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Direk Lauren Dyogi (left) and BINI. Images from Tiktok/direk.lauren and Instagram/bini_ph
"Nararamdaman ko na this will lead the girls to something big, something more meaningful."
Lauren Dyogi, head of Star Magic and ABS-CBN's TV production, made this statement as he looked back on BINI's historic performances at Coachella music festival in California.
In a series of TikTok videos, the director and talent manager revealed that they have been getting inquiries for BINI, citing the interest generated by the girl group's career-defining moments on the Coachella stage.
"I will not deny, nakakuha na kami ng certain inquiries and interests, so we're meeting some people here for future collaboration and partnerships, for performances. Hindi pa namin masabi kung ano man 'yon, but at the right time, mararamdaman din natin 'yung epekto ng Coachella performance nila and the mileage that we get," he shared.
"I think this week it will be announced that we will get another blessing. Actually medyo more than what we expected," he hinted, not giving further details.
'A lot of sacrifices'
Behind BINI's colorful costumes and energetic performances were "a lot of sacrifices," noted Dyogi, who opened up about their many efforts to cut costs to make sure that they were able to make it to Coachella.
Aside from flying to the United States with a smaller team, they stayed at house rentals and cooked their own food, among others.
"Planning pa lang for Coachella, ang dami na naming struggle financially... Kailangan naming magtipid," he shared. "Whatever we were getting from Coachella was not enough to cover our expenses."
"It's not at all glamorous dito," he admitted, saying what they are doing is part of a mission to bring Filipino music to a wider market.
He commended the girl group for being team players and for being understanding of ABS-CBN's financial challenges.
"The girls, I have so much respect for them dahil wala silang arte, wala silang reklamo. They are willing to rough it up," he added. "They carry their own stuff, cook for themselves, wash dishes, clean up."
Turning optimistic, Dyogi believes that every struggle comes with an even bigger blessing. "In 2020, we were supposed to launch [BINI] but we couldn't do it because ang daming nangyari. There was a global issue of COVID and at the same time, there was the shutdown of ABS-CBN. We didn't know kung anong mangyayari sa amin," he recalled.
"This seems to be happening again... There is a global crisis that started in the year with a war in the Middle East, and then there's another issue with ABS-CBN," he continued. "Parang nauulit 'yung nangyari before, but I suppose this can also be a good sign na something big will happen in the future."
"'Pag maraming dagok ang dinaranas, parang we also receive a lot of blessings... And I suppose this (Coachella experience) is one of the biggest blessings not only for BINI, but also for ABS-CBN," Dyogi stressed.
No blueprint
BINI is the first Filipino group to perform at Coachella -- and while it is a huge honor, this meant not having any blueprint to follow.
Dyogi admitted that he felt the nerves and stress as he anticipated all possible issues, from wardrobe malfunctions to technical difficulties.
"First time namin in Coachella so walang blueprint... Hindi namin alam what to expect so talagang stressed kami," he said.
But after seeing BINI giving their all in their performances and the support they have received from audiences around the world, Dyogi felt confident that they can conquer even bigger stages in the future.
"The girls, I think what worked for them is they were just enjoying it. Because the previous night, nagkaiyakan kami, we discussed 'yung significance ng performance na ito [sa Coachella]... They have to be able to internalize that they are there not just for themselves, they are there for a bigger reason," he said.
"They are representing the Philippines, they are representing the company, they are representing the Blooms, they are representing their families. And, of course, they are representing their dreams," he went on.
"They have manifested for this, so 'yun 'yung importanteng ma-realize nila coming on stage."