Here are some fast facts about Sophia Laforteza, up-and-coming superstar and the only Filipino competitor on The Debut: Dream Academy!

Related: Meet the Only Filipina Competing for A Spot in HYBE X Geffen’s New Global Girl Group

In case you didn’t know, Sophia Elizabeth G. Laforteza is competing to become part of the newest global girl group formed by K-Pop industry leader HYBE’s collaboration with American record label Geffen Records! Using her talent in singing and performance, the 20-year-old Filipino artist will participate in K-pop survival reality show The Debut: Dream Academy.

The show’s first episode aired on September 1 along with the competitors’ introduction videos. While we’ll definitely learn more about Sophia during her The Debut: Dream Academy journey, for now here are some fast facts about the up-and-coming it-girl.

She’s the only Filipina to make it to the final 20 of Dream Academy.

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Out of hundreds of thousands of applicants all over the world, Sophia Laforteza is the only Filipino performer who made it to the top 20 finalists competing for a spot in the new girl group. With her style, talent, and pride in her Filipino roots, Sophia is blazing a trail for the new generation by taking the chance to be a world-renowned artist under one of the biggest K-Pop companies in the world.

Talent is in her blood.

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As the daughter of actress and performer Carla Guevara Laforteza and chef and former performance artist Godfrey Laforteza, Sophia’s very genetic makeup is filled with talent and ambition. Her parents have also been constantly rooting for her on social media since the Dream Academy lineup was announced.

She’s an ARMY—just like her dad!

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In an Instagram post, Sophia showed off her purple blood as she posed with her father after watching supergroup BTS’ Permission to Dance in Seoul livestream. Dressed to the nines, with an ARMY lightstick in hand, we can plainly see her love for the boys, and we can only guess how excited or nervous she was to audition for the company that houses her idols.

The Debut: Dream Academy isn’t her first time in the spotlight.

At the young age of 5, Sophia made a guest appearance with her family in the Philippine talk show She Said, She Said where she talked about how she wanted to be a pediatrician and a performer. She also showed off her pipes by dueting with her mother!

She’s been singing since she was 3, and she’s been dancing for around the same time.

@sophialaforteza #duet with @clintonkane ib: @ysawitha_y ♬ original sound – clintonkane

Sophia’s been showing her talent on social media for years, and let us tell you—this girl can sing. We’ll let her TikToks speak for itself. Also, at five years old, she was already taking a variety of dance lessons at Julie Borromeo’s dance studio! She mentioned in She Said, She Said that she loved dancing and wanted to be an artist just like her mother.

Her confidence took a hit after an ankle injury—but she bounced back stronger than ever.

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In her intro video for The Debut: Dream Academy, Sophia revealed she had to sit out some of her work due to an ankle injury and that it really affected her confidence. “I need you to give your everything,” she told herself. Once recovered, Sophia bounced back tenfold and performed well in one of her “strongest months in the program.”

Being nurturing and practicing self-love are integral to her character.

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Sophia believes being nurturing is a special characteristic of Filipinos, and that it’s a big part of who she is, as well. After her ankle injury, she pushed herself to do her best and told herself that she deserves to be where she is. Self-love, no matter how “cheesy,” as she said in her introduction video, helped her “a lot” and allowed her to continue pursuing her dreams.

She graduated in 2021 with high honors and adorned with medals.

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Sophia is a graduate of the Humanities and Social Sciences strand from Multiple Intelligence International School. She won 10 awards and 7 medals, proving that the young trainee is not just a superstar in the talent industry, but also in school! Bonus: she was also accelerated in school at a young age.

She has a killer fashion sense.

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One look through Sophia’s Instagram and you’ll see how trendy and stylish the 20-year-old is. From pink pants to sequined dresses, her clothing pieces are always styled to perfection. She exudes an effortless, genuine charm through her fashion, and we’re this close to spamming her with questions as to where she gets her collection of boots.

