President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., together with First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and the rest of the First Family, yesterday graced the launch of the ‘PH to Serve: A Concert for the One-Year Countdown to the Philippine Hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025’ at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañan Palace.
With the Philippines as an emerging volleyball nation, ‘PH to Serve’ is staged to celebrate and support Alas Pilipinas – the men’s national volleyball team — as they begin preparation for the major sporting event next year.
With a whole year to plan, it also aims to show strong backing from agencies and sports bodies, including the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), that are working tirelessly to ensure the successful staging of the FIVB Men’s World Championship.
Last night’s event featured 11 world-class Filipino artists: Eric John Verde, Bea Tan, Pauline Mae Reyes, Christelle Tiquis, Kirt David Mercado, Princess Vire, Rafaello Cañedo, Ronica Mangahas, Scarlette Yape, Fredo Camelon and Darius Miguel.
The talented performers belong to Team Philippines who competed at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA), considered as the ‘Talent Olympics’, in Hollywood, United States of America (USA). They eventually gained international recognition as they showcased Filipino talents globally.
Additionally, two (2) special acts that have made a name for themselves in the performing arts industry also performed at the event, backed up by the mesmerizing tech-savvy visual artistry of JB Dela Cruz – the first and only ‘Laserman of the Philippines’ – and the Electrofire Led and Tron Dancers.
Scheduled from September 12 upto the 28th next year, the Men’s World Championship will see 32 national teams vying for volleyball’s top prize. The tournament has two (2) automatic qualifiers, the Philippines as host country and defending champion Italy.
