The singing trio of Francis Concepcion, 11, Mackie Empuerto, 12, and Kiefer Sanchez, 13, also known as the "TNT Boys," wowed a jam-packed theater at the MVP Academic Achievement Awards (MVP AAA) held recently at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City.
The group, which caught the attention of TV audiences in the U.S. when they performed in the hit talent show "Little Big Shots," serenaded close to 300 awardees of One Meralco Foundation's annual recognition program, which rewards the academic achievement of children and siblings of qualified employees of Meralco and its subsidiaries.
On its eighth year, the MVP AAA recognized 210 winners and 76 top achievers.
Each winner received an MVP AAA medal and a P20,000 cash prize. Meanwhile, top achievers — those who won during the previous year and continued to excel academically and have received honors during the current academic year — each received an MVP AAA Top Achievers medal.
The awardees and their parents cheered as the TNT Boys rendered a back-to-back performance of Angeline Quinto's "Patuloy ang Pangarap" and Sarah Geronimo's hit single "Forever's Not Enough."
Addressing a primarily young audience, the boys congratulated the MVP AAA winners for doing their best to deserve the recognition. They also shared that despite their very tight work schedule, they still set aside time for their studies in between shows. They are currently home-schooled.
"Natutuwa po kami na nandito kami para makisaya sa inyo kasinaniniwala rin po kami na mahalaga talaga ang pag-aaral," Kiefer said.
"Sa guidance ni God, sa tulong ng parents natin, at sapamamagitan ng edukasyon, talagang walang imposible. Kaya tayong lahat, patuloy lang sa pangarap," he added.
The TNT Boys capped the show with an encore performance of "This is Me," a theme from the musical film, "The Greatest Showman."