PINOY ARMYS ADOPTED 8 WHALES IN HONOR OF BTS’S 8TH ANNIVERSARY
Pop Culture

Pinoy ARMYs Adopted 8 Whales In Honor Of The 8th Anniversary of BTS

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The project was for a food cause and to show ARMYs love for BTS.
BY Rafael Bautista
06.03.2021

Spearheaded by bangtanboysph, ARMY Cavite Fanbase, and TaehgersPh, the decision to adopt whales holds a deep and beautiful meaning for BTS and ARMY.

It’s no secret that BTS loves their fans. On multiple occasions, the boys would go out of their way to show their love to the ARMY. Clearly, the feeling is mutual as ARMY has a love and passion for BTS that a few fandoms can match. Aside from cheering on the boys whenever they can, ARMYs from around the world also like to do projects for a good cause under the groups and fandom’s name.

That is exactly what happened when BTS PH – Bangtan Boys Philippines, along with main collaborators, ARMY Cavite Fanbase and TaehgersPH, announced that Filipino ARMY fanbases adopted eight whales from the Babuyan Marine Corridor through Balyena.org in honor of the 8th anniversary of BTS. We talked with Bangtan Boys Philippines to get the story of how the project came to be.

Related: Get Ready To Celebrate BTS’s Debut Anniversary Month With A Packed June

Meaning Behind Whales

For those of you who don’t know or are new to the fandom, the choice to adopt whales was not some random choice. The whale represents a special symbol for BTS and ARMY. “The whale represents Whalien 52, which is a song by BTS released in 2015 from their album, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2. It is inspired by the 52 Hertz whale, which is said to be the loneliest whale in the world,” they said.

“The song serves as a metaphor for those who grew up feeling alone, alienated, and felt like they were never heard or understood. From then, it started to become a significant symbol in the fandom. The whales also appeared in their WAB PT 2: Eternal and Dream ON TinyTan Animation,” they further added.

How The Project Came To Be

According to Bangtan Boys Philippines, the project was in the works since early January. “This specific project was suggested by Army Cavite Fanbase. We were in talks about this since early January for the 8th Anniversary projects for #8ternallyWithBTS. We wanted something more meaningful yet special for this year’s anniversary.” Promotions for the project started on February 20 on their Facebook page asking for support and donations from the fandom. All in all, they were able to raise 20,000 pesos for the project and gave it to Baylena.org to help them further their study of whales and dolphins in the country.

Seven of the whales were named after the members; PH124 – Kim Namjoon, PH122 – Kim Seokjin, PH193 – Min Yoongi, PH120 – Jung Hoseok, PH004 – Park Jimin, PH023 – Kim Taehyung, and PH018 – Jeon Jungkook. Meanwhile, the 8th whale was named after the fandom, PH029 – BTS ARMY. Their contact person for this project was the one who chose the whales. They were given a list of the whales and their description. True to who they have been named after, some of the whales have been recorded singing on a few occasions. You can read the full descriptions of the whales here.

As stated before, this project was not just done by Bangtan Boys Philippines. Aside from the two main collaborates already mentioned, they listed down partner fanbases that helped them: @army_wings_ph, @bangtanmanila, @OnlyBangtanPH, @PhAllforyoongi, @suga_rushPH, @perfectjhopeph, @JKPH19, @ARMYofCebu, @BTSunniesph, @UNIVERSE1230, @JUNGKOOKDAILYPH, @fairiesbundleph, @btsaph130613, and @ABDvo_twt.

Other Projects In The Works

While the announcement of the project’s completion did get them praise and attention, the main goal of #WhalienIsFinallyHeard is to show ARMY’s love for BTS. “Annually, our fan base puts up projects to celebrate the anniversary of BTS. This is one of the few projects we have for them this year. The goal is to spread the love we have received from BTS and let it ripple. For this specific project, we focused on spreading the love for our nature. We are happy that we are able to help in Balyena.org’s research and conservation of whales in the Philippines.”

This isn’t the only project that they have planned. They already completed their first project, MI CASA: Pagtulong sa Tahanan, which is where Pinoy ARMYs donated money to help rebuild destroyed homes of residents in the Bicol region. Bangtan Boys Philippines also shared their upcoming projects for #8ternallyWithBTS, namely: 3rd part – MA(nila) CITY: ROAD TO FOREVER (Bus Ad Project), 4th part – Our World with BTS (12 Led Ads), 5th part – Mask for a Meal, and 6th part – Share A Drink With A Frontliner Cupsleeve Event.

Message For ARMY

bts 2021

With BTS’s 8th anniversary fast approaching on June 13, the month has been filled with a lot of BTS-related events such as the 2021 Festa and Muster. Not to mention BTS just got their 4th number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with Butter.

In a time of such excitement in the fandom, this was the message they wanted to give fellow ARMY. “First of all, for the ARMYS, we wish to thank each and every one of you for the support and for making #8ternallyWithBTS projects possible. This is our meaningful gift for our dearest, BTS.”

“We have gone through so much with them and the love between BTS and Armys has weathered all the storms. Let us continue to stay right behind our boys as they soar higher and achieve their dreams. As the boys always say, teamwork makes the dream work,” they continued.

“Lastly, let’s have a blast during the ongoing BTS Festa and continue supporting our boys throughout their journey! Borahae!” they concluded.

Continue Reading: 7 Things You Need To Know Before Going To The BTS Pop-Up Store In Metro Manila

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