Remembering the Jackson 5's visit to Student Canteen

MANILA, Philippines – Before he became the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was the lead singer of a family act from Gary, Indiana, USA. The Jackson 5, later known as The Jacksons, was one of the biggest pop groups in the 1970s. Almost everyone knew who they were, but few people remember that at the height of the group's success, they visited the Philippines twice. Eddie Ilarde, the former host of the now-defunct noontime variety show Student Canteen, recalls the warm reception of Filipino fans to the pop superstar when The Jackson 5 visited Manila again in 1976.
Ilarde describes Michael as the friendliest among the brothers, adding that he even talked about Filipinos at a US concert following his recent trip to the Philippines. The February concerts were called Love Jive, a series held at the Folk Arts Theater and the Araneta Coliseum. The group performed on six consecutive days, a concert experience that foreign artists no longer do when they come to perform in the country. Following the series of concerts in the late 70s, Michael Jackson's next visit to the Philippines was as a solo artist. In December 1996, Michael came back for a historic two-night performance for his worldwide HIStory World Tour. The tour was his final concert tour as a solo artist. Before his death, he was slated to have a series of comeback concerts in London this month. - Candice Montenegro, GMANews.TV