It was a day filled with thrilling games and a night that celebrated friendship inside the PH K-Pop community!
The PH Kpop community came together for a day of exciting games and a night of celebrating friendship. The RIPPLES FOR HOPE 2022: A K-POP FRIENDSHIP DAY AND NIGHT, which happened on November 26, 2022, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, featured fun games played by 19 PH K-Pop fan clubs and evening performances from EVERGLOW, MOMOLAND, and Akdong Musician (AKMU).
Friendship Day Highlights
Hosted by Kring Kim, the 19 PH fan clubs entered the arena as 12 teams: ElfBuddy (GFriend Philippines and SJ United Philippines), Oh My Bebe (MONSTA X Philippines and Oh My Girl Philippines), Not Shy Shy (TWICE Philippines and ITZY Philippines), MayFly (BTOB Philippines, ATEEZ Philippines, and Stray Kids Philippines), Team Treasure (Treasure Philippines), Team NCT (NCT Philippines), Team EXO (EXO Philippines), Team Seventeen (SEVENTEEN Philippines), WinnerCity (WINNER Philippines), PinkDay (APink Philippines and Girls’ Day Philippines), and BangKon (BIGBANG Philippines and iKON Philippines).
Each team showcased itself with witty introductions during the parade. Some even brought props and costumes to represent their team’s colors, which is pretty similar to an intramural event.
Games like “Red Light, Green Light,” “Trip to Jerusalem,” “Team Jump Rope,” “Obstacle Course,” “Tug of War,” and “Ugly Duckling” let each group’s competitive side shine. But like any other game, a winner has to be crowned as the very-first Ripple Champion.
Celebrating Friendship with EVERGLOW
After getting to know new friends in the PH Kpop community, it is now time to enjoy the amazing performances prepared by the guest artists. Starting off the one-night celebration, EVERGLOW arrived onstage to wow the crowd with “Ladida.” Then, after fixing a few technical issues, the girl group sent joy to the audience as they greeted them, “Mabuhay! We are EVERGLOW.” (Hello! We are EVERGLOW.)
As if that wasn’t enough to melt the hearts of the fans, EVERGLOW also prepared a surprise gift. Each member learned a Filipino phrase, much to everyone’s amusement, such as “Ang ganda niyo.” (You guys are beautiful.), “Masaya kami na makita kayo.” (We are really happy to see you), and “Mahal namin kayo.” (We love you guys).
EVERGLOW then moved forward to perform their hit songs “Adios” and “DUN DUN” before awarding the 2nd runner-up from the day’s games. Team SEVENTEEN joined the girl group onstage to take a commemorative photo. Then, EVERGLOW ended their performances with “Pirate,” and promised that they would return to the Philippines as soon as possible.
MOMOLAND expressed their longing for the Philippines
It is not an exaggeration to say that as soon as MOMOLAND appeared onstage, the whole arena got covered with cheers and excitement. Starting with “Yummy Yummy Love,” followed by “Ready Or Not,” we can’t take our eyes off the mesmerizing girl group.
After the first two songs, each member expressed how much they missed the Philippines. Specifically, JooE said she missed Jollibee, to which the other members immediately agreed. They also said one of their favorites in the Philippines is mango juice.
Showcasing the live Barbie dolls they truly are, MOMOLAND performed “Wrap Me In Plastic” before awarding the 1st runner-up from the day’s games. Team PinkDay went onstage to receive their trophy and had the opportunity to take a photo with MOMOLAND, earning loud chants from the audience saying “Sana All!” (How I wish!). The girls immediately understood and suggested also taking a group photo with the audience.
MOMOLAND was also aware that the next songs they performed were the crowd favorites. The girls ended their stages with “BBOOM BBOOM” and “BAAM,” leaving the fans wanting more.
The Best Night Spent With The Best Sibling Duo, AKMU
Loud cheers and chants surrounded the whole arena. Just the sound of the band testing their instruments has already sent shivers down fans’ spines. And the anticipation only grew bigger, but the longing ended as soon as AKMU entered the stage with “Hey kid, Close your eyes.”
The Philippine crowd finally heard “NAKKA” and “Dinosaur” live, and it was an absolute dream come true. The real-life siblings also captivated the audience’s hearts with “How People Move” and “Don’t Cross Your Legs,” two of the several songs they have not performed that much live, which added a memorable touch to the evening.
Suhyun then introduced herself to the crowd, saying “Kumusta po kayo?” (How are you guys?) while Chanhyuk goofily introduced himself in Tagalog, “Ako po si Chanhyuk.” (I am Chanhyuk). AKMU was amazed at the warm welcome. “It is our first time here, but we felt that we have already been to the Philippines,” describing their familiarity with the Filipino crowd, as the two have also communicated with a few PH fans through social media.
It was really the best night as AKMU prepared lots of songs for the fans, such as “How can I love the heartbreak, you’re the one I love,” “Last Goodbye,” “Give Love,” “200%,” and “Let’s Take Time.” AKMU also awarded the Ripple Champion from the day games, Team BANGKON.
Suhyun and Chanhyuk then took photos on every side of the stage with the audience and promised to return to the Philippines as soon as possible, expressing their appreciation for all the Ripples for HOPE audience.
Songs To Add To Your K-Pop Playlist Ahead Of The “RIPPLES FOR HOPE 2022”
Brought to fans by The Ripple Society, Happee Hour, and PULP Live World in partnership with Philippine K-Pop Convention Inc., the RIPPLES FOR HOPE 2022: KPOP FRIENDSHIP DAY AND NIGHT commenced on November 26, 2022, at noon, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Event Album Below
Source: Happee Hour
Event Covered By: Bea Melisse Ibañez
Photos: Richard Esguerra
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