FPV Drone Races Headline PIHABF; Minseo Lee, Siyang Peng, Chun‑Yan Kwan Shine

Organizers billed the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta as "A Weekend of Everything that Flies," and the Feb 13–15 event at New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac was anchored by an FAI‑sanctioned FPV drone racing competition presented as the 2026 FAI Drone Racing World Cup. Event coverage highlighted clear podium standouts, naming Minseo Lee, Siyang Peng and Chun‑Yan Stephen Kwan among the pilots who emerged from the field.

The festival doubled as the 26th edition of the fiesta and staged 22 colorful special‑shaped balloons flown by pilots from the United Kingdom, United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Macedonia, Switzerland, Germany and Brazil alongside conventional balloons, skydivers, paragliders and radio‑controlled aircraft. Captain Joy Roa, PIHABF director, framed the gathering as both spectacle and recruitment, saying "Roa said young people should consider aviation as a career, from aviation management to administration."

Drone activity extended beyond the FPV heats. Sunstar and on‑site photo coverage listed FAI‑sanctioned drone soccer and paramotor accuracy among the contests, while inventor Kyxz Mendiola presented an all‑Filipino manned drone and demonstrated a hoverbike during the program. Capt. Frank Desiderio delivered a talk titled "The Future of Aviation," and evening programming included a Night Glow, a Pixies performance and Bamban street dancers, creating sustained spectator draws across the three days.

On the ground, a vlogger who served as an on‑site emcee described race operations and production logistics, saying "I'll be hosting that event" and naming "Marlon's team, MCFLY, MCFLY Industries" as the crew setting up the race. The vlogger reported being in the VIP area for opening ceremonies and noted "you can see that they're inflating all of the balloons," underscoring the mix of large‑scale balloon operations with the tight, technical setup required for international FPV racing.

Officials presented the fiesta as a development pipeline as well as a consumer spectacle. At a KapiHann media forum held at Hann Casino Resort, Roa appeared with Tarlac Governor Christian Yap and BCDA President Jake Bingcang to answer questions about programming and local impact, and she reiterated the event's competitive ambitions: "The balloon fiesta is trying to develop a Philippine team that will compete in international events."

The combination of international balloon teams, demonstrator platforms such as Mendiola's manned drone, and FAI‑sanctioned FPV racing delivered both visual pageantry and competitive intensity across New Clark City. Organizers said the festival's goal is to use that exposure to steer more young people into aviation careers and to build Philippine contenders for future international competitions.