MANILA, Philippines – Dubbed “by the fans, for the fans,” the event called “PPOPCOM” – short for Pinoy Pop Community Event – started from a postponement they didn’t see coming. 

Fans were disappointed and frustrated upon learning that the 2023 PPop Convention, set for March 18 and 19, had been postponed. But instead of wallowing, they channeled their discontent into organizing an alternative event that would re-energize their community.

Z Punzalan, an SB19 fan, took the reins, put up a core team, and called out for volunteers. Whenever they’d hit a wall, Z would just remind the team of their goal: #PPopRise.

Come D-day, on Sunday, March 19, it was like the stars aligned and things fell into place.

Sam, who flew in from the United States for the postponed event, talked about how fascinated she was with the community. “The P-pop community, it’s one of the best out there. It’s everyone taking care of each other, everyone’s looking out for each other. It’s very supportive,” she said.

Singer Caleb Santos from boy group XLR8 said performing that day was his way of giving back to the people who supported him from the start.

For Kheene and Ken of boy group VER5US, it’s really about the fans. “For us, it’s not really about the money. We really wanted to perform,” they said.

Girl group KAIA, meanwhile, was not a confirmed performer for the event, but they came in at the last minute and performed for the fans. “We want to witness the first event put up by P-pop fans, and as you can see, it’s super successful,” the group’s leader Angela said. – Rappler.com

Writer and producer: Jaira Roxas
Interns: Xander Cipriano, Pauline Vasquez, Remuelle Carreon
Production specialist: Franz Lopez
Video editor: Jen Agbuya
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso