Sandara Park Spends Her 42nd Birthday in the Philippines, Her “Second Home”
Sandara Park turned a year older on Thursday, November 12, and she chose to celebrate it in the Philippines. The 2NE1 member, who turned 42, shared snaps from her birthday celebration on Instagram and X, greeting the self-proclaimed “Pambansang Krung Krung ng Pilipinas” with a “Maligayang Kaarawan” in Filipino.
On X, she labeled the set of photos a “Manila dump.” The pictures showed the singer in a green top and a brown cap, posing beside a life-sized standee of herself playing a red electric guitar. She was also seen holding a birthday cake bearing her name, topped with a mini figure of her strumming a guitar, GMA News reported. Posters of Sandara performing on stage could also be seen in the background of the photos.
Among those who greeted her was her longtime friend and fellow “Star Circle Quest” alumnus Joross Gamboa, who left a birthday message in the comments section of her post.
Fans also flooded social media with birthday wishes. Fan pages such as the Philippine K-Pop Society posted greetings for her 42nd birthday, and many Filipino netizens commented on how young she still looks at 42, with some calling her “baby face” as greetings for the “Krung Krung ng Pilipinas” poured in.
Sandara flew back to the country earlier this month for a brand event. During her stay, she reunited with Joross and bonded with Black Eyed Peas member Apl de Ap.
The Korean singer and actress first rose to fame in the Philippines in the mid-2000s through ABS-CBN’s talent search “Star Circle Quest,” before returning to South Korea and becoming part of the iconic K-pop girl group 2NE1. She has since called the Philippines her second home and often visits the country. Last April, she came back for a vacation with friends, telling followers she was home.
It has been a busy year for her. In June, she was named a promotional ambassador of South Korea’s Overseas Koreans Affairs Office, and she released her solo project “Reprism” that same month.
For Sandara, there seems to be no better place to blow out her birthday candles than in the country that first made her a star.
