• Singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo performing on stage. Photo: Facebook
    Singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo performing on stage. Photo: Facebook
  • Pinoy pop singer Sarah Geronimo. AFP
    Pinoy pop singer Sarah Geronimo. AFP
  • P-pop boy band SB19 perform at Expo 2020 Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    P-pop boy band SB19 perform at Expo 2020 Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Some of the ever-changing 48 members of MNL48. Photo: Facebook
    Some of the ever-changing 48 members of MNL48. Photo: Facebook
  • Nine-piece folk rockers Ben&Ben, made up of Paolo Guico, Miguel Guico, Andrew De Pano, Agnes Reoma, Keifer Cabugao, Poch Barretto, Toni Munoz, Patricia R Lasaten and Jam Villanueva.
    Nine-piece folk rockers Ben&Ben, made up of Paolo Guico, Miguel Guico, Andrew De Pano, Agnes Reoma, Keifer Cabugao, Poch Barretto, Toni Munoz, Patricia R Lasaten and Jam Villanueva.

A guide to P-pop: Filipino artists to listen to, from SB19 to Sarah Geronimo


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P-pop, or Pinoy pop, may not have achieved quite the same global status as its Pacific cousins K-pop or J-pop, at least not yet, but if the adoring crowds packed into Expo 2020 Dubai’s DEC Arena for Filipino boy band SB19’s show on Wednesday night are any indication, it may be not too far behind.

For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, the Filipino music scene was largely dominated at one end of the spectrum by gnarly, in-your-face rock outfits, as any frequent visitor to Bur Dubai’s sadly missed Music Room venue could confirm, and at the other by schmaltzy love songs performed by the latest “love team” sensation from the movies.

Over the past decade or so, however, as K-pop and J-pop have become increasingly popular across the Philippines and rapid economic growth has allowed for better production and glossier stars, Pinoy pop has undergone something of a metamorphosis, shaking off many of the western influences that had underpinned its musical output for so long in place of something distinctly Asian, but also unmistakably Filipino.

Here are some of the key players in what may come to be looked back upon as something of a golden era for Pinoy pop.

SB19

  • Filipino boy band SB19 performed at Expo 2020 Dubai on March 16, 2022. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
    Filipino boy band SB19 performed at Expo 2020 Dubai on March 16, 2022. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The band, which consists of members Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken and Justin, arrived in Dubai on Wednesday morning.
    The band, which consists of members Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken and Justin, arrived in Dubai on Wednesday morning.
  • The band put on a high-energy performance at the DEC Arena but fans reported technical difficulties on the night.
    The band put on a high-energy performance at the DEC Arena but fans reported technical difficulties on the night.
  • Expo 2020 Dubai apologised for 'technical issues during the SB19 concert'.
    Expo 2020 Dubai apologised for 'technical issues during the SB19 concert'.
  • Dedicated fans turned out to see their favourite band perform live.
    Dedicated fans turned out to see their favourite band perform live.
  • The group are known by the nickname Mahalima by fans.
    The group are known by the nickname Mahalima by fans.
  • Ahead of the concert, they tweeted: 'SB19 at EXPO 2020 Dubai. Mahalima says hi as they get ready for their performance.'
    Ahead of the concert, they tweeted: 'SB19 at EXPO 2020 Dubai. Mahalima says hi as they get ready for their performance.'
  • #MarhabaSB19inDubai was trending on Twitter as the band made their arrival in the UAE.
    #MarhabaSB19inDubai was trending on Twitter as the band made their arrival in the UAE.
  • SB19 made their debut in 2018 and are known for hits 'Bazinga' and 'Mapa'.
    SB19 made their debut in 2018 and are known for hits 'Bazinga' and 'Mapa'.
  • SB19 were the first Filipino and South-East Asian act to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards.
    SB19 were the first Filipino and South-East Asian act to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards.
  • SB19 have a global OPM fanbase; OPM stands for original Pinoy music.
    SB19 have a global OPM fanbase; OPM stands for original Pinoy music.
  • Loyal SB19 fans at the Expo 2020 Dubai concert.
    Loyal SB19 fans at the Expo 2020 Dubai concert.
  • The band performed at Expo 2020 Dubai during its last two weeks.
    The band performed at Expo 2020 Dubai during its last two weeks.
  • Filipino actor, comedian and YouTuber Chad Kinis warmed the crowd up for SB19.
    Filipino actor, comedian and YouTuber Chad Kinis warmed the crowd up for SB19.
  • Chad Kinis on stage at Expo 2020 Dubai.
    Chad Kinis on stage at Expo 2020 Dubai.
  • Filipino singer Zephanie Dimaranan also took to the stage.
    Filipino singer Zephanie Dimaranan also took to the stage.
  • Zephanie Dimaranan is known by her stage name Zephanie.
    Zephanie Dimaranan is known by her stage name Zephanie.
  • Zephanie was the winner of the first season of 'Idol Philippines'.
    Zephanie was the winner of the first season of 'Idol Philippines'.

