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VANESS Wu and Ken Zhu alight from a China Airlines plane as they arrive for a one-night concert in Pasig City Saturday night
'Meteor Garden' stars
arrive for one-night gig
Posted:11:22 PM (Manila Time) | Sept. 12, 2003
By Marinel R. Cruz
Inquirer News Service
WORK at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport came to a virtual stop for about 30 minutes Friday when two members of the phenomenally popular F4 boy band, who rose to fame through the successful Meteor Garden?television drama series, flew in from Taiwan for a scheduled performance Saturday night at the Philsports football field.
Although only two members of the quartet made it here for the show, NAIA employees and visitors actually saw four, not just two Friday.
This was because of a neat trick devised by the concert organizers to protect the wildly popular band members who are the lead actors in the Taiwanese drama that has captured the hearts of Filipino soap opera fans.
While a huge crowd was gawking at what they thought were "Ken Zhu" and "Vaness Wu" as they emerged from a tube at Gate 4 of the NAIA Terminal 1, a smaller group was greeting the real Ken Zhu and Vaness Wu on the tarmac as soon as their China Airline plane touched down at 3:45 p.m.
The pair that came in through Gate 4 were actually Aaron Lim and MJ Coronel, employees of the ABS-CBN Talent Center who were dressed in maroon-colored shirts in the style of the real Ken and Vaness.
The network and the concert organizer, Vigslim Entertainment Production, had devised the plan to divert the attention of airport personnel, security, media and fans who were waiting for the arrival of the Taiwanese stars.
The genuine Vaness, who wore a plain white T-shirt, and Ken, who was dressed in an olive-green collarless shirt, rode in an ABS-CBN van, backed by a white Mercedez Benz van, that brought them to the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City.
Most of the airport's workers left their posts a half-hour before the Taiwanese celebrities' scheduled arrival, and had gathered near Gate 4 to get a glimpse of their idols, unaware that the two young men they saw were decoys.
"Their (Ken and Vaness) Taiwanese handlers are extremely strict because of a traumatic experience that happened to the artists in another Asian country," explained Maloli Manalastas, ABS-CBN vice president for government, corporate affairs and public relations.
She said the ABS-CBN had been instructed to use only one video camera, and to ban the taking of still photos and even autograph signing.
Even the Taiwanese ambassador to the Philippines was reportedly not allowed to have his photo taken with the two F4 band members, Manalastas said.
The network holds the exclusive coverage and interview rights to the visit of the Taiwanese stars who are performing tonight in a show billed as "The Event."
Earlier Friday morning, the Meteor Garden's female star Barbie Xu (Shan Cai) had planed in with her sister Dee Xu, their mother and four Taiwanese delegates.
In the ensuing commotion, Barbie's mother was reportedly left behind on the plane, but she soon caught up with the six-member entourage.
The Inquirer learned that Ken and Vaness will be singing only four songs each in tonight's concert.
Filipino talents Gary Valenciano, Kyla, The CompanY, Nina, South Border, and Luke Mejares will fill up the rest of the show.
Tickets to the show cost 10,500 pesos, 5,000 pesos, 3,200 pesos, 2,000 pesos, 1,200 pesos and 500 pesos.
The two other F4 band members -- Jerry Yan and Vic Zhuo ?were unable to make the trip due to previous commitments.
Industry sources said Vigslim Entertainment spent 25 million pesos on talent fees alone for the three Taiwanese stars, in addition to picking up the tab for their accommodation and airfare and the cost of mounting the production.
Airport police chief Angel Atutubo said he was surprised at the "warm reception" that airport employees gave earlier Friday morning to Barbie's group and so decided to triple the security personnel for the arrival of Ken and Vaness in the afternoon.
"We didn't expect the airport staff members to be this excited. Even the janitors and security guards all wanted to see Shan Cai," said Atutubo.
Kristina Mapa, a Saudi Airlines passenger service agent, said she and other crewmembers left the plane as soon as it parked on the tarmac at 3 p.m. to await the arrival of the two "Meteor Garden" stars.
"This is my only chance to see the F4 because I was not able to buy tickets to their concert," said Andrea Custodio of Duty Free Philippines.
"I was told that as early as August, Ticketworld outlets were no longer selling tickets cheaper than 1,200 pesos," she said.
Aldo San Pedro, who described himself as a die-hard F4 fan, said: "I think the fans are being short-changed. They are not getting their money's worth. But I'm still going to watch the show."
At the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, executives reportedly had to declare that the hotel was fully booked after receiving numerous reservations mostly from Chinese-Filipino fans of the group.
EDSA Shangri-la executive Sharon Cayanan suggested this may not just be because of the Taiwanese stars. She said the hotel was full because "there are lots of medical and international conventions going on."
On Sept. 21, ABS-CBN will air not the concert itself but a two-hour special to be hosted by Kris Aquino.
Ken, 24, was born in Taiwan but was raised in Singapore. He was a captain waiter in a Japanese restaurant before being discovered by the "Meteor Garden" producers.
Vaness, 24, was born in the US. He came to Taiwan to join a talent contest when he was asked to audition for the show.
Barbie is also popular in Taiwan as a singer and TV host. She is Big S in ASOS, a singing duo, with her sister, who is known as Small S.
She has been hosting a daily musical variety show in Taiwan, "100% Entertainment," for the past five years.
Police officials have warned motorists and commuters that unless they had pressing business in the area, they should stay away from the vicinity of the Philsports football field, formerly known as the Ultra Dome, in Pasig today.
Hundreds of vehicles are expected to clog up the streets surrounding the Dome as early as lunchtime as the concert of Vaness, Barbie Xu and Ken will be sure to draw thousands of fans from Metro Manila and nearby provinces, said Eastern Police District police chief Senior Superintendent Ernesto Catungal.
Catungal said authorities are not just concerned about the volume of vehicles but also car thieves.
Security will be extra tight, said EDP head Chief Superintendent Rolando Sacramento who met with Ultra Dome management and the concert's organizers on Wednesday to finalize security arrangements.
Plainclothes policemen will be fielded inside the concert hall itself and foot patrols and mobile cars will be doubled, he said.
"We have not received reports of sabotage or anything like that, but we are preparing all the same," Sacramento said.
"There is no stopping this concert now. Again, we urge the fans to be vigilant. If you see something that is not right, don't hesitate to approach the cops," he said. With a report from Luige del Puerto
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