By To be perfectly honest, with the announcement of IU’s HEREH World Tour, which also revealed her scheduled performance in the Philippines, I had some reservations about going. The announcement said that the event will take place at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. However, due to several negative accounts regarding transportation to and from the venue, I had actively avoided considering attending any events there. Nevertheless, this was IU, Lee Ji-eun, a beloved popstar in South Korea. She will be the first South Korean solo artist to perform a solo concert at the Philippine Arena. It is something that I am aware that I will regret if I allow it to pass. Okay, let it be known that IU was the artist who initially brought me to the Philippine Arena. Was the experience good? Did the horror stories prove to be true? Read on.
I asked to be driven and went with five other individuals, including Kuya JR, the driver who had visited the Philippine Arena twice. He agreed that it was difficult to get to and leave Philippine Arena, but only because they traveled late, so we opted to leave Laguna very early (about 9:30 a.m. because we had to meet with my other companions at Megamall. We drove to NLEX after successfully picking up my friends at 11 a.m. We decided to stop at a gas station on NLEX for lunch and to use the restroom. After that, we proceeded on to the Philippine Arena, which was not far from where we made our pit stop. Going there wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated, and despite the fact that it was a Saturday and a large performance was scheduled for the venue, we didn’t encounter any serious traffic. As we entered the site, we opted to hunt for parking, which was relatively easy given our early arrival. However, we realized that many individuals had arrived before us.
Although the weather was humid, I would prefer it to be hot rather than pouring, as the latter would create additional challenges for everyone. The arena was insufficiently shaded for the large number of concertgoers. Enormous tents were present, but they were already packed and very much occupied. Can you imagine if it rained? CHAOS! We then noticed a very long line and inquired as to what the line was for, which turned out to be for strapping, so we looked for its end and joined it. It took a few minutes to arrive at the tent for the strapping area, but once inside, the line was divided into several lines for strapping, and we were given a present from IU’s mother, which was quite cute and nice. After that, we tried to line up for the restroom, but it was a hard pass because there was no light, water, or trashcans. It was just nasty!
The entire afternoon had been filled with our time spent waiting in line, as we queued once more in order to enter the stadium at last. After a considerable amount of time, we made our way towards the steps leading to the arena, feeling as though we had triumphed over a challenging struggle in order to see IU. My friend, D2, and I were fortunate to have good tickets in the high central section of the arena. It wasn’t too close, nor too far; it was just right. When IU finally appeared on stage, she opened the concert with “Holssi,” a track from her latest EP The Winning. A lot happened during the concert so let me just tell you my favorites from the show.
- I burst into tears when she sang my favorite songs: 8, Strawberry Moon, Celebrity, You&I, I Stan U, Love Wins All, and Lilac. I couldn’t stop crying while trying to sing along, which brings me to my second favorite thing from the event.
- Romanized lyrics were displayed on stadium screens, encouraging attendees to sing along. I’m sure I wasn’t pronouncing the words perfectly, but it was fun to try.
- IU saying Tagalog expressions like “ang galing galing,” “kayo ang langit ko” and when she mentioned about her mother’s gifts she said, “itago nyo ng mabuti.” I found that so endearing.
- The staging and light setup were fantastic. She was on an unadorned stage with her band in the back, but the light and visuals projected across the entire stage, accompanied by the videos shown on the large screens, were absolutely incredible. The whole time, I was amazed. It was like being transported to a different place every time.
- She covered the Tagalog song “Pasilyo” by Sunkissed Lola. It was the perfect match for her singing style and repertoire. She was very charming. Everyone, including me, appreciated her efforts to sing a Tagalog song for her Pinoy UAENAs. She didn’t have to but the fact that she did, it made the concert more special.
- The concert lasted for three hours. IU just performed song after song, and time flew by, and you had no idea you’d been at the stadium for so long. Almost the entire time, taking videos and photos were prohibited, which I thought to be tough because I normally capture video clips and photos of concerts for posterity, but it turned out to be OK. I was able to thoroughly enjoy the concert. Eventually, near the end of the show, everyone was allowed to document what I believe were her final two songs.
Leaving the parking lot was a little difficult, but not as severe as I had anticipated. We simply stood by for a few minutes, waiting until some vehicles had exited the parking lot and there was no traffic on the major route leading away from the site. We decided to exit the parking lot only after we observed that there was no traffic buildup. Overall, my first concert at the Philippine Arena went relatively well. Will I see a concert there again? Maybe if I truly, truly admire the artist, such as IU. If you plan to catch a concert at the Philippine Arena, here are a few tips:
- It is significantly more convenient to have your own car for transportation to the Philippine Arena. There are numerous bus services available for select concerts, but if you’re impatient and from the South, like me, you’ll want to pay more for convenience and comfort.
- Leave early. I don’t think it matters whether the concert is in the evening; start your journey in the morning, especially if you live far from Bulacan. Various unforeseen circumstances can occur during your journey, such as heavy traffic, adverse weather conditions, and a lack of available parking space, which may potentially result in being late for the concert.
- Dress for comfort. I realize coming to a concert is an additional reason to dress up, but as I already stated, it was hot at the venue, so dress appropriately for the weather. There is a lot of walking and standing before the main show, so don’t torture yourself by wearing uncomfortable footwear. If you can also bring a foldable umbrella or raincoat, do so, since the weather here in the Philippines is very unpredictable.
- The comfort room situation was really bad when I was there. Aside from strapping and entering the stadium, waiting in line for the restroom was a test of patience. Aside from a long queue, there is no toilet paper and no water or garbage cans in the other comfort rooms. I’m not sure what advice I can provide you other than to bring your own tissues and/or wipes. Even if you are not about to pee, use the restroom. If you sense the urge to pee, believe your instincts and act on it; don’t wait until you’re close to burst. Also, pee before the concert and limit your liquid intake to avoid needing to pee during the show.
- Days before the show, make an effort to stay up to date on the concert promoter’s rules and guidelines to avoid missing out on anything crucial.
- Don’t forget to eat and especially hydrate.
Concert photos from https://x.com/pulpliveworld
Denise J. Mallabo 