From Brazil with love: The SB19 fans who traveled 4 days to see their idols live

Have you ever wondered which country is the farthest from the Philippines?

Geographically, the answer lies in South America. The Philippines' antipodal area—the region directly opposite it on the other side of the Earth—falls mostly in Brazil, with smaller portions in Bolivia and Paraguay.

Imagine digging a tunnel straight through the center of the Earth from Manila. If you somehow made it all the way to the other side, you would emerge in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso.

That means traveling from Brazil to the Philippines takes you halfway around the world. And that is exactly what two Brazilian fans of SB19 did back in April in order to attend the Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Finale concert. Even in the age of airplanes, it took them four days of travel to make it to Manila.

But for Barbara de Oliveira, 38, and Gizele Ishikawa, 23, it was worth it.

The two ladies knew each other because of SB19. Barbara, who works in the telecommunications industry, has always been drawn to Asian music and was already listening to Ben&Ben before she discovered the P-pop Kings in 2022. It was actually through the OPM band that she got introduced to SB19: she saw the band version of "MAPA," a collaboration between the two Pinoy acts.

Likewise, Gizele is also a fan of Asian music. She has been listening to T-pop groups when she stumbled upon a YouTube compilation video of Asian artists in 2021. It included a music video of SB19, and that was how she got caught in the rabbit hole.

SB19's music caught their attention, but it was the members' personalities and the group's story that made them stay and become the fans that they are now.

"I think that when we start to get to know the group, we start to look for a little bit of each one, and identify with each one," Barbara said in Portuguese. "I think their story, when you go deep into it, you already fall in love with everything they did, how they got there, and it makes you want to say, I want to go with them."

Both of them thought they were alone in their interest to a boy group that hails from the other side of the world. But once Barbara began looking for other people like her, they eventually found each other and more fans in Brazil.

Barbara is the face of Brazilian A'TIN and runs social media pages dedicated to SB19. She manages a group chat with fellow fans and leads efforts to promote the group in their country. She translates their songs, posts videos on Filipino culture, organizes streaming parties, and finds reactors so more people will find SB19's music.

Through it all, she dreamed of watching SB19 live someday. While the group has mounted world tours, a stop in South America has not been included in their activities so far. Barbara and Gizele continued supporting SB19 from afar, watching fan cams as A'TIN from other countries got to see SB19 in the flesh.

When SB19 announced the Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Finale concert, they finally decided that they would make their dream come true. They would come to the Philippines and see their idols.

Of course, it was easier said than done. They tried booking the Global Fan Package but it sold out before they could secure slots. When Barbara shared her disappointment on social media, a Filipino fan stepped up to help them purchase tickets via the regular sale.

After getting the tickets in March, they faced another problem: the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States disrupted flights through the Middle East.

"It's the main route to Asia for us. So we were like, how could we go to the Philippines this way?" Gizele told GMA News Online in a Zoom interview. "I work with freight forwarding and I know airplane routes. So we started looking for an alternative route to the Philippines. And then it was a really, really long trip."

Instead of passing through Africa and the Middle East, Barbara and Gizele passed through Chile and crossed the Pacific to Australia. It took them four days of traveling before finally reaching the Philippines. Barbara, who had never gone on an international trip before then, took four flights, including a domestic flight in Brazil to meet up with Gizele in Sao Paulo. All for the love of SB19.

"For me it was all new. Leaving my country for the first time, the whole feeling," Barbara said. "I think it was a cool trip, because we got to know other countries that we didn't even imagine. That maybe we didn't even think about one day landing there."

She felt anxious during the journey, but listening to "Wakas" over and over again helped her stay calm. Every time they landed on a new country, she knew they were getting closer to their dream.

When they finally made it, their fellow A'TIN made them feel welcome and they quickly realized that the despite the distance, the Philippines and Brazil were not so different after all.

"Everything is so familiar. Even the weather," Gizele said. "It's hot but like an ordinary summer day in Brazil. And the people, the vibes are really like in Brazil. It's a strange feeling. When we were on the streets we talked a lot thinking it looks like a lot of Brazilian streets. The only difference is the tricycles and the jeepneys. Everything else was really similar."

"We received so much love and affection. We had so much attention from the people we met," Barbara said. "I felt the love of the people. It was very special to experience all that with the people there. To get to know the places we saw on TV and in photos. To see it in real life."

Barbara and Gizele went with other fans to do an SB19 pilgrimage of sorts: the Wakas at Simula pop-store in Mall of Asia; Havre de Grace, the cafe run by Pablo's mother in Cavite; and the Filling Station Bar Cafe in Makati City, where SB19 filmed their "WYAT" music video.

They also visited tourist attractions like the Rizal Park and Intramuros. Outside Metro Manila, they went to Laiya in Batangas for a beach trip and saw the Mother of All Asia - Tower of Peace statue.

"The whole experience was amazing. We enjoyed it the most. Every day was a different day. We were in a different place," Gizele said.

On the day of the concert, they dropped by the Fan Zone, where they met fellow fans who could not believe that they traveled all the way from Brazil.

"Most of them were really surprised to meet us because they didn't expect to find Brazilians there. They were really surprised when they asked us if we have Filipino relatives. We said no. We are just Brazilians," Gizele said.

When the show began at the SMDC Festival Grounds, SB19 gave them an experience of a lifetime.

"I know I was there, but it didn't look like I was there. Because it really looked like a dream. I think it was all so intense," Barbara said. "I watch the videos [I took] and I'm like, oh my God. I really was there. It's surreal."

"That day was really unforgettable for both of us. Pablo didn't lie when he said it would be the best concert ever. And he was saying the truth," Gizele added.

They were seated in the SVIP section so they had a good view of the boys. They also got to meet the parents of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin.

Barbara and Gizele expressed their gratitude to their fellow A'TIN, who made sure they had a good time during their stay in the Philippines. They also thanked the global A'TIN community for supporting each other as they share their love for SB19.

"I think all the support that A'TIN from all over the world encourages us to always want more and stay here. It's not easy for us to take our time and dedicate ourselves to the people and get to know them more," Barbara said.

And to SB19, they hope the boys would visit Brazil some day.

"SB19, you may already know, but once again we are asking you to come to Brazil. Stell we know that you're Brazilian, so come here to take your Brazilian ID. The WAS concert was amazing and we would love to see you performing again, but this time in our country. And also, we are really proud to witness all of your achievements and just hope you the best for the years to come."

—LA, GMA News