Filipina trainee Elisia Parmisano is K-pop girl group PRISM’s 1st member

MANILA, Philippines – Pinoy pride is strong once again in the world of K-pop as 14-year-old Elisia Parmisano was announced as the first member of the upcoming K-pop girl group PRISM on Wednesday, January 10.

Parmisano is a contestant on the SBS K-pop survival show Universe Ticket, which first aired in November 2023. On the show, 82 female K-pop trainees from all over the world are made to complete several missions to fight for one of the eight spots on PRISM.

Throughout Universe Ticket, contestants are categorized into five levels depending on their performance each episode: P, R, I, S, and M.

The Filipina managed to reach the P Level, the highest level on the show, making her the first member of PRISM out of a pool of 16 contestants.

The contestants’ rankings depend on both the producers’ ratings and fan votes.

Parmisano, who started out as a child actress before making her foray into K-pop, was congratulated by several Filipino celebrities like Regine Velasquez, Vicki Belo, and Marian Rivera for her upcoming debut.

“This little girl is all grown up now and making a name for her self in the K-pop world. Congratulations Elisia, we are very proud of you,” Velasquez wrote in her post featuring photos with Parmisano as a child.

“All your hard work and sacrifice is paying off,” Belo commented under Velasquez’s post.

Meanwhile, Rivera posted a video message on her Instagram story for Parmisano.

“Congratulations sa’yo! Ipagpatuloy mo ang mga pangarap na ‘yan at alam kong marami ka pang magagawa at mararating, kaya naman God bless you more. We are so proud of you!” Rivera said.

(Congratulations to you! Keep working on your dreams because I know a lot more success is in store for you, so God bless you more. We are so proud of you!)

As of this writing, another Filipina trainee, Gehlee Dangca, still has the chance to debut alongside Parmisano in PRISM. Dangca is currently in the second-highest level on the show: R Level. Korean-Filipina trainee Jin Hyeon-ju is also a part of the remaining 15 contestants who have a shot at debuting.

This comes just two months after 20-year-old Sophia Laforteza was announced as the first member of HYBE Labels and Geffen Records’ K-pop girl group KATSEYE.

Other Filipinas in the K-pop scene include Chantal Vidal – known as Chanty – a member of the six-member girl group Lapillus. – Rappler.com