SB19 are perhaps the most obviously K-pop-influenced of the current crop of Pinoy stars. The band were created by the newly formed Philippines branch of Korean entertainment agency ShowBT after an extensive talent search in 2016 – their name comes from the SB of their agency, and subtracting the Philippine’s international dialling code, +63, from Korea’s +82.

In finest K-pop fashion, once selected Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken, and Justin were then put through almost three years of rigorous training in how to be the perfect pop stars by their mentor agency and were connected with Korean writers and producers before being unleashed on the world with their debut single Tilaluha at the end of 2018.

It was with the 2019 follow-up, Go Up, that things really took off though. A K-pop fan account using the handle @BAE_Sodu tweeted a video of the group practising the dance to the single in September, 2019 and the clip picked up almost 4.5m views.

The official music video has also amassed more that 11 million views on YouTube. The band have since achieved both Billboard Chart and award success, last year picking up an MTV Europe Music Awards nomination, and in January this year surpassing the six-week record of BTS’s Butter in the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart, when new single Bazinga notched up its seventh week.

Zack Tabudlo

Bazinga may have set the Billboard charts on fire, but SB19 can only dream of their fellow Filipino Zack Tabudlo’s numbers on Spotify.

When the streaming platform released its annual Wrapped report for 2021, Tabudlo’s single Binibini was revealed to be the most-streamed song of the year in the Philippines. It has amassed almost 84 million streams, dwarfing the 6.4 million achieved by SB19’s Billboard-topping effort.

The track’s video, with more than 35 million views on YouTube, makes SB19 look like indie underdogs, too, and his canny recent technique of releasing collaborations with stars such as Thailand's Billkin, and Filipino heavyweights James Reid and Moira Dela Torre, suggests his fan base is only going to grow.

Ben&Ben

This list is, probably unsurprisingly, fairly pop-heavy, but it’s not only polished boy bands and perfect pop princesses who are riding the current wave of Filipino musical success. Nine-piece folk rockers Ben&Ben (who also dropped by Expo 2020 Dubai earlier in March) topped that same 2021 Spotify wrap as the most-streamed artist in the Philippines for the second year in a row.

Their single Kathang Isip alone has achieved 181 million streams, while their total streams as a band have already soared past the one billion mark, making them the most-streamed Filipino act of all time on the platform.

Sarah Geronimo

Sarah Geronimo, 33, seems like something of a wisened veteran next to some of the young upstarts on our list, but there’s no denying that the star of screen, stage and catwalk is one of the Philippines’ biggest exports ever. She even shared a stage with Pope Francis on his historic 2019 visit to Abu Dhabi.

She certainly has the respect of her P-pop peers. At a 2019 press conference in Quezon City, the SB19 boys almost unanimously identified her not only as the artist they’d most like to collaborate with, but also as their biggest showbiz crush.

MNL48

If you thought the S Club 7/S Club Juniors transformation was a cynical exercise in popsploitation, you might need to sit down. MNL48 (the MNL stands for Manila) are the fourth instalment of a pan-Asian pop steamroller that also includes Japanese originals AKB48 (Akihabara, Tokyo), JKT48 (Jakarta) and BNK48 (Bangkok) before them, and has since expanded to include Delhi, Taipei, Shanghai and further domestic sister groups in Japan, Thailand and China – so far.

There are 48 members, who must be aged between 15 and 20, and they’re selected through a TV elimination process that has older members eliminated and new blood taking their place on an annual basis.

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The Energy Research Centre

Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.

Fight Night

FIGHT NIGHT

Four title fights:

Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event  
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title

Six undercard bouts:

Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio

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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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pakistan Test squad

Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari

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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

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Updated: March 18, 2022, 7:32 AM