Esremborak Break Into Top 10 Of Philippines Hot 100 With “Mahal Magmahal”
Making its debut on the chart at No. 69 last August, the socially aware track climbs up to No. 9 this week.
Courtesy of @esremborak
Courtesy of @esremborak
Esremborak break into the top 10 of Billboard Philippines‘ Hot 100 as the five-piece ukulele indie band’s “Mahal Magmahal” rises to No. 9, dated September 26, 2026.
Part love song, part dissection of our socioeconomic realities, the 2025 release is a play on the Filipino word “mahal,” which could either be translated as “love” or “expensive.” The track employs this dual meaning to discuss economic hardships in the country, especially when in a relationship.
The song’s sudden popularity came as a shock to the group’s vocalist, MC Mislan. In an interview with The Communicator, the singer shared his surprise when a student mentioned the song’s ongoing popularity on social media.
“Ta’s biglang sumabog ‘yong isip ko na parang nag-si-sink in sa akin tapos biglang sabi niya rin na umiingay na nga sa TikTok.” Mislan shared.
(“Then suddenly, my mind exploded as if it was sinking in on me, and then suddenly he added that it was already making a buzz on TikTok.”)
According to the official student publication of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (where Mislan also works as a professor of Filipinology), the track was a product of a three-and-a-half-year masteral thesis that examined “his experiences to create a song that could be used in teaching Filipino.”
Accompanying Esremborak in the top 10 are ADÉLA‘s “Ain’t In LA,” which keeps its spot at No. 1, followed by fitterkarma‘s “Kalapastangan” at No. 2, Cup of Joe‘s “Multo at No. 3, fitterkarma’s “Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo II” at No. 4, and nicole‘s “Panaginip” at No. 5.
Completing the lineup are Olivia Rodrigo‘s “the cure” at No. 6, Kyle Raphael‘s “Libu-Libong Buwan” at No. 7, ADÉLA’s “Nicole Kidman” at No. 8, the aforementioned “Mahal Magmahal” at No. 9, and RAPROJECT SIX‘s “Shuloks” at No. 10.
Billboard Philippines’ Hot 100 chart tracks the most prominent and most popular songs in the Philippines from both local and international artists. It serves as one of Billboard Philippines‘ official music charts, alongside the Top Philippine Songs chart. Updated every week, the Hot 100 ranks the top 100 tracks in the country using both audio and streaming data gathered and organized by the leading music and entertainment data provider, Luminate.
View this week’s Billboard Philippines’ Hot 100 here.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Mahal Magmahal” rose to No. 9 on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 dated September 26, 2026, breaking Esremborak into the chart’s Top 10.
The title plays on the Filipino word “mahal,” meaning both “love” and “expensive.” The song uses that double meaning to explore economic hardship within relationships.
Esremborak is a five-piece ukulele indie band from the Philippines. Its vocalist, MC Mislan, is a professor of Filipinology at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
The song grew out of MC Mislan’s three-and-a-half-year master’s thesis, which drew on his own experiences to create a song for teaching Filipino.
“Mahal Magmahal” gained momentum on TikTok. Vocalist MC Mislan said he was surprised when a student told him the song was already creating buzz online.