talaga dati ay more against sa authority talaga,” said Sanchez.</p><p>The term “young stunna” — a play on “stunner,” which describes a person who is outgoing, confident, stylish, and strong-willed — boomed on social media with the popularity of hip-hop and hustle culture. </p><p>That is reflected not just in their fashion, but also their attitude and slang.</p><p>“It’s very mass-oriented. Mass-oriented aesthetic and art form na hindi mo talaga siya mahihiwalay do’n,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/30/teritoryo-namin-to-filipino-hiphop-group-morobeats-makes-waves-with-song-for-wps-0937">Teritoryo namin &#x27;to: Filipino hiphop group Morobeats makes waves with song for WPS<br/></a></div><p>He said the culture is a &quot;glocalized&quot; version adapted to the Philippines as different cultures interact on social media.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width:960px;display:inline-block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17801046879611780104684463.png" width="960" id="isPasted" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width:960px;display:inline-block;height:auto"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">‘Young Journa’ shows off some of his editorial cartoon drafts.</span></span></span></div><p>Japson, a part of the “Temple Street 13” gang in Cavite, described the subculture as easygoing, cool, and suave.</p><p>“’Yung mga batang young stunna, pansin ko ah, halos lahat may pakikisama. Marunong silang sumabay sa flow, marunong silang makisayaw-sayaw, sakyan-sakyan trip ng ibang tao, kasi nga galing sa kalsada,” he said.</p><p>It’s this openness, he said, that allows him to continue expressing himself.</p><p>“Kahit nga nasa Press Conference na ako, nasa contest ako, meron akong ija-judge, meron akong ikri-critique, o magtuturo ako, &#x27;di ko binago ‘yung itsura ko, suot ko. Kasi ‘yun ako eh. Kung hindi ako tanggap ng tao, parang okay lang, basta ito pa rin ako,” Japson added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>&#x27;Respect should not depend on interest&#x27;</strong></div><p>Society’s respect also shouldn’t depend on a person’s interests, said Sanchez, comparing it to other marginalized communities in the country, each with its distinct form of self-expression.</p><p> “It’s a part of them to express themselves to go against the status quo na may ayaw sa kanila. It’s a part of, in terms of claiming spaces for them, which is no’ng nakaraan, nakita natin sa BGC. ‘Di ba? They’re ‘banned?’ Pero the mere fact na bumabalik sila ro’n, it’s an action of claiming those spaces. Na hindi naman porket ganito ako, troublemaker ako. Otherwise, discrimination na ‘yan.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17801049659461780104963351.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Activists gather on Mendiola Street in Manila on October 21, 2025 to mark National Peasant Month and to demand accountability over corruption in flood control projects. ABS-CBN News file</span></span></span>Japson recalled similar experiences of being blocked by guards and the police for being a &quot;young stunna&quot; and having to explain his intentions for entering a mall or a public space.</div><p>.“Nag-iiba ‘yung tingin ng tao sa amin dahil sa ginawa nila. Isa ‘yun sa mga importante na kung ano ‘yung fashion niyo at ugali niyo, dapat pinaghihiwalay niyo. Kung fashion niyo, fashion niyo lang. Huwag niyo idadala yung ugali niyo sa fashion niyo,” he said.</p><p>Sanchez, meanwhile, cautioned against stereotyping based on appearance.</p><p>“It promotes discrimination, it promotes segregation, it promotes symbolic violence,” he said. </p><p>He believes the &quot;young stunna&quot; will not go away anytime soon, adding it is an evolution of the “jejemon” and “jeproks” subcultures of previous generations.</p><p>“It will stay and it will evolve… At iisa lang ‘yan—same group of socio-economic groups ‘yung mga nand’yan pero nag-e-evolve ‘yung style nila. Nag-e-evolve ‘yung kanilang subculture pero nagsimula rin sila—it’s an expression of not just their identity, but their interest.”</p>

<p>All-black oversized fits, leather backpack, jorts that reach below the knees, and a distinct way of speaking that turns heads. These are the common descriptions of the subculture, the youth, and the Filipino hip-hop scene going by the name “young stunna.”</p>

All-black oversized fits, leather backpack, jorts that reach below the knees, and a distinct way of speaking that turns heads. These are the common descriptions of the subculture, the youth, and the Filipino hip-hop scene going by the name “young stunna.”

‘Young Stunna’: Rooted in marginalized representation, influenced by hip-hop

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‘Young Stunna’: Rooted in marginalized representation, influenced by hip-hop

ABS-CBN News Intern,

Lourence Angelo Marcellana,

Published May 30, 2026 10:36 AM PHT

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Updated May 30, 2026 10:53 AM PHT

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