TJ Monterde’s ‘Sarili Nating Mundo: The Journey’ Celebrates The Milestones, People, And Dreams Fulfilled — Review

TJ Monterde is closing out 2025 with a year-long milestone, celebrating the monumental ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’ and its 40-show run across the globe.

With that, the unexpected journey of a tour that goes beyond the music, becoming a full experience, is immortalized in an hour-long documentary that captures it all. Sarili Nating Mundo: The Journey covers the journey that initially began in early 2025. The “Palagi” hitmaker held his sold-out three-night ‘Sariling Mundo at the Big Dome’ concert at the Araneta Coliseum, which paved the way for this one-of-a-kind concert experience to expand even further, reaching beyond Philippine shores. Brief glimpses of historic moments, such as Billboard Philippines awarding Monterde and KZ Tandingan for “Palagi” as the No. 1 song of 2024, as well as Monterde being the first solo male artist to achieve multiple sold-out shows at the venue, are also shown.

The documentary unfolds like a typical hero’s journey, beginning with the initial preparations for the aforementioned shows at the Big Dome. It covers working on the songs that appear on the setlist, collaborating with guest performers such as Arthur Nery, Maki, BINI Colet, and Champ Lui Pio of Hale, and the behind-the-scenes moments.

We get front-row access to what happened in Monterde’s concert, from the stage setups and vocal rehearsals to his desire to create meaningful memories for supporters and fans in attendance. The documentary doesn’t shy away from portraying that ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’ is more than just a concert but a collective experience that allows Monterde to take this journey together with the Bituins, his dedicated fandom.

As the show reaches other regions in the Philippines like Laguna, Davao, Iloilo, as well as international waters such as Canada, Taiwan, Australia, and Abu Dhabi, there are stories — perhaps happy and bittersweet moments alike — that add to the kind of feeling and experience that the show brings, not just for the audience, but for Monterde and the rest of the crew.

The concert’s director, John Prats, emphasizes the emotional feeling he experiences whenever he sees the different stories of people who have attended one or several shows. Tandingan adds to this sentiment, noting the joy of seeing familiar faces at every stop, showing their dedication not just to the music and the artist, but also to the feelings the shows evoke.

With that, the people who also helped shape the world of the concert — such as Monterde’s band, the Cornerstone team, as well as handlers, marketing personnel, and makeup artists — are recognized. There’s a portion in the documentary where we get to know them even further, and it’s this familial bond that is ever-present in the journey that makes it more than just work for everyone. Giving them brief moments to share their perspectives is a nice touch. Strolling around cities and streets in different places adds a human side to it all, while also telling the stories of people who may have received little recognition and may be dubbed as the tour’s unsung heroes. Although they are away from their families at home, they have found a bond that allows them to create new experiences and immerse themselves in various sceneries during their travels. While it doesn’t act as a travel vlog per se, the documentary allows the time to flow in a way that gives glimpses of these moments.

Like any hero’s journey, there is a turning point where the hero experiences setbacks. In this case, Monterde lost his voice on the second day of the tour stop in Laguna. It was a heart-wrenching moment, especially since his voice has been his anchor throughout. Edited in a heartfelt fashion, the documentary highlights how the people around him ensured the performance ran smoothly, even as Monterde bravely pushed through it.

An interesting aspect is how the documentary also showcases stories from attendees, including proposals at nearly every show. But apart from these celebrations of love, there were also moments of heartbreak — such as the story of an audience member attending a show, only to unexpectedly see their partner at the same show with someone else. Moments like this still carried meaning in a positive light, as Monterde, Tandingan, and Prats reflected on it as a sign that, despite the heartbreak, things eventually fall into place and life moves forward.

Ultimately, Sarili Nating Mundo: The Journey serves as the perfect full-circle moment and encapsulation of the entire tour, highlighting key experiences from performances around the world, the blessings that came Monterde’s way with his wife Tandingan by his side at every show. Monterde has come a long way since he started his music career nearly a decade ago, and he could never have imagined making it this big, let alone making history. Another highlight worth mentioning is Martin Nievera contributing to a full-circle moment by now serving as the opening act for Monterde. Years earlier, Monterde had hosted and performed as the opening act for Nievera’s CD and album promo launches.

Ending the documentary on a high note, it also sets the stage for a future as bright, or even brighter, with the upcoming ‘In Between‘ concert in February headlined by Monterde and Tandingan at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.