I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't despise going to the Philippine Arena because 1, it's too far, 2, travel is too tiring, and 3 if the artist is worth it. I reckon it's the same sentiment for almost anyone from Manila right? Well the folks from PUREGOLD got me thinking because as members, they'll be giving us VIP treatment plus a lineup of artists that NOBODY in the right mind could ever resist. Imagine, the BIGGEST acts in Filipino entertainment all in one place. The boys from SB19, girl group BINI, top band Sunkissed Lola, vixens G22, rising KAIA, artists Skusta Clee and talented Flow G in one stage made me say a resounding YES as soon as I heard it. Whatever hardship I'll be experiencing traveling there will all be worth it just as long as I see them all.
As you can see on the top photo, I'm a silent A'Tin and have that guy Ken as my bias. But no, that doesn't mean I don't like the rest, because I do. There's a reason why, because they've continued to represent the country, and really, they've made us all proud! This goes the same with the other groups in the list, and I just can't believe it happened. Plus, there's more.
BINI with James Reid
KAIA
Sunkissed Lola
G22 was so hot!
Flow G
Skusta Clee
They did a collab too!
When SB19.went out, everybody just lost it!
The finale song was super sweet, a fitting end to see them all singing one song!
At the event, they also surprised us with other iconic artists that performed with them. Names like James Reid, Rico Blanco, Mayonnaise, Yeng Constantino shocked us. . . then went on and did collabs with each other. It was really crazy, but crazy good. I felt I was witnessing history, thanks to Puregold who put this together out of their own pockets. They also had free stuff given away by their partner brands like Nestle, Nescafe, Koko Krunch, Chuckie, Tide, Safeguard, Cream Silk, Surf, Champion and Colgate. There were more but I didn't get to see them so they will remain unnamed haha!
PUREGOLD OPMCON 2025 was certainly one for the books! It made history, seeing them all in one place was just a dream come true. Whoever says there was a group or fan war must be crazy. They're literally friends, and I'm sure this is not the last time that PUREGOLD is doing this. Thank you PUREGOLD!
Seen this coming, but now it's confirmed. Acer is officially the leading consumer and gaming notebook brand in the Philippines. With over 35.7% of the market share according to GfK, they are lading in the consumer notebooks with 34.2% and gaming notebooks with 40.6% market share. This is huge, imagine having one in three of the laptops here in the country!
I guess this stems mostly on how they kept the costs down, often having best of value offers and endorsers like girl group G22 and PPOP Kings SB19. They also have the annual Predator League that is participated by a lot of ESports teams here and around the region. They are also easily accessible because of their presence in shopping apps and their very own online store. So if you are planning to have your laptop before the school starts, see if it is possible to own an Acer.
Follow their social channels for more information about their products and latest offers.
We witnessed the competition here in Manila a few months ago and now, they get to travel to Malaysia for the actual Acer APAC Predator League for 2025.
Since the finals is being hosted in Malaysia, the event will be done at MITEC which usually is a venue for trade expos. This time though there will be 28 teams from different regions in the world. Teams will be battling it out in MMORPG game DOTA 2 and top FPS game Valorant. The winner will be holding up the coveted Predator Shield and a whopping cash prize of 400,000 US Dollars (which will surely change lives no?).
The event will also be a place for different activities because it will be attended by gaming greats, online stars, even cosplay. This is part of their efforts to promote eSports not just in the country but the whole region. The athletes will be donning Acer's Predator gaming rigs, to hopefully showcase how great it is when it comes to response, power and beating your opponents. From Predator Orion X desktop units, to Predator Galea 365 Gaming Headsets, people will surely enjoy every blood rushing game on the Predator XB253Q screens. Folks will also be seeing the "It Lies Within" as performed by different world class artists (perhaps SB19, G22, Dara, Minzy and Sarah Geronimo included!). Hopefully, our boys from ZOL ESports and IVORY would win and make this an even better time for the Philippines! Laban Pilipinas!
We had so much fun at the #AcerAtingPasko event at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall a few days ago. Thousands of fans, media partners and onlookers took time out to celebrate Christmas with the PPOP Kings SB19 and the fabulous and talented ladies of G22. Before the festivities, we were treated to Christmas songs by world class UP Madrigal Singers.
At the event, they first showcased their newest products and announced their offers during the holidays including Php 5,000 off on premium Acer products (select models on laptops and projectors) and up to Php 10,000 worth of appliance center EGC's when you purchase select products from their stores this season. For the fine print, please visit their social channels and see announcements for these. But from what I gathered it's all about the 2024 AI PC's they have specifically the Swift Go 14 AI and the CoPilot+ PC that it has in the system. It's going to make life easier especially if you're more of a creative or using them for office functions. The new laptop has better battery life than its previous models. That alone is something so good to see on the holiday sale.
Anyway, Bullets and A'Tins then had the time of their life when SB19 and G22 performed on stage and did several of their worldwide hits, no doubt, we could feel the screams from the same floor we were in and the bleachers. It was deafening, and we're not surprised. They were ultra talented, good looking and knew it was time to treat their fans with their music! (make sure you follow @kumagcow on TikTok because we've got their performances there!).
