Cebuano Armies address cyberbullying in ‘Purple Walk of Love’ event

CEBU, Philippines — Two hundred Cebuano BTS fans (collectively named Armies) walked from Cebu City Hall to the Fuente Osmeña Circle as they joined the nationwide fan event “Purple Walk of Love: You Never Walk Alone” on the morning of September 8, 2024.

Fifty BTS fanbases from across the Philippines organized the event to raise awareness about the impact of mental health issues caused by cyberbullying and misinformation.

“This is a nationwide activity with 15 cities participating, the biggest one being in Manila at Ayala Triangle with over 3,000 Armies,” CAAMP Bangtan Cebu administrator Abigail Apple Malagar told The FREEMAN.

Spearheading the Cebu event in collaboration with CAAMP Bangtan Cebu were BTS-ARMY of Cebu, Bangtan Belles Cebu, Hush Angels Army-Cebu, and Bangtan Army Cebu.

“This is a very big event because, for the first time, all Army fanbases here came together in an activity where we can unite and gather all the Armies of Cebu,” Malagar said.

The walking event was organized after BTS member Suga became a target of cyberbullying when he was caught driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol, for which he was fined for.

Even after the 31-year-old apologized for his behavior, negative comments persisted, prompting fanbases across the country to organize the event in support of him and the group’s mental health advocacy. Mental health is a frequent theme in BTS’s music, and they have furthered this cause through their “LOVE MYSELF” campaign with UNICEF since 2018.

Present at the Cebu event was lawyer Leah Cruz, who became an Army in 2021 through her daughter when “Permission to Dance” was released. Being a fan of the Bangtan group became a way for her to bond with her teen.

In her speech, Cruz cited various Philippine laws that fans can use if they ever become victims of cyberbullying or misinformation. She also quoted lyrics from the group that address mental health, including Suga’s verse in “Answer: Love Myself.”

“Loving myself might be harder / Than loving someone else, let’s admit it / The standards you made are more strict for yourself / The thick tree rings in your life / It’s part of you, it’s you / Now let’s forgive ourselves,” rapped Suga in the 2018 song.

She also referenced Jin and Jimin’s pre-chorus in “Magic Shop,” where they sing: “On days where I hate myself for being me / On days where I want to disappear forever / Let’s make a door, it’s in your heart / Open the door and this place will await, Magic Shop.”

“The world is already hard as it is, so we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves,” Cruz told the Cebuano Armies at Fuente Osmeña. “BTS is teaching us to love ourselves. If we love ourselves, no cyberbully can affect us. We know ourselves better than anyone else. No bad-mouthing can affect us.”

CAAMP Bangtan Cebu also coordinated with the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) to light up the bridge in purple – the group’s signature color – on the evenings of Sept. 7 and 8. Purple became synonymous with the group after V (affectionally called by his real name Taehyung) told Armies at a 2016 fan meet, “I purple you.” He explained, “Purple is the last color of the rainbow, so it means I will trust and love you for a long time.”

Though V later joked that he made the meaning up, his affection for the color has remained a symbol of his bond with fans. “I wish I could see you for a long time, just like the meaning of purple. We’ll always trust you and go up the stairs with you,” he added.

“We are not just fans, we are also a family. We promote the values that BTS wants us to follow, so we promote harmony, peace, and love among Armies,” Malagar said.

During the event, various Cebuano Armies, both young and old, joined a BTS-themed Zumba class and competed in games to win fan-made merchandise, including photocards. It showcased a snippet of the diversity of the fanbase, often stereotyped by outsiders as consisting mainly of teenage girls.

“People used to see these fan groups as a crazy group of girls, but that hasn’t been true for a long time. We made sure the Army fandom is not just fangirling for the sake of it – we have a purpose as a group of fans,” said Bangtan Belles Cebu administrator Kyla Faith Talaid.

Added BTS-ARMY of Cebu administrator Melrose Estares: “There are many professionals in the K-pop fandom in general. If people outside the K-pop community were open-minded, they’d be amazed by how many lawyers, doctors, and other professionals are K-pop fans.”

While BTS members are currently serving their military enlistment obligations under South Korean law, Armies continue to stream the group’s music and members’ solo projects. They also hold cup sleeve events for members’ birthdays as they eagerly await BTS’s full group comeback, tentatively set for 2025 according to their agency Big Hit Music.