ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment company, and Hallo Hallo Entertainment will soon begin the search for 48 talented Filipinas who will become part of the next big all-girl idol group to be called MNL48.
ABS-CBN TV production head Laurenti Dyogi, chief finance officer Aldrin Cerrado, OIC for integrated acquisitions and international sales and distribution Cecilia “Macie” Imperial, business unit head Mercedita Gonzales, Hallo Hallo Entertainment chief executive officer Yasunari Okada, and president Paulo Kurosawa recently inked the partnership agreement in a ceremonial signing held at ABS-CBN’s ELJ Communications Center Building in Quezon City.
“We are bringing the very popular idol group format from Japan to Manila. In Japan, it’s called AKB48. Here in Manila, we will be looking for young, talented Filipinos who will become part of MNL48. This will be one of our biggest talent searches on television for young girls,” said Dyogi.
“This could be a new page for the Philippine showbiz industry because we have a new system for the selection process. It will be wonderful for Filipinos who will be joining,” added Kurosawa.
“We are so happy to partner with ABS-CBN and spread Japan pop idol culture to the Philippines,” said Okada.
MNL48 will be the Philippine counterpart of phenomenal Japanese girl group AKB48, which is one of the highest earning musical acts in the world with record sales of over US$200 million in Japan.
The search for the members of MNL48 will soon start in ABS-CBN. It will not only give Filipina girls the chance to be part of the next pop group phenomenon, but will also get to fly to Japan to personally train and learn from the makers of AKB48.
