By Ria Geleen G. Javate | APRIL 2026

Just two months into 2026, a song released two decades ago has made an unexpected comeback — dominating our social media feeds and empowering Filipinas to celebrate who they truly are.

“Bebot”, from Black Eyed Peas’ 2006 Monkey Business album, was used as the soundtrack of a viral makeup transition trend started by Filipina content creators on TikTok.

A slang Filipino term, Bebot translates to hot babe, beautiful woman, or baddie in Gen Z lingo. The trend captures exactly that energy, exuding confidence, nostalgia, and cultural pride.

RECREATING THE LOOK

Growing up, I watched some of the OG Bebots like Assunta De Rossi, Angel Locsin, and Toni Gonzaga on television. Their looks defined what it meant to be a Bebot in the 2000s, and some of today’s creators even took inspiration from them.

TikTok creators Monique Libres, Eula Arielle, and Isay Delpilar were among the first to use the song to recreate a historically accurate Bebot look.

The videos follow a similar format: the creator appears barefaced in casual clothing, then transitions into a full Bebot with thin eyebrows, smoky eyeshadow, jet-black eyeliner, and glossy lips. To complete the look, some added Y2K staples such as pouf hairstyles, hoop earrings, and halter tops.

But for many viewers, this isn’t just a trend or a glimpse into the past — it hits closer to home.

BEYOND THE STANDARDS

Many Filipinas, myself included, grew up hating our physical features. From a young age, we were told what beauty should look like — fair skin, high-bridged noses, and more Westernized traits.

The media reinforced this narrow beauty standard, evident in the widespread advertising of whitening products in TV commercials, grocery stores, billboards, and even our favorite online platforms.

So when you grow up looking in the mirror and seeing the exact opposite — with your morena skin, lower nose bridge, and round eyes — it’s easy to feel disconnected from who you truly are. Those beauty standards were impossible for Filipinas to meet in the first place, yet many of us tried to fit into them.

@nadinelustre

bebot ni chris @jelly eugenio 🧿 @Paul Nebres

♬ original sound – ♡🌻ʸᵒᵘʳʰᵃᵖᵖⁱⁿᵉˢˢ🌻♡

The Bebot trend, in a way, challenges that narrative. While creators are recreating a makeup look, they’re also embracing the very features many Filipinas once struggled to be confident in, such as morena skin.

For many of us, it feels uplifting. It serves as a reminder, especially for the younger generation, that being in our own skin is enough. Our natural features were never meant to be fixed or changed — only celebrated and appreciated.

That’s why Bebot is more than just a trend — it’s proof that we get to define what beauty is, not the other way around, and on our own terms.