Oona: Redirected, not rejected
While the name of the rookie P-pop group Oona is officially derived from “be one,” it also sounds identical to the Tagalog word “una”—something the members have played with in their slam book entries featuring a list of firsts. And looking at the members’ respective journeys, the wordplay, intended or not, also seems fitting.
For some, Oona is a beginning—for others, it’s a chance to begin anew.
Starting from zero
Isaki Bautista has always loved performing and envisioned herself on bigger stages, and for a while, she did just that as part of the girl group MNL48. But after her stint, she left the P-pop scene and social media to focus on her studies. Her family eventually migrated abroad, but after a while, she found herself missing her first love.
“Umuwi ako mag-isa to audition again, to try again, and to start from zero,” she says at Oona’s recent debut launch.
She tried out for various groups and came close to making it a number of times. “Around 2024, 2025, may time na umiiyak ako while praying. I felt lost kasi sobrang daming rejections. I was like, ‘Lord, para sa’kin ba talaga ’to? If not, close the door.’”
“But nandito ako, so I think it’s for me,” she says.
Like Isaki, Coleen Trinidad was also part of MNL48, and she admitted that before Oona beckoned, she found herself in a “dark place.”
“To start over and be here to try again for another group, that took a lot of courage. I started training again. I did everything from the start,” she says, adding that she considers Oona and her fellow members a blessing and a grace from the Lord. “Sila ang nag-angat sa‘kin aside from family and friends and our management.”
First steps
While Isaki and Coleen are finding their way back to P-pop, Kari Asio, Bella Patillas, and Jaylou Feliciano are taking their first steps as idols.
Kari used to be a student-athlete and was set on pursuing volleyball in college. But when the pandemic hit, she found herself stuck at home and unable to play, so she started learning K-pop choreography instead. She fell in love with it, so much so that she started training in dance in hopes of becoming “stronger” at it.
Now, she feels that this unexpected turn in her life and newfound passion may well be where she’s meant to be. “I’m glad to be here,” she says. “Everything I went through makes sense now.”
A few years ago, Jaylou was a student, doing commercials on the side, joining dance competitions, and auditioning for talent searches. She then turned those experiences into motivation to become a P-pop idol.
“Mahilig ako mag-join sa kung ano-ano. I’m like, ‘Ay, akin ‘to. Magaling ako dito. Tapos nag-e-enjoy ako,’” she says.
Bella, on the other hand, used to train and work as a backup dancer for the G-Force dance company. “I auditioned because I wanted to try something new. I wanted to try singing and performing, and from there, I fell in love with it,” she says.
Curiously enough, it was also at an audition for another girl group, under a different management, that some of their paths first crossed. “Unfortunately,” Coleen says, they didn’t make the final cut. But that rejection would eventually lead them somewhere else—and, as it turned out, together as Oona.
“We’re very grateful that we’re here because this was a redirection for us,” she says.
Being an idol is no joke
Oona is now co-managed by Aguila Entertainment and Islah Entertainment. With Star Music as their record label, they join ABS-CBN’s roster of P-pop groups, which includes Bini, BGYO, Wrive, DNA, and 1621. Before their formal debut, the quintet had already gained attention through on-ground shows and their first single, “Darama,” which they co-wrote.
They have also recently released their follow-up single, “Unang Tingin,” a song about how first impressions aren’t always true. “You won’t see all that sa unang tingin,” Kari says.
Standing onstage together at their launch, Isaki couldn’t help but find it surreal after everything they have been through. “‘Di namin in-expect na magiging group kami at surprisingly, nag-click kami nang sobra,” she says.
Jaylou was nervous but excited, and most of all, thankful that everything fell into place. She knows well that being a P-pop idol comes with sacrifices, like time away from family and friends, but she also knows she has her fellow members to lean on.
“Andiyan sila when I need cheering up,” she says. “Sobrang hirap maging idol—hindi biro.”
But if there’s one thing they have learned, it’s that rejection is a plain reality in the industry, and they won’t always get everything they want—at least not when they want it. Still, Coleen stresses: “Huwag kang susuko… Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s just part of it.”
