Filipinos were amazed when Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Singson announced that South Korean girl group Momoland will hold a mini-concert for free in the province.
In an announcement via an Instagram post, he noted that the mini-concert would be held in Tamag Grounds, Vigan at December 9, 6:00 p.m.
The mini-concert is sponsored by the provincial government of Ilocos Sur as a gift to the locals for Christmas season, based on Singson’s caption. It reads:
“Boom-boom! Heto na ang pinakamasayang panahon ng taon! Pasko na. At nandito sila, naging posible na ang pangarap nating makita at mapanood sa personal. Sabayan natin silang umawit at sumayaw. Ito’y espesyal na mapapanood natin para sa pagsalubong ng kapaskuhan. Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat.”
Fans expressed their amazement on the comments section since the mini-concert would be free.
Usually, South Korean artists performing in the Philippines have costly ticket prices due to their grand production setups and talent fees, especially if they are extremely popular in the international music industry.
Singson with Momoland
When members of Momoland arrived in the Philippines last August to meet their Filipino fans and perform in a private event, former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson was one of those who personally greeted them.
The elder Singson had a pictorial with the girl group upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
That month, Momoland performed at Solaire Resort and Casino to an exclusive audience composed of the hotel and casino hub’s gold card members.
The elder Singson also disclosed that he would reportedly tour the girl group to different places in the country.
“Siguro ipapasyal ko sa Cebu, Manila, Ilocos and other places,” he said in an interview.
Nancy McDonie, one of Momoland’s members, expressed her enthusiasm over his offer and reportedly exclaimed, “Oh really? Awesome! Exciting!”
However, no reports of the tour taking place surfaced, although they were invited by Sen. Manny Pacquiao to his residence at Forbes Park shortly after their arrival.
The boxer-politician is close friends with the elder Singson.
Momoland was supposed to perform in the opening of the 81st season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. They were unable to do so because of scheduling conflicts with the Hallyu Pop Fest in Singapore.
Apart from the free mini-concert in Ilocos Sur, they are slated to have a fan meeting with the Filipinos on January 25, 2019 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Momoland and Filipinos
Momoland is one of the most popular South Korean acts in the Philippines. Some of their singles have topped weekly Filipino music charts such as “Bboom Bboom” and “BAAM.”
READ: WATCH: Filipino culture featured in K-pop group Momoland’s latest video
At a press conference last August, they thanked their Filipino fans for letting them reach the top music charts of a foreign country.
Sung Ji-yeon (Jane), one of the members, exclaimed:
“It’s kind of unreal that we are topping the charts but now that I am here and I am seeing how the fans dance to our music, that’s making me see how our popularity is growing here and I’m really thankful for that. (I am) very thankful that the Filipino fans love K-pop in general.”
The Facebook page of “Momoland Philippines,” considered the “official fan base” of the girl group in the country, has 21,998 likes and 23,400 followers as of the moment.
