A sold-out show at the Big Dome. A farewell folded into a song. And a fanbase now hearing “Saranggola” with new meaning.
When Ben&Ben released “Saranggola” in April 2025, it sounded like a warm anniversary single about friendship, distance, and the connections that remain even when people grow in different directions. For the Liwanag, the band’s devoted fanbase, it was a gift.
Months later, the song carried a heavier meaning when drummer Jam Villanueva announced she was leaving Ben&Ben and directly linked herself to the track.
“Yes, ako ’yung saranggola,” she said. “And just like the song, the greatest and most important part of all of this is the friendships and relationships I’ve gained through it all.”
For fans who had been singing along for months, “Saranggola” suddenly sounded different. The lyric video, which showed the band putting kites together and watching Jam fly hers, was no longer just a sentimental visual. It now represents a farewell that had been there from the beginning.
Ben&Ben’s “Saranggola: The Concert” is set for October 2, 2026, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tickets sold out quickly, prompting fans to flood the band’s comments section with requests for a second date. As of now, Ben&Ben has yet to announce an additional show.
The concert is not just another Big Dome stop. It is expected to be Ben&Ben’s final show as a nine-piece act, giving the sold-out date a deeper emotional weight.
Villanueva has been with Ben&Ben since before the band officially became the nine-piece group known today, alongside Paolo and Miguel Guico, Poch Barretto, Agnes Reoma, Pat Lasaten, Andrew De Pano, Toni Muñoz, and Keifer Cabugao.
Her decision to leave was shaped by major life changes and health concerns. In a December 2025 video, she told fans that getting married in 2024 and injuring her wrist in April 2025 helped redefine the life she saw for herself. The band had earlier disclosed that she had been diagnosed with De Quervain’s tendinosis and “Drummer’s wrist,” conditions that affected her ability to play and required surgery.
Still, Villanueva assured fans she would remain committed to the band’s 2026 shows, making “Saranggola” not an abrupt exit but a full-circle sendoff.
The concert also comes after a busy stretch for Ben&Ben. The band released “The Traveller Across Dimensions” in 2024 and later mounted a world tour in support of the album. This year, they released “Duyan,” with a music video starring Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos, and followed it with reimagined versions of “Lifetime” and “Autumn.”
For a band known for turning concerts into communal sing-alongs, “Saranggola” is likely to feel more personal than usual. The Smart Araneta Coliseum will not just be filled with fans singing familiar songs. It will be filled with people watching the closing chapter of Ben&Ben’s current lineup.