It’s a bittersweet stretch for TJ Monterde, KZ Tandingan, and concert director John ‘Praty’ Prats, who are all nursing what they jokingly, but genuinely, call sepanx (separation anxiety).
After almost a year on the road, the ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’ world tour is down to its final few shows. ‘It’s super overwhelming,’ Monterde admitted. ‘We’re down to our last five shows. Almost every weekend we have a show-if not abroad, here in the Philippines. A lot has happened this year, pero si Direk ayaw muna niya pag-usapan kasi sepanx na siya.’
Sepanx describes the unease or longing one feels when parting from something meaningful. For the ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’ team, it’s the pain of saying goodbye to a project that’s been their life for months.
‘Even if we only started the show last February, the brainstorming and concept planning started last year,’ Tandingan shared. ‘Even just talking about it now, ‘five shows na lang,’ it makes me sad. But I’m grateful I got to do this with them and the entire team.’
What began as a three-night sold-out concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum grew into a 40-show global tour, with stops across the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, and the Philippines. From small provincial arenas to massive venues like Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, fans found their own stories in Monterde and Tandingan’s songs.
‘We didn’t expect it to turn out like this,’ said Prats. ‘I remember telling TJ after Araneta, ‘Three days lang natin ‘to ginawa!’ And he said, ‘Don’t worry, Direk. Lilibutin pa natin ang mundo.’ Looking back, it really happened-we toured the world with SNM.’
For Prats, who helmed his first major tour, it was both grueling and gratifying. ‘Grabe ang hirap ng tour. We were such a small team], and we had to multitask to deliver that experience to our fellow Filipinos. Monterde and Tandingan are easy to work with. Walang reklamo even with three back-to-back cities, all smiles lang. That’s why we don’t want it to end.’
Every stop became its own story. ‘There’s usually something special that happens at our concerts,’ Monterde said. ‘Out of 35 shows, isa lang ang walang marriage proposal-sa Jeddah! In Cagayan de Oro, there was even a gender reveal. Each city becomes special, not just for us but for the audience, too.’
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John Prats is the director of the 40-show global tour. Image: Marinel Cruz/INQUIRER.net
Tandingan added: ‘Ang ginagawa ko sa set ko, palaging customized. The spiels depend on the crowd’s energy. Every show feels different because of that interaction. And on the production side, si TJ, si Direk Praty, and the team-they never settle. Laging may pasabog.’
But perhaps the most unforgettable moment came not from spectacle, but from vulnerability. Monterde recalled a two-night show in Laguna that nearly didn’t push through. ‘On the first night, in the middle of my set, I lost my voice-completely gone, zero. It was my first time experiencing that. After KZ’s set, I still tried to sing ‘Harana.’ She heard me from the dressing room, grabbed a mic and sang with me.’
He almost canceled the next night but decided to go on. ‘I had to be honest with the audience. I said, ‘siguro napapansin n’yo iba ang voice ko ngayon. Pero it’s still going to be special,” he said. ‘After the last line of ‘Palagi,’ my voice was completely gone-KZ carried the rest. She finished the song for me.’
That raw, unscripted moment sums up ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’: a shared experience built on love, music, and teamwork. ‘Because I have a fan base that’s really there to listen and support, I’m very thankful,’ said Monterde. ‘Every time feeling ko kulang ang nabibigay kong boses, they clap and cheer me on. Feeling ko nga dapat hati kami sa TF (talent fee),’ he joked.
As they gear up for the last leg of the tour produced by Cornerstone Concerts-with shows in Australia, New Zealand, and the finale in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 2-the SNM family feels both grateful. ‘We try to push as much as we can to increase production value,’ said Prats. ‘We’re grateful to all the producers who believed in our goal to bring the SNM experience to people. Every after the concert, grabe ang positive posts nila. They feel their tickets were worth it. That’s the best feeling.’ During the press conference, the couple also announced that they’ll return to the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 6 and 7 for a back-to-back concert, again directed by Prats. Monterde teased: ‘This time, it will be all about KZ’s world. That’s what makes it exciting-how we’ll both shine, and what kind of magic will happen when our two worlds combine.’ /edv