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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider How MATÉO found his love for Kundiman

How MATÉO found his love for Kundiman

Published Jul 20, 2025 12:22 pm

At A Glance

  • MATÉO's interest in music began in grade school and was fueled by his time working in the entertainment industry.
Rising singer MATÉO wants music fans to rediscover the Kundiman.
He is doing so, one song at a time.
But what exactly led him to the genre?
Well, it all began when he joined the Kundirana, the high school music ministry of La Salle Greenhills.
''Ever since talaga, I've been listening to old songs, and then I became a part of Kundirana. Lahat ng genres kinakanta namin, but yung kundiman yung tumatak sa akin, mas natural rin for me yung intimate songs," MATEO told Bulletin Entertainment.
MATÉO would go on to start writing songs in the vein a few years later.
Among them is "Lalim." He didn't write it for public consumption.  It was a simple serenade he created mainly to convey his emotions. 
"It was meant to help me de-stress because, at that time, I was busy. Being part of the music corporate world, I was working on projects that consumed my mental space,” MATÉO shared.
But when he started gaining over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the 28-year-old started releasing other tunes, including "Pinipili", which captures the enduring promise of love, and "Tungo", which explores that fleeting yet powerful space between attraction and intention.
Marking a new milestone in his music career, MATÉO is now out with his interpretation of "Bato Sa Buhangin," under the Korean entertainment label Abyss Company.
MATÉO is quite happy that the Korean label took a chance on him.
"Ang pinaka importante kasi sa akin is yung freedom ko on creating my music, and Abyss has been so supportive, and I appreciate it. And I guess nag-align lang talaga yung plans kaya I'm grateful," MATÉO shared.
Established in 2014, Abyss has earned its reputation by fostering longevity and creative independence for their artists.
Other acts in their roster include SUNMI, Sandara Park, and MeloMance. 
Before making his way to the music scene, MATÉO went by his real name, Matthew Ong.
He did some modeling and acting, even appearing in the hit Coco Martin series "Batang Quiapo." 
"Kasama ko po dun sa mga friends ni Lovi Poe, Gab po yung name nung character ko, and working po with direk Coco, honestly po it was a memorable experience for me. Direk Coco is very detail-oriented and spontaneous."
All that said, he'd rather focus on music -- for now at least.
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