FILIPINO fans have various ways of expressing their love and support to their favorite artists, such as attending their concerts and buying their albums and other merchandise. Some of them even opened their own themed establishments, like restaurants and cafes, which they dedicated to their idols.
But what if this time, it will be the artists who will establish a hangout spot for their fans?
This is what awaits fans of Ben&Ben, collectively known as Liwanag, as the nine-piece band announced that it will open a place where Liwanag can gather and bond with each other.
The fan-inspired location will be called “Liwanag House.”
In an Instagram post, Ben&Ben’s twin vocalists Paolo and Miguel Guico took several photos at the “Liwanag House,” which is currently undergoing construction at Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas.
Once built, the “Liwanag House” will serve as “a place for you to chill, hang out, have fun, [and] check out Ben&Ben merch.”
It will also become a venue for events, seminars, and workshops of the Puhon Foundation, Ben&Ben said.
The “Liwanag House” targets to open its doors by the end of 2023, the band added.
Puhon Foundation
The Puhon Foundation is Ben&Ben’s initiative that aims to “support causes and advocacies that the band believes in.”
It also encourages individuals to “help more organizations and movements do good in the world.”
The foundation was launched in May, the same month that Ben&Ben celebrated its sixth anniversary.
In a post on X on Wednesday, the band said the Puhon Foundation will soon accept volunteers. Additional details about the application process have yet to be announced.
This is not the first time that Ben&Ben used the term “Puhon” in its initiatives.
“Puhon,” which the band defined as “hopefully; someday; in God’s time,” was also in the titles of online benefit concerts that Ben&Ben held to raise funds for COVID-19 efforts and for students and teachers affected by the pandemic.
The online benefit concerts were called “Puhon: A Ben&Ben FB Live Event for the COVID-19 Efforts” and “Puhon 2: A Ben&Ben Online Concert for Balik-Eskwela Initiatives” held in March and October 2020, respectively.
Latest, upcoming projects
On October 9, Ben&Ben dropped a new single titled “Courage,” an acoustic track dedicated to struggling individuals.
The lyrics of the newly released song is in English, but the Guico brothers previously teased a Tagalog version of it.
“Courage” is the second song that the nine-member group released in 2023, after “Could Be Something” in June.
Ben&Ben’s songs will also be featured in the musical adaptation of the Filipino classic film “One More Chance” in 2024.
This will be staged by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), following the success of the all-original Filipino musical “Walang Aray.”
In a post on X, the band said that it felt honored to have their songs be chosen for the upcoming musical. It also thanked its fans for “making our dreams come true.”