She’s going to be performing Paramore’s Still Into You with fellow competitors Lara, Celeste, Samara, and Nayoung.

@dreamacademyhq Are you ready for Mission 1? ✨Your first chance to watch and vote for your Dream Academy fav is coming Sep 6. Watch the announcement now on YouTube! #DREAMACADEMYHQ #HYBEGEFFEN #HYBE #GEFFEN ♬ original sound – Dream Academy HQ

The girls’ first mission on The Debut: Dream Academy was revealed on September 1. Split into four teams—two dance and two vocal teams—the competitors will perform their assigned songs to secure their spot in the next stage of the show. Sophia’s team, Vocal Team B, will be performing a special arrangement of Paramore’s Still Into You.

All of the performances will premiere on September 6, 11 PM Philippine time on YouTube. After the missions, two girls will be eliminated, so be sure to stay in-the-know about voting by joining the Dream Academy Weverse community and checking on their socials!

Mark your calendars and set your alarms. ⏰

The Dream Academy curriculum just dropped.

‘Mission #1 Performance Videos’ are coming Sep 6th on HYBE Labels.#DREAMACADEMYHQ #HYBEGEFFEN #HYBE #GEFFEN pic.twitter.com/qYPaW2MzA9

— The Debut: Dream Academy (@dreamacademyhq) September 2, 2023

Stay tuned on the Dream Academy website, socials, and HYBE LABELS+ on YouTube to be updated with the show and Sophia’s journey! Voting also begins September 6th on Weverse and YouTube.

Continue Reading: All the Major Announcements From HYBE’s Community Event Briefing

Nash Aguas and Mika Dela Cruz spilled a lot of secrets when they did the boyfriend and girlfriend tag video. Here are the ones that caught our attention.

Nash Aguas and Mika Dela Cruz have known each other since they were kids. Starring together in Goin’ Bulilit and both having built a career for themselves post-Goin’ Bulilit, you could probably say it was destiny when both of them officially became a couple a few years back. The two have been going strong ever since and recently, they opened a joint YouTube channel called Mika and Nash. A few weeks ago, they did a video on the popular boyfriend and girlfriend tag and spilled some details behind their romance. Here are the six sweetest secrets we learned that made us envy their relationship even more.

Related: 14 TikTok Couples That Will Make You Wish You Had A Valentine

Mika sent Nash a message on Facebook saying, “You Make Me Crazier”

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When Mika asked Nash where he was when she sent the message, he revealed that it was when they were still young, around 10 years old and that Mika sent it through her older sister’s computer. It was also revealed that she got the line from Taylor Swift’s song, Crazier.

Nash bought Mika a green mermaid pen when they were kids as a gift

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Nash revealed that when the two were still on Goin’ Bulilit, they once filmed in Singapore and Nash noticed that Mika was looking at a green mermaid pen at a souvenir shop. Mika didn’t have the money at the time to buy it, so Nash bought it for her. According to Mika, Nash threw the pen at her without telling her he bought it. But the whole experience touched her.

Nash was there when Mika had her first period

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Mika asked Nash when she had her first period, and he said that it was on his birthday on October 10. Mika explains that it was during a taping for Goin’ Bulilit and only told Nash about it years after they saw each other again. Nash then jokes that it’s relationship goals that Mika’s first period is on the birthday of her boyfriend.

Nash accompanied Mika when she bought her first baby bra

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The story goes that Mika and Nash were going to swim at Ace Water Spa and they went to Crossings Department Store to buy a baby bra. The two weren’t alone though as they were accompanied by their mothers. Nash also knew what size the bra was and even jokingly made fun of her at the time.

The two first met on the set of Tiyanaks

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At the time, Mika was just starting out on Goin’ Bulilit, so she didn’t know Nash that well. He then went to look for Mika and the two saw each other behind the set. Nash says that the situation felt awkward because he didn’t want to say hi to her and describes the moment as slow motion. He also inferred that he may already had a crush on Mika at that time.

