Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City – Photo Credit : City Government of Pasig / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
TIME Magazine has included Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Filipino Canadian actor Manny Jacinto in its TIME100 Next 2025, recognizing them among the world’s most influential emerging leaders and artists.
MANILA — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Filipino Canadian actor Manny Jacinto have been named to TIME Magazine’s TIME100 Next 2025, an annual list spotlighting emerging leaders, artists, and changemakers whose influence is expected to grow in the years ahead.
The recognition places them alongside global figures shaping politics, culture, and innovation.
Vico Sotto: Reform-minded governance
Sotto, who has been serving as mayor of Pasig City since 2019, was listed in the Leaders category. His profile was written by Nobel laureate journalist Maria Ressa, who described him as a young politician confronting the entrenched system of dynastic politics and corruption in the Philippines.
Ressa highlighted Sotto’s efforts in practicing “radical transparency” through initiatives such as livestreamed government bidding processes, a 24/7 citizen complaints hotline, and reforms that eliminated padded costs in public contracts. He was also commended for his data-driven management during the COVID-19 pandemic, where aid was distributed based on need rather than political loyalty.
For many observers, Sotto’s inclusion reflects how local leaders can set national examples by introducing systemic reforms even within limited jurisdictions.
Manny Jacinto: Filipino Canadian actor breaking barriers
Jacinto, who was born in Manila and raised in Canada, was recognized in the Artists category. His tribute was written by Emmy-winning writer and producer Alan Yang, who praised Jacinto’s versatility as a performer and his personal character.
Best known for his breakout comedic role in NBC’s The Good Place, Jacinto has since taken on diverse projects including Disney’s The Acolyte and the fantasy comedy Freakier Friday. Yang described him as a rare combination of “talent and kindness,” noting that his presence in Hollywood continues to expand the space for Asian representation in mainstream media.
Significance of the recognition
The recognition of Sotto and Jacinto
Sotto’s inclusion validates the idea that reform can take root even in local politics. His emphasis on transparency, accountability, and citizen participation presents a model of governance that resonates far beyond Pasig, challenging the dominance of dynasties and patronage-driven politics.
Jacinto’s rise, meanwhile, reflects the growing visibility of Filipino talent in international entertainment. At a time when Hollywood is reckoning with inclusivity, his versatility and integrity as an actor strengthen the case for broader Asian representation and spotlight the Filipino diaspora’s contributions to culture.
Other Filipinos on TIME’s influential lists
While Sotto and Jacinto are the only Filipinos in the TIME100 Next 2025, they join a lineage of Filipinos and Filipino Americans who have previously earned recognition from TIME.
Among them is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, who was named to the TIME100 in 2019 and earlier honored as part of the magazine’s 2018 Persons of the Year, “The Guardians,” for her fight for press freedom.
In the cultural sphere, Olivia Rodrigo was included in TIME100 Next 2021 and later named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year, celebrated for her impact as a Filipino American singer-songwriter at the top of global charts.
The inclusion of Sotto and Jacinto this year extends this tradition, underscoring the continuing presence of Filipinos in global conversations on governance and the arts.
