After Olivia Rodrigo wore her 'Miss So Filipina' sash on stage, Pinoy Livie says it still 'feels surreal'

Everything still feels surreal for Filipina Livie Veena Villena, who wore the “Miss So Filipina” sash that Olivia Rodrigo spotted, borrowed, and wore on stage at the “Guts” concert at the Philippine Arena on Saturday.

In an online interview with GMA News Online, Veena shared it was actually a last-minute idea she thought of the day before the show.

"I was torn between two phrases — "Miss I Can Fix Him" (a line from her song "get him back!") and "Miss So Filipina" (a play on her song titled "so american")," she said, adding she decided to get both and "gave the former for my sister to wear." Her other sister, meanwhile had the "Miss Key His Car" (a line from her song "Get him back!"

Veena luckily found a shop on Facebook that not only customized sashes but also just charged P180 per sash and did same-day delivery. 

On the day of the concert, the 21-year-old BS Business Administration student from UP Diliman and her sister "luckily got barricade spots at the left part of the stage right before started."

During the concert, Veena had a "random thought of how amazing it would be if Olivia wore my sash."

A die-hard Livie for the last five years, Veena somehow knew the "Olivia would have a spiel on our side of the stage after a song."

"I removed my sash and told my sister we should try to get her attention and give her the sash," Veena continued.

"When she was walking down our side of the stage, my sister and I held up the sash. Since Olivia was already looking at our direction, she immediately saw it and asked if she could have it. I just started crying and I let go of the sash. My sister was the one who remained composed and gave it to her with the help of the staff," Veena recalled. 

What happened next was well-documented on social media. In a video that Veena reshared on X, Olivia was seen presumably pointing to Veena and saying, "can I have that, that sash thing." She squatted until the sash was in her hands, and then Olivia stood up, wore it, and proudly showed it off. 

here's my pov of her wearing the sash ???????????? (backside view halpppp ????) congrats!!! and super deserved op ???????? https://t.co/ywfopj92LZ pic.twitter.com/SoFxHXVHAe

— ???? (@ruticart) October 5, 2024

She kept the "Miss So Filipina" sash on while she did the spiel for the song “Lacy.” It was the song Olivia performed before “So American” — the very reference of Veena's “Miss So Filipina” sash. 

Olivia thanked her and even called her Sweet Pea but Veena didn't hear it any more. "My friends pointed it out to me and set me videos after the show," she said.

According to Veena, everything still feels "surreal."

"Olivia taking my sash, wearing it in front of everyone, and thanking me for it was already crazy enough, but her also choosing to post it on Instagram really seems insane," she said. "I am in disbelief that this all happened to me after only dreaming about it for so long, so to say that I feel extremely grateful is an understatement." 

When asked if she got to keep the sash, Vee said she never got to hold it again after Olivia removed it on stage. 

“Before she sang ‘So American,’ she went back to the main stage where she removed the sash and placed it down beside her water bottle. That is the last time I ever saw the sash,” Veena said, hoping that Olivia had kept it as a souvenir. 

Olivia performed in front of a sold-out crowd at the Philippine Arena on Saturday with over 50,000 Livies attending her first ever concert tour in the country, including several Filipino celebrities such as Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera and their daughter Zia. 

That night, Olivia proudly showed off her Filipino roots that night. She introduced "So American" with a twist, instead saying she was "feeling so Filipino." She wrote "Pinoy Pride" on her shirt, instead of writing a song reference. And well, she proudly wore Veena's "Miss So Filipina" sash.

— LA, GMA Integrated News