Nash noted down the first time they met as their anniversary

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When Nash asked Mika when they first met, she responded by saying May 3, 2007. Nash then said that he placed down that date as their anniversary even though they were dating yet. He explains that on his first-generation iPhone, he noted the date down on Mika’s contact as their anniversary, which is something Mika learned for the first time.

Continue Reading: 9 Siblings Of Famous Personalities Who Are Stars In Their Own Right

Get to know the most-followed Filipino vlogger in the Philippines, Ranz Kyle.

Ranz Kyle has been in the spotlight for years, starting with his career on YouTube. With 13.5 million subscribers on the platform, he’s the most followed Filipino vlogger best known for his dancing videos and content with his sister, Niana Guerrero.

RELATED: How Ranz and Niana Created A Social Media Empire And A Generation Of Hopeful Creatives

He’s the proud brother and one half of the dancing duo, Ranz and Niana. His self-titled channel produces entertaining videos such as his dance covers with his siblings, pranks, vlogs, and challenges.

So, how did Ranz Kyle’s platform grow so much over the years? Here’s what you should know about this Filipino content creator.

He holds the Top 5 spot in the Philippines for the most number of subscribers on YouTube

Ranz Kyle started posting on YouTube in 2011—that was literally a decade ago! He would upload dancing videos that garnered views from casual fans that later became his loyal supporters. He quite literally paved the way for Filipino YouTube vloggers to start a career on the social media site!

His most-viewed YouTube video has 69 million views

In 2017, his skit with Niana, When “Shape Of You” By Ed Sheeran Comes On, blew up on social media and it now has over 69 million views on YouTube.

He was in a boy group called Chicser

Yup, before P-Pop became mainstream in the Philippines, Ranz was already in a boy group called Chicser. It’s a six-member group with his long-time friends in school, which later became so popular that they started doing mall tours and even making an album! How’s that for a high school barkada, right?

“Chicser gave me a chance to introduce myself to the public that led me to have fans and followers. Being with Chicser really encouraged me to pursue my YouTube channel and to try and start my own thing outside the boy group.”

He didn’t expect for his content with Niana to blow up

“When we did our first ever content, we were just having fun dancing and
filming ourselves. We were surprised when we noticed that people were asking for more videos of us.”

He wants to be a director someday

“If there’s something I want to do in the future, it’s directing a superhero movie. So careerwise, I see myself as a director.”

Does Ranz Kyle have a girlfriend?

We know what you’re typing on Google, guys. And while Ranz hasn’t publicly stated that he has a girlfriend, he indeed had a Valentine date this year. Check out his cute first Valentine’s day vlog with his date, Milissa Grande.

Lessons from 2020

“What I learned is to not take things for granted, because everything can disappear in an instant. I also learned how to be grateful and to keep the simple things in life because it’s something that not even money can buy.”

RELATED: Get To Know Niana Guerrero: The Most-Followed TikTok Star In The Philippines

With more than 100 million followers across all social media platforms, it’s safe to say that the sibling duo, Ranz and Niana, are the biggest internet stars borne from this digital-savvy generation.

15-year-old Niana Guerrero is one of the most followed Filipinos on TikTok right now, and at one point we even called her a social media dance superstar for the influx of support she gets every day. To which on Facebook, she responded with: “i’m not a superstar tho”

Still, even with a simple one-sentence reply, the young content creator got more than 187,000 of her followers reacting to that post. How’s that for a non-superstar, huh?

RELATED: The Best Moments Of Social Media’s Biggest Superstar, Niana Guerrero

The siblings arrived for their first-ever magazine cover shoot with an entourage of videographers surrounding them. Quiet, Niana went straight to the holding area and scrolled through her phone, while her 23-year-old brother, Ranz Kyle, came out to survey the area while thinking of an entertaining vlog on-the-spot.