Meanwhile, one of the most exciting part of the show was when SB19 and G22 exchanged gifts. Here's how it went!
See why we had fun that day?! Make sure you follow Acer because there's more of this happening soon!
Popular PPOP Girl Group G22 took the stage to perform Predator League's "It Lies Within" theme at the finals in Cebu City. They are after all Acer ambassadors and from the looks of it, AJ, Alfea and Jaz were ecstatic in performing the single at Robinsons Galleria in Cebu. They did this in the Manila leg a couple months back, but this resonates with different regions because they did it in different languages too in different countries. Acer's Senior Marketing Manger Princess Laosantos was happy about the song as it captures what ESports players feel, like the rush to achieve greatness in the sport.
For those who don't know, the Predator League is a yearly competition that aims to find the best of the best in game titles here in the Asia Pacific region. It's a great avenue to start your ESports career, sort of a grassroots level discovery for this huge industry. The Grand Finals will happen in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and they've got USD 400,000 prize for the winners. The Philippines will be represented by Execration, Ivory for DOTA 2, while ZOL Esports and Team Secret will be doing their skirmishes in Valorant. The single "It Lies Within" by G22 will be available on streaming platforms, go listen to it now. You can visit their social channels and acer.com if you want to know more about the tournament and its results.
You wouldn't believe what Acer ambassadors and some of the country's hottest PPOP group did in Taiwan. Your favorite boys Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin of SB19 and ladies AJ, Alfea, and Jaz of G22 visited Formosa as part of their responsibilities and duties as Acer brand reps, and were welcomed by giving them honorary employee titles in the Taiwan headquarters because of their contribution for promoting them in the Philippines.
Aside from that, they appeared in Atom Boyz 2, a reality show and had some of their contestants tour the boys at Shilin Night Market, something they really enjoyed. They ate a lot of canides, chicken cake, the infamous Stinky Tofu, sweet potato balls and joined other activities in the show. G22 did the same and performed at the variety show with Sandy and Jacky Wu, popular Father Daughter hosts of the show. Acer's Sue Ong Lim was ecstatic on how they were received because she knew how both groups had so much fans in the region. There will also be a bring project she hinted, something we should look forward to in the coming months. She hopes you remember how the Limitless Acer Day 2024 song was, there might be bigger news about more projects soon.
Acer has over 36 percent market share in the Philippines, and of course, fans had a hand with that for sure. They plan to maintain this post, and introduce more technologies that are environmentally good. Make sure you follow their socials and acer.com to know more about these.
I think I'm still trying to recover from the recent Acer Day 2024 celebration at the Mall of Asia Arena. Seeing some of the country's brightest stars, singers, performers in one stage must have been impossible at one point, but Acer Philippines made it happen.
It was like a dream, seeing Cup of Joe dish out several trendy songs, TJ Monterde singing some of his hits, Ebe Dancel also doing some heartfelt numbers, and Rico Blanco taking the performance level to even greater heights, it was just amazing!
TJ Monterde telling us stories about his songs, and one of which was for KZ Tandingan
The younger ones in the crowd surely had a different type appreciation of Ebe Dancel
Rico Blanco was on a different level!
Sandara Park, G22 and SB19!
SB19 showed why they are the kings of PPOP!
If that was not enough, they also had our lovely Sandara Park performing with G22 her hit single IN or OUT. Plus G22's PPOP hits, and our favorite boys from SB19. Seeing them this time, I now know who my bias is and yes, it's Felip! His vocals are unique and deep, which I absolutely felt so crazy about. If you missed the concert, I have their performances on my TikTok account, you can check TikTok.com/@kumagcow for it (and follow please!). It was unforgettable, and felt that we can do anything after that. We are LIMITLESS!
Congratulations Acer Philippines and thank you so much for giving us an extraordinary treat! Being in this year's celebrations of Acer Day is just on a different level and people appreciated the booths, the appliances you displayed, and the new laptops you made accessible at the MOA Arena grounds.
Today we just got word that ACER day is happening this coming August 4, 2024. It will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and the stars coming are phenomenal!
Since it's 2024, everything will be going with the theme of AI, but theirs is kinda quirky as they call it "AI'm Limitless", which means YOU have the power to push your limits and see what kind of products, PC's will fit your lifestyle.
Acer Ambassadors will be in full force which means performances from well loved PPOP Kings SB19, the national krungkrung Sandara Park and G22 are expected to do several numbers. Add to that, Rico Blanco, Ebe Dancel, TJ Monterde, and Cup of Joe,
Want a surprise? SB19 and G22 will be telling you more about "Acer U: Charged to Lead" Back to School Promo where you can get discounts on the latest laptops, Acer home devices, and even gear from Under Armour as a freebie (depends on purchase and will be given GC's). It can range from 10-14K, and must be registered at warranty.acer.com.ph to claim it. If you want to know more about how you can take advantage of the discounts, visit their social channels and official website. You can get information about the concert there too.
I'm starting to think that I've become a PPOP fan boy as the Philippines continue to showcase some of the most talented groups in the country. Recently, I was invited to a KUMU event as they got my personal favorite girls Calista, and groups G22, Dione, Press Hit Play, VXON, 1ST.ONE and KAIA.
