NET25’s banner year ends with star-studded countdown

Last Tuesday, Dec. 31, the excitement was palpable in the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, as thousands of eager spectators gathered for NET25’s annual New Year’s Eve Countdown, which was set to begin at 9 p.m. that night.

Hours before the event began, the entire Ciudad de Victoria — home of the Philippine Arena — was transformed into a lively hub of attractions and amusement rides where families and friends gathered to enjoy the festivities and look forward to the arrival of the new year with their loved ones.

One of the Philippine Arena’s popular attractions is Gancho Street, where concessionaires serve an assortment of delectable foods and drinks. It is also a very Instagrammable site with colorful neon lights adorning the entire stretch that ends at the Philippine Stadium itself all lit up in bright, dazzling colors.

The excitement and anticipation reached fever pitch as the skies grew dark and the main event drew near.

Wilma Galvante, television producer and network consultant, proudly calls NET25 her new home.

The star-studded extravaganza — which was also a celebration of NET25’s silver anniversary — promised to welcome 2025 with unforgettable performances from NET25’s Starkada and some of the Philippines’ top musical acts, including Maki, The Dawn, and more.

Hosted by KC Montero, Pia Guanio-Mago, Tonipet Gaba and David Chua, with Starkadas Via Lorica and Gia Gonzales as co-hosts, The 25 in 2025 NET25 New Year Countdown was engaging from start to finish. Throughout the night, the audience was energized by an impressive lineup of performances from Freestyle, Calein, Nobita, Jumanji, and Shamrock.

Maki, the most anticipated and applauded star that night, brings the house down with his hits Dilaw, Kailan, Namumula and Saan.

The iconic rock band The Dawn kicked off the festivities with an electrifying performance, setting the stage for a night full of music and celebration. Their version of Salamat was spot-on, proclaiming gratitude not only for the year that was coming to an end, but also giving thanks for the network’s upcoming silver anniversary.

Lead vocalist of The Dawn, Jet Pangan, kicks off the the festivities by singing Salamat, a fitting song for the occasion.

Shamrock then initiated the revelry when lead singer Bradley Holmes requested that the lights in the concert area be turned off, after which he asked the audience to light up their mobile phones during the performance of Alipin.

The crowd also joined Freestyle as the group sang its hit Before I Let You Go.  Starkada singers Sofi, Kanishia and Jam also jammed with the band on their cool and kilig new song, Bespren.

From left: Tonipet Gaba, Pia Guanio-Mago, KC Montero and David Chua host ‘The 25 in 2025 The NET25 New Year’s Countdown.’

Starkada members Jiro Custodio, Aaron Gonzalez, John Heindrick, Yvan Castro and Tim Figueroa then swayed to a medley of boyband hits. Not to be outdone, fellow Starkadas Sofi Fermazi, Jam Aquino, Kanishia Santos, Victoria Wood and Arwen Cruz then delivered a rendition of love songs from the ‘90s, with Starkada Rachel Gabreza performing a selection of Beyonce hits.

Just before midnight, NET25 president Caesar R. Vallejos (CRV) delivered his inspiring message, exclaiming, “Sama-sama po tayong magdiwang ng bagong taon at ang makabuluhang 25 years ng NET25 sa 2025!” CRV emphasized the channel’s positioning as a trusted, family-friendly network that delivers engaging entertainment and relevant news which promote positive values for Filipinos and audiences around the globe.

As expected, the fireworks display that started at the stroke of midnight was simply spectacular. Hundreds trooped to the Bypass Road/Bridge near the Philippine Arena to watch the skies being illuminated as The Eagle Symphony set the breathtaking scene to music for a full 10 minutes.

After which, new generation hitmaker Maki went onstage to deliver a showstopping performance to usher in 2025. That Maki’s performance was one of the most anticipated and applauded that night was to be expected, considering that many of his fans had trooped to the Arena as early as 9 a.m. to make sure they would see him live. He also made news recently when he delivered a surprise performance with the American band Lany at the Philippine Arena last year as well. Gen Z’ers are all too familiar with Maki’s songs Dilaw, Kailan, Namumula and Saan, and they responded with deafening cheers whenever he shouted “Philippine Arena” while performing Saan.  
With the theme 25 in 2025, the memorable celebration also gave its onsite and online viewers a look at NET25’s 25-year-journey as a TV network through a video presentation that traced the evolution and transformation of NET25’s station IDs since 2000.

Before the night ended, consultant for Programming and Production Wilma Galvante shared her appreciation for NET25’s growth and potential. “I’ve had the privilege of working with almost every broadcast network in the Philippines, and I’m proud to now call NET25 my home,” she declared. “This network has incredible potential and is poised to become one of the top media companies in the country, inspiring audiences worldwide.”

In a heartfelt moment, Vallejos added that 2024 was a banner year for the network marked by increased channel ratings, a rise in audience viewership, and a broader reach. “Maraming salamat po for being a part of this success, and we are looking forward to another year of growth and success,” said a grateful CRV.

(Relive the excitement of the 25 in 2025 New Year Countdown by visiting NET25’s YouTube Channel and Facebook pages.)