Several heads in the office turned to see what the fuss was about, but for Ranz and Niana, this seemed like a normal day at work. Making content for their loyal fanbase was always a top priority.

How the hype for these siblings came to be is still a mystery for Ranz and Niana. While there’s no special formula for their fame, their content was all rooted in relatability and authenticity.

“When we did our first-ever content, we were just having fun dancing and filming ourselves. We were surprised when we noticed that people were asking for more videos of us,” says Ranz. Even a casual Facebook user would simply be drawn by the siblings’ entertaining connection. If anyone happened to stumble into a random video of Ranz and Niana, they would be sure to keep watching for more.

Way back in 2017, when everyone was blasting Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber, Ranz and Niana made a little comedy skit about the song that reached over 57 million views on YouTube and 74 million views on Facebook. Their Hit That Despacito dancing video with their youngest sibling, Natalia, reached 91 million views on Facebook as well.

There is no doubt now that the skill of dancing clearly runs in this tight-knit family. And with a platform that lets them be themselves and show the people that their connection is more than just a 1-minute dance video, they were able to build their own social media empire that unconditionally supports their whole family.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

The first time Niana realized that she was into dancing was when she watched her brother filming himself. “He saw me copying him so he taught me how to do some basic moves and it led me to love dancing,” she says.

Now, the roles are reversed. At the photoshoot, Niana’s shell came out when she started doing TikTok dances. It was up to her to teach her older brother what the “cool” dance moves in the app are now.

“Growing up, me and my siblings were always close. Niana, however, is my partner in crime,” describes Ranz. “She’s one of the very few people who know me really well and we just get each other so well even outside of dancing and vlogging.”

What you see is what you get if you watch Ranz and Niana’s videos together. Having done this for nearly 10 years, Ranz and Niana pretty much grew up right in front of our eyes and their dynamic hasn’t changed since.

“When she was little, she would always ride my back, but now we can’t do those things anymore,” Ranz reminisces. “So instead, we bond through video games, movie nights, food trip nights, and spending time with the family.”

Niana jokingly adds, “I used to think my brother was a very tall guy since I was too small before and I used to look up every time I talked to him. But now I think I’ll be taller than him soon, just kidding!”

Like any normal brother and sister though, the two naturally get into minor fights sometimes. Niana details, “since I’m younger, I usually say sorry to kuya and annoy him until he starts noticing me again and we would end up laughing and forgetting that we even had a fight.”

HOW RANZ AND NIANA CREATED A GENERATION OF HOPEFUL CONTENT CREATORS

Decades ago, if you asked any kid what they would like to be when they grow up, they would say doctor, pilot, or astronaut. Now, if you ask a kid what they want to be when they grow up, a lot would want to become a YouTuber like Niana or Ryan’s Toy Review aka Ryan’s World.

In May and June of last year, TikTok was the most-downloaded app in the world, snowballing Niana into fame on the app. She now has 21.6 million followers on TikTok–the most followed in the Philippines–with a generation of kids wanting to follow in her footsteps.

“I don’t really see myself as a star, but I just want to use this opportunity to continue motivating others,” Niana says about how she feels being in a spotlight. “I feel like I am on a mission to give hope and to inspire others that, at a young age, there is so much you can do if you love what you are doing.”

As for Ranz, he’s been in the spotlight for quite some time. When he was Niana’s age, he was already starting content on YouTube while being part of a boy group. His group, Chicser, would go on mall tours, performing for screaming fans while dancing and singing to their original songs. “The experience of being a part of Chicser paved the way for me to really get to know the life of being in the spotlight,” recalls Ranz. He adds, “It helped me hone my talent even more…and it helped me gain some loyal fans.”

This pandemic challenged the dancing duo to put their content into perspective. With the lockdown in order, they were forced to step back and think of content that would benefit their followers while staying at home.

Ranz says, “Given that we are facing a pandemic, what we do is we connect with our followers through our social media accounts. There’s the occasional live stream on Instagram, through Facebook groups so we can talk to them, interact a little bit, things like that.”