Calista's Anne, Olive, Dain, Denise, Elle and Laiza were all smiles meeting the press and fans, they prepared mighty good for the short performance they were gonna do during the event. Clad in femme fatale pop outfits, they were like special candies, sweet and lovely! After their very successful VAX TO NORMAL concert last April, they still managed to do rehearsals together. Honestly, I was impressed with what they showcased in Araneta Coliseum last April and hope that they'd bring the concert in other countries after that. It was world class, best of all, it's dedicated to frontliners which have been boldly doing their job during the pandemic. Artists like the talented Yeng Constantino, dance princess AC Bonifacio, hearthrob Elmo Magalona, popular actress Andrea Brillantes, the incomparable Darren, and good looking dance phenom Ken San Jose performed there as well. Here's a short interview with Calista during the KUMU signing:
Partnering with KUMU will not just give Calista the ability to entertain with games, songs, dance and performances, but real time talk with fans who would want to connect with them on a personal level. I imagine them getting to know the girls and their personalities, all the more reasons to stan them especially when these ladies want to inspire people. The girls also surprised me when they answered that they're not in the PPOP industry to compete with other groups, but to become a force that brings people together so they could both bring honor to the country. And as I mentioned earlier, they were really eager to do that by planning collaborations in the coming months, they also have several events lined up where they will be performing with the other groups which makes this even more exciting!
Exciting times for Calista together with Tyrone Escalante Arist Management and KUMU
Aside from these ladies from Calista, we also got to talk with G22, a pop group under Cornerstone Entertainment Inc. They were a charming bunch of ladies, very eloquent and I love how they've got serious pipes when they performed during the event. They present a different flavor, and had a sultry kind of vibe.
G22 from Cornerstone Entertainment
Sorry for the background noise as we were in a real coffee shop when this interview happened, but this is the first time I've gotten to talk to them, they could pass beauty queens bar none.
DIONE on the other hand got me cackling a bit, like their outfits, their personality was actually very colorful. I love how playful and game they were answering questions from the press. Joyden, DK, Clara and Ella were just so nice, they'll surely go places. They're also excited about what will happen on the KUMU app because they've only had a couple of events where they get to talk to their fandom called TALI/ES, and this just gives them an avenue to interact with them more because there will be instances of chatting with them personally on the app.
Here's a short interview with them that afternoon:
PPOP Girl Group KAIA on the other hand banked on really good rap lines. The vocals are all impressive, which goes to prove that Filipinos are a force to be reckoned with in singing. Their style is swag, and I like how varied things are in the PPOP girl groups, each has a different thing to present even if they are in one venue. This is a win for fans as they've got a lot of groups to enjoy in the platform.
The fierce ladies of KAIA
Angela, Charice, Alexa, Sophia and Charlotte also has a single called BLAH BLAH which I had so much fun hearing during the event. They sang live and judging from their previous videos, they've improved so much by leaps and bounds. I'm glad there's more talented artists like them in the country, we're not being shortchanged by KAIA. Their music is so much fun and danceable!
These good looking guys are from VXON, Cornerstone Entertainment's boy group
If good looks were a crime, these boys from VXON would be in jail for a long time. I think some of them are actors too, so basically they're all triple threats. They also write their own songs which is a plus in the artistry department. They have sacrificed a lot and looking at their performances, they're doing so good. I wouldn't be surprised if Vixies would be screaming their lungs out when they perform on stage, these are golden boys. C13, Sam, , Patrick, Vince, Franz would gladly do that for you.
These guys are called 1ST.ONE
Style wise, I could liken them to JPOP groups, but they're definitely Filipino. Some of them rap, sing, and boy, can they perform. Ace, Max, Alpha, Joker, J, Jayson, Gift also have different personalities, but they gel as a group. The pandemic was quite tough for them just like with the other groups but they knew they had to stick together in order to succeed. They're continuing to learn the ropes and happy that they now got to perform with other groups, I think their strong suit is vocals. Joining KUMU made them grateful for all the opportunities that are given them especially now that restrictions are easing and performances on stage are coming back. They're raring to get to the top, hungry for it and if talent would be the measure of that, these boys would be up there!
Press Hit Play Meet Press Hit Play's Charles, Yuuki, JP, , Zi.O and Sev
Very nice and humble guys, they thanked KUMU for giving them and the rest of the groups the platform to showcase their talent and provide entertainment for Filipinos here, and the rest of the world. I'd mistake them for crooners because their singing voice would be the type that would make ladies legs become jelly, but their dance routines are equally good. They're very excited to interact with fans as they couldn't do that for several years because of COVID restrictions. They write their own songs, so it's very personal. Tell Me is out on streaming platforms so if you love them, might as well stream it today!
I love where this is going, we've got talented artists showcasing their talents to be seen in the world stage. The difference I guess PPOP is giving now through this is the "connection" as we're mostly known to be emotional people. That really sets us apart, and I'm glad these ladies and gents are thankful for the opportunity thrown to them.
You may download the KUMU app on the App Store or Google Play Store today. It's free!
