6 Moments That Showcase Sophia Laforteza’s Love of Her Filipino Roots

If there’s one thing Sophia Laforteza is going to do, aside from giving it her all on stage, it’s be proud of the fact that she is Filipino. Even before she became a member and leader of KATSEYE, the Gen Z idol has made the fact that she is Filipino no secret. As she shared in a Teen Vogue interview, “I want to be somebody who will never hide the fact that I’m Filipino.”

As one of the most high-profile young Filipinas making waves on the world stage, Sophia’s love of her culture and heritage is admirable, and a reminder that who you are and where you come from is never something to be ashamed of. Here are some of Sophia’s proud Pinoy moments we loved seeing from her.

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Loving P-pop

When others still look down upon P-pop, Sophia Laforteza is there as one of the genre’s many fans. For starters, Sophia has been known to be a fan of SB19 as far back as when she was still a contestant on Dream Academy. She even attended the group’s Los Angeles concert and got a special shoutout from Stell from the crowd. Also, Sophia is a vocal fan of G22, is friends with the members, and has shared that she would like to collaborate with the girls in the future. Sophia even invited P-pop idols from G22 and Alamat, among others, to one of her birthday parties for a karaoke night.  

Supporting Global Filipino Idols

@katseyeworld hottie & spice @UNIS #KATSEYE #KATSEYE_Gnarly #Gnarly #UNIS #유니스 #젤리당카 #GEHLEE #엘리시아 #ELISIA ♬ Gnarly – KATSEYE

As a member of the small but slowly growing group of global Filipino idols, Sophia is more than willing to support other young Filipinos making moves on the world stage. Such was the case when Sophia collaborated with UNIS’ Gehlee and Elisia, who, like Sophia, are also Gen Z Filipinas idols who made it big on an international competition, for a TikTok video when the two groups were in South Korea.

Wearing Filipino Designers

With international stardom comes the fact that Sophia now has access to brands from across the world. But even one of the internet’s newest cool girls knows that Filipino labels and designers will always have go-to pieces. For her 23rd birthday in Manila last December, the Filipina idol stepped out in a gorgeous red Juliette Dress by Mark Bumgarner. Completing the look with a black Quinn Bag from the same designer and Miss Z Pumps by Christian Louboutin, Sophia didn’t have to look far to look her best.

Forming Friendships With OPM Artists

Growing up in a musical family, Sophia knows her local music knowledge. She’s known for listening to OPM songs when she’s live and sharing her recommendations on her social media. Sophia’s support has even extended to friendship, like when she and BINI Aiah took a photo together at KCON LA 2024 and had dinner with Maki when the OPM star was in Los Angeles.  

Taking Filipino Culture to the Stage

@willonthenet *parol**** our filipino princess @sophia laforteza sophia katseye beautiful chaos LA day 1 #katseye ♬ original sound – will

You can take the girl out of the Philippines, but you can’t take the Philippines out of the girl. No matter the event, occasion, or location, Sophia doesn’t hesitate to be Filipino. It’s a kind of love that made Sophia notice a fan who brought a parol during one of KATSEYE’s tour stops and requested to have it on stage with her. In another show, Sophia spotted a fan dancing to the Sexbomb Girls and did the dance on stage, too. Even as simple as saying “Maraming, maraming salamat” during KATSEYE’s speech after they won an award at the 2025 VMAs showcased how the Philippines is never far from Sophia’s mind.

Raising Awareness of Social Issues

Loving the Philippines isn’t just limited to talking about what’s good about the country and culture. It’s also being aware of and talking about the issues in society, because a country and its people can only be better when we also address the bad. Such was the case when Sophia was in solidarity with her fellow Filipinos following the September 21 anti-corruption rallies.

In a heartfelt Instagram story, Sophia made her stance known and shared that, “We all deserve a future built on truth, integrity, and hope. Para sa ating bansa, at para sa sambayanang Pilipino, we must always strive for what is just and fair.” Sophia speaking up is commendable, not just because the industry is known to be controlling of idols talking about issues, but also for the fact that her love of her homeland extends to wanting to see better for it.  

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Photos: SOPHIA LAFORTEZA (via Instagram), SB19 (via X), CARLA GUEVARA LAFORTEZA (via Instagram)

The post 6 Moments That Showcase Sophia Laforteza’s Love of Her Filipino Roots first appeared on MEGA.

6 Moments That Showcase Sophia Laforteza’s Love of Her Filipino Roots
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