The older sibling of the duo said that it all boils down to the intent of their videos. He says, “We started this in order to create content to entertain people. But as time passed by, we realized that people can relate to us on a personal level that can impact them in a unique way. So, knowing this, we aim to keep content positive and encouraging so that people are inspired to pursue whatever goals they have aside from Youtube [and be] able to achieve it.”

When asked about what they want to achieve in the future, the siblings are starry-eyed at the endless possibilities.

Ranz says, “If there’s something I want to do in the future, it’s directing a superhero movie. So career-wise, I see myself as a director.” Meanwhile, Niana shares, “I actually want to learn how to sing, I wanted to learn that for a while now. I also want to learn some new dance moves because learning never stops.”

There’s something astral attached to this sibling duo now. Niana is a teenage girl today and she’ll be a teenage girl tomorrow, but they have also created a longstanding blueprint for self-made success for a generation, rooted in their close connection as a Guerrero family, plus realizations taught by the pandemic.

She says, “I learned that material things are not important, it’s more about your character as a person and how you want to be remembered.” While Ranz continues, “Everything can disappear in an instant. I learned how to be grateful and to keep the simple things in life because it’s something that not even money can buy.”

Creative Direction ANGELO RAMIREZ DE CARTAGENA

Art Direction KENNETH DIMAANO

Fashion and Beauty Direction LYN ALUMNO

Photography FLOYD JHOCSON

Fashion Film Videographer IAN FRANCISCO

Makeup Artist JORENCE DELIMOS

Hair Stylist CATS DEL ROSARIO (Artist & Company Manila)

Shoot Coordination LOUIS ESGUERRA

At 14 years old, Niana Guerrero has become one of the biggest Filipino social media stars.

You’ve seen her on your For You page, Facebook discover, and Instagram’s explore page. And of course, her biggest platform, YouTube—with 12.7 million followers and over 30 million views every video, she’s taking the world by storm with her siblings.

RELATED: 10 Filipino TikTok Stars We Want To See More Of This 2021

As one of, if not the most followed personality in this new generation, it’s no surprise that she is recognized everywhere. Heck, even my six-year-old cousin watches Niana’s best dance compilations on YouTube every day. Niana grew up in front of the camera, too. So, she isn’t just some internet sensation we’ll forget about in 10 years, because she’s been doing this for seven years and counting.

So, what exactly made Niana Guerrero known to this generation? We rounded up her best moments so you can see the talent yourself.

KILL THIS LOVE DANCE CHALLENGE

You have to see Niana Guerrero and her little sister Natalia dance to Kill This Love by BLACKPINK. With nearly 38 million views on YouTube, it’s safe to say that dancing runs in the family.

WHEN DESPACITO COMES ON

Way back in 2017, when everyone was blasting Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber, Ranz and Niana made a little comedy skit that was just too adorable not to like. Since then, this brother-sister duo has been taking over Facebook and YouTube. This video has over 57 million views.

SPICY NOODLE CHALLENGE

At some point, we were all curious about the Samyang spicy noodles from Korea. The spicy noodle challenge was a sure hit on the internet and of course Ranz and Niana had to give it a little twist. Watch to find out how Ranz pranked Niana in the video above.

PAPI CHULO TIKTOK DANCE

Niana’s most viewed TikTok post is her perfectly timed Papi Chulo walk. 44.2 million people viewed this video, and you gotta admit: it’s pretty impressive.

DANCIN’ IN MANDELA

Niana has been dancing in front of the camera since she was seven years old and each time she steps out to bust a move, she’s sure to wow the audience. Just take this TikTok video as an example of her undeniable talent.

BUYING EVERYTHING THEY SELL

We could go on and on about how Niana and her siblings can dance, but we can’t forget that they also have a heart of gold. Check out this social experiment Ranz and Niana did as they immerse themselves in the streets to help out the kind vendors in need.