From sparkly costumes and a 44-song set list to sophisticated stage designs and dance moves with hidden clues (IYKYK!), Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” kicked off in the United States last March 18. The “mastermind” behind this whole thing said international dates would be announced soon!

As we wait for Taylor Swift’s Asian tour details (fingers crossed!), Swiftie gatherings and listening parties are here and there. Aside from live performances and fun activities, occasions such as these also share true stories about building friendships.

One of the recognized Taylor Swift fan groups in the country is the Swifties Philippines, headed by Filo Swifties Chelsea "CG" Guieb and Charlyn “Lele” Suizo. In an interview with The Beat Asia, Chelsea and Lele talked about cultivating friendship, how they juggle their busy schedules as full-time employees, and what it means to be a real Swiftie.

When most of us were confined in our own houses due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Chelsea and Lele met by chance. As things came about as a happy accident of sorts, little did they know they were laying the groundwork for a massive local fanbase and lifelong friendships.

Both started as sellers of fan-made Taylor Swift merch and ran online giveaway contests, as well as handling record orders through their respective shops.

“[N]agho-host kami ng Philippine group order since ‘yung availability ng albums ni Taylor dito ay medyo mahirap [makakuha]. We hosted a series of contests and daily giveaways, parang we’ve given more than a hundred prizes to other Swifties. And then, nung medyo nag-lift na ‘yung pandemic [restriction], nagkaro’n kami ni Lele ng goal na what if magkaro’n tayo ng kahit one-time na physical gathering naman kasi pwede na siya,” Chelsea shared.

(We hosted a group [album] order from the Philippines since Taylor's albums here are quite difficult [to obtain]. We hosted a series of contests and daily giveaways, like we've given more than a hundred prizes to other Swifties. And then, when the pandemic [restrictions ] eased a bit, Lele and I thought of setting a goal, which would be to hold at least one physical gathering now that we are permitted to do so.)

Juggling Events and Full-time Jobs

Chelsea and Lele are employed full-time. However, while Chelsea is a human resources officer, Lele is pursuing a career in information technology. They both admitted that it requires extra effort to juggle work and event planning.

“After [our] day job or even while doing [our full-time work], ina-asikaso namin siya. Everything was fast paced nga…para matuloy siya kasi kumbaga this is [a] once in a lifetime opportunity for us [at] that time. Tapos trinabaho namin siya, well, while on duty pa nga. Nag-e-exchange kami ng messages ni Lele tapos after duty parang full mode na kami on being admins, but we also have people naman [who] helped us ‘nung process. Buti na lang din [nandyan] sila, mga volunteers namin na mga friends din,” Chelsea said.

(After [our] day job or even while doing [our full-time work], we continue to manage [events]. Everything was fast paced… just to make it happen as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us at that time. [W]e worked on it, well, even while we’re on duty. We constantly exchanged messages and when we got off duty, it was like we were in full admin mode. Fortunately, we also had people who helped us during the process, our volunteers, who are also our friends.)

Turning Fanbase Into a Community

They say motivation makes the finest event planners. Take, for instance, Chelsea and Lele who are both pursuing their respective professional career paths but still put an effort into arranging a large-scale event despite their busy schedules, which led them to build a deeper friendship and a community.

Chelsea and Lele’s friendship blossomed during Christmas 2020, when they decided to collaborate on planning a Taylor Swift-themed event together. That’s when “13 Days of Swiftmas 2021” took place. It was their first successful online event that other fan groups in the provinces, such as General Santos City in Mindanao, decided to do something similar.

From that point on, Chelsea became invested in the idea of holding future events in shopping malls, where she would then make a proposal and attempt to persuade the mall management to accommodate their planned activities. 

At first, their ideas did not materialize as they had hoped because most shopping centers were only willing to provide the venue and nothing else.

“[W]e are a totally non-profit fan-based [organization] and although we have our own shops, kami ni Lele, we can only provide limited support in terms of monetary. So, we need to find an organization that will support the activity, at least [a] sponsor of the necessary needs. Medyo sumuko na kami, sabi ko ‘baka hindi [ito] yung right time for it.’ Not until Mall of Asia management reached [out to] me through my shop, Swiftie Collection Philippines. [W]ithin two weeks, all of it [happened], all the planning from the time na tinap nila ko until nangyari ‘yung ’Midnights Mayhem’ in Mall of Asia. That was our first [physical] event that was very successful.”

(We are a totally non-profit fan-based [organization] and although we have our own shops, Lele and I, we can only provide limited support in terms of monetary. So, we need to find an organization that will support the activity, at least [a] sponsor of the necessary needs. We kind of gave up, I said ‘maybe this is not the right time for it.’ Not until Mall of Asia management reached out to me through my shop, Swiftie Collection Philippines. [W]ithin two weeks, all of it [happened], all the planning from the time they tapped me until the "Midnights Mayhem" happened in the Mall of Asia. That was our first physical event that was very successful.)

