Sisters Ailah and Karissa Urbano watched from their TV screens then contestants Vinci, Kim, Kyler, Reyster, Winston, Jeromy, and Marcus, took the first step in fulfilling their dream after winning “Dream Maker,” the Philippines’ first idol survival competition.

From their smartphones, the Urbano sisters continued to tune in the adventures of the septet, who eventually came to be known as global pop group HORI7ON, as they prepared to make their debut in South Korea.

When the 7 went home to the Philippines for their very first concert— Ailah and Karissa made sure they will witness the latest milestone of group they had been following closely on the digital landscape in person.

“Light po magaan mood sobrang nakaka positive vibes kahit ganon kabata, ganon impact samin. Ganon pag nanonood sa kanila,” Ailah enthused. “Excited ako makita!”

The crowd roared as Vinci, Kim, Kyler, Reyster, Winston, Jeromy, and Marcus, stepped into the stage of the Araneta Coliseum, Saturday evening.

The concert came just a little over a month since they debuted in South Korea, with the release of their album “Friend-SHIP.”

And while the pop neophytes are yet to mark anniversary— they had managed to already deliver a world-class performance.

According to Ailah, she could not help but beam with “Filipino Pride.”

“Pinakita na kaya ng Philippines makipag sabayan sa ibang bansa. Naniniwala ako talented pinoy, pinakita nila kayang kaya.

Other Anchors agreed that the vibrant performance and well-produced content of HORI7ON makes them an excellent representative of Filipino talent on the global stage.

“I can say I'm very proud to be a Filipino before I just stan Kpop, now I see HORI7ON. I'm so proud I can say I live in the Philippines,” Zilla Hintay said.

“Seeing HORI7ON nakakapunta sila sa ibang country and nirerepresent Pilipinas, nakaka proud as a Filipino kaya din ng Pinoy,” Joan said.

But other than displaying their unique charms and talents, fans shared they applaud of the septet for paying homage to their roots, despite being global pop group based in South Korea.

Apart from mix of Korean and English songs, HORI7ON also boasts a roster of Filipino tracks— which are also the most personal— such as “Mama” and “Salamat.”

“We are working on a diff thing. We represent Ph and Koreans we are K-pop and P-pop we put combination,” Winston explained.

“That’s what makes us unique,” Marcus added.

Both titles are letters to the people who take up the most important space in the boys’ lives— their mother and their fans.

“Mama which is a Tagalog song, we helped with the lyrics cause it speaks about the love for our mom it is a heartfelt song. We are collaborative with it,” Vinz explained.

“Philippine Anchors are the most important people for our journey because really without them, we are not here. We started there, they were supporting us there, and now that we are here, looking back we realize how important Philippine Anchors. They are the OGs, they brought us here,” Marcus shared.

The Urbano sisters, along with several other Anchors, also lauded HORI7ON for introducing the Philippine culture to the global scene. The pair explained, the members made them further embrace their heritage and identity.

“Parang Pinoys now mas nag-idolize ng Korenan groups. Pero since Hori7on, baliktad na. Nag switch, may koreans ini-idolo Pinoys. Nafe-feel na din nila,” Karissa said.

“Hindi nila kinalimutan Pinoy sila. Kahit pag punta sa korea hindi nila maliit sa sarili, nag stand up sila at pinakita na kaya nila at ginagawa other groups,” Ailah chimed in.

But more than their raw talent, Anchors shared the group’s journey in itself is inspiring.

“From the start makikita mo hardship nila paano nag train, dedicated mag pursue ng dream nila. Sa atin din po, need mo mag strive para ma-achieve dream mo,” Karissa said.

“I understood their hardwork and firmness to achieve their dream, which they achieved now, still achieving and they are still soaring higher to be a global pop group,” Zilla added.

Several other Anchors or fans of HORI7ON, agreed that watching the boys chase their dreams motivates them to also become bolder and braver in pursuing theirs.

“You want to be like them. Not like an idol but hard work, what are the traits you want to apply to yourself so you can achieve your dreams,” Zilla explained.

“Parang na influence ako maging mas masipag sa pangarap ko. Sila model kahit ano mangyari magsikap ka maabot mo pangarap,” Ryan Tupig said.

For other Anchors like 18-year-old student JR Evangelista, HORI7ON reminds him, especially amid challenges, to dream big— because like any other race, Filipinos after all, can also make it big.

“Bilang isang Pinoy nakaka proud makita kababayan sa international stage. Sila motivation ko,” he said.