What Filharmonic expects when visiting Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the popular Fil-Am a cappella group Filharmonic are so used to flying to the Philippines that they’re no longer bothered by the political and social controversies surrounding their parents’ native land.

If there’s one thing the group and their parents are wary about coming to Manila, it’s the infamous tap water that has become a source of nightmare to not a few tourists and visiting expatriates.

Just a day before fronting for the 7/27 concert of the all-female pop group Fifth Harmony at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, Niko Del Rey, Jules Cruz, Joe Caigoy, VJ Rosales and Trace Gaynor faced the media at Gerry’s Grill Aseana and gamely answered all questions under the sun.

They claimed that their parents are more concerned about them accidentally drinking contaminated water that often causes waterborne diseases.

“They just reminded us to just drink bottled water as a safety precaution,” said Joe Caigoy, laughing. “We’ve been here before and that’s why our parents are more concerned about the water and nothing else.”

The Filharmonic’s parents hail from Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Cavite, Iloilo, Leyte and Manila.

The Los Angeles-based boyband first shot to fame as a finalist at the a cappella singing competition The Sing-Off on the American network NBC. The group also joined The Sing-Off national tour in the US and got featured in the Universal Pictures blockbuster Pitch Perfect 2, and as back-up vocals of Shawn Mendes, Neil Patrick Harris and Anna Kendrick at The Late Late Show with James Corden. They have also been staging concerts in various campuses across the US.

The extremely talented band said they are more than thrilled fronting for Fifth Harmony, calling it “a dream come true,” as they look forward to performing with other mega famous artists like Beyoncé and Bruno Mars.

Despite their newfound fame, the group’s members admit they still get discriminated in the US — primarily because of their ethnicity — with some people wrongly classifying them as a “cultural group.”

But they are unfazed, they assured, as they educate people about diversity before displaying their musical skills on stage that have won respect and adulation among fans and critics around the world.