“And from that moment, we’ve decided, me, Lele, and my other friends, to form Swifties Philippines, na to make it official kasi parang we have our own groups pa. [P]arang we’ve decided na why not make this [as] one na? And then a good friend of mine, who is a lead of Katy Perry Philippines naman introduced our team with Universal Music Group. They instantly recognized us as one of the [official] Taylor Swift fan based here in the Philippines. That recognition made the group, Swifties Philippines, even stronger.”

(And from that moment, we've decided, me, Lele, along with some of my other friends, to form Swifties Philippines to make it official because it seems like we belong to separate groups. [W]e've decided why not make this [as] one? And then a good friend of mine, who is a lead of Katy Perry Philippines, introduced our team with Universal Music Group. They instantly recognized us as one of the [official] Taylor Swift fan [groups] based here in the Philippines. That recognition made the group, Swifties Philippines, even stronger.)

Last March 31, “The Eras Festival in Manila” was held in a bid to make “The Eras Tour” happen in the Philippines.

The festival-themed event was a long-time plan by Chelsea, who waited for the right avenue to pull it off, and voila! However, struggles were inevitable including the venue, merchants, booths, and people involved to make the event happen. The preparation for “The Eras Festival” started in December 2022, spearheaded by Taylor Swift Cebu chapter.

Together with other representatives from Visayas and Mindanao, they aimed to pull off a simultaneous event for every location in the country with a festive vibe. Apart from the regular programs they do, they want something else like activity booths where fans can enjoy themselves while waiting for performances.

Following the success of the festival, Swifties Philippines is preparing for a fan listening party in case Taylor Swift releases another album.

Fangirling

If there’s one thing that will make someone the “luckiest fan,” it’s when their idol notices them through a like or a retweet. So far, Swifties Philippines is still waiting for their lucky charm that will help them get noticed by Taylor Swift. They keep their spirits up by holding events that will make a big splash online.

When asked about their most memorable time having fun with fellow Swifties, Chelsea and Lele both agreed that seeing how joyful the fans were was their most vivid memory.

“Whenever natatapos lang siya [events], that was probably the most unforgettable for me kasi lahat ng stress at paghihirap nandu’n siya sa umpisa, habang ginagawa mo siya. Pero once na patapos na ‘yung event, nakikita mo na ‘yung mga tao sinasabi na nila masaya sila, na they are glad na worth it na lumuwas sila. May mga nagsabi na galing pa silang Davao, Baguio, Iloilo, and ‘yung ganu’n sobrang sulit ng pagod namin, lahat ng sinakripisyo naming oras at tulog. Although ‘di pa natutupad ‘yung pinaka-goal namin na at least ma-notice kahit once, okay lang siya kasi ‘yung bond na nangyari and ‘yung experience na nashare namin with our fellow Swifties parang priceless na siya,” Chelsea said.

(Whenever [the event ] concludes, that was probably the most unforgettable for me because all the stress and tension were there at the beginning, while you were organizing everything. But once the event is over, you can hear people saying that they are happy, that they are glad that it was worth it for them to travel. Some people said that they travelled all the way from Davao, Baguio, Iloilo, and that was so worth it. All our time, effort, and sleepless nights were all worth it. Although we haven't achieved our main goal of getting noticed at least once [by Taylor Swift], it's okay because the friendships we’ve formed and the experiences we shared with our fellow Swifties were priceless).

Lele also talked about the emotional rollercoaster they experienced when organizing events.

“Iba kasi ‘yung fulfillment na,‘yung process of what we have done on the backend, from start ng planning, organizing, lahat ng emotions. In the first place, wala kaming idea how it will go kasi hindi naman kami talaga on the background na [event] planners. Kami ay IT and HR [personnel], wala kaming connections to any events [coordinator] and seeing how successful an event goes sobrang fulfilling sa’min… Hindi lang kami as a fan kasi we do have a relationship and the experience that we share together [is very valuable],” Lele said.

(The fulfillment [feels] different, the process of what we have done on the backend, from the start of planning, organizing, all the emotions. In the first place, we have no idea how it will go because we don’t have a background working as [event] planners. We are an IT and HR [personnel], we have no connections to any events [coordinator] and seeing how successful an event goes is so fulfilling for us... We are not just fans because we do have a relationship and the experience that we share together [is very valuable.])

When asked about their favorite songs and albums by Taylor Swift, the two said this was the most difficult question to answer. However, Chelsea’s favorite “at that moment” was Red (Taylor’s Version), as this album has the greatest number of emotional songs, while “Long Live” is her favorite song as it celebrates Swift’s journey with her fans.

On the other hand, Lele was a bias of “Folklore’s” “August” because, according to her, it was “very reflective.” She’s also a big fan of “Champagne Problems” from the album “Evermore,” and “1989’s” hit song “Clean.”