BEL CERTEZA is the current Label Head of EMI Records, a sub-label of UMG Philippines. EMI Records is also known in the Philippines as a legacy label from the 2000s.
"First established in 2002, the founding of EMI Records in the Philippines marked a formidable chapter in the OPM (Original Pinoy Music) industry and built a legacy of great artists such as Sandwich, Sugarfree, Hale, The Dawn, Kyla, Lea Salonga, and Bamboo. Relaunching with the same vision and ambition in 2023, EMI will continue to advocate for Filipino artists, and will curate a broad roster and array of sounds reflecting the soul of the nation. " (source)
She transitioned from handling the Media arm of UMG Philippines in November 2023 to October 2024 back to the label side of the company from in November 2024. She was tasked to oversee both A&R and Marketing aspect of the label.
EMI Records' current roster include Dionela, Hale, Daniel Paringit, CHNDTR, Mijon, Vocalmyx, Gracenote, Cydel, waltz, and Jenzen Guino.
Roots from Underground Music Scene
A constant presence in the Music scene, Bel Certeza started out as a live music fan in 2005. In 2010, she started filming and taking photos of live performances and sharing them through various online platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Her passion for discovering hidden live music gems mixed with strong Documentation and Social Media background paved the way in bridging the gap between music fans and unknown underground bands. This led to the conception of Indie Manila, an online and offline music community where Certeza would curate shows featuring unknown indie bands at different iconic music venues in Manila i.e. SaGuijo in Makati, Route 196 in Quezon City, and 12 Monkeys in Ortigas to name a few.
In 2018, she started attending and representing Indie Manila and the Philippines in various annual Music Conferences around South East Asia. She is often invited as a delegate and a panelist to speak about Independent Music in the Philippines in countries like Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. These opportunities sparked more interest from other countries to discover Filipino music, connect with Filipino musicians, and the music community.
She was the Road Manager for notable Filipino bands like Autotelic, Taken By Cars, She’s Only Sixteen, IV OF SPADES, and iconic band The Itchyworms.
Certeza is also the Country Manager for Sofar Sounds Manila in 2019 and the former Showcase Festival Curator of the Philippines’ first annual government-sanctioned Music and Business conference, Sonik Philippines in 2018.
Music Agency Adventures
From 2016 to July 2020 she was part of the pioneering team of Homonym, the Philippines’ first and only Music Agency. Some notable projects she worked on during her tenure - curation and artist management for Coke Studio Season 2, Project Manager for three editions of IMMAP's annual Boomerang Awards, and curating, producing and mounting a series of bar tours for brands like Globe and Henessy to name a few,
Her stint in Homonym as the agency’s Event Curation Lead and Artist and Curation Manager strengthen her skills in organizing events and working closely with musicians not just a fan but also from a business stand-point.
Universal Music Group
Certeza achieved another career milestone in 2020 when she joined the world’s leading music company Universal Music Group (UMG). She is the former A&R Manager and Label Head of Island Records Philippines from 2020 to 2023 with juan karlos, Fern., dia maté, The Sundown, Over October, Cheats, KINDRED, One Click Straight, Zild, BLASTER, and Hey June! as part of its main roster.
She was promoted as Senior Manager for UMUSIC Philippines, the Media arm of UMG Philippines in 2023. She worked and developed the overall direction, original content, events, and other fun and amazing initiatives that featured stories and core memories of musicians and the music scene. By third quarter UMUSIC was transitioned to a new Media platform called Fanverse — a combination of online magazine and fan community platform.
In November 2024, she returned to the label side of UMG Philippines to oversee A&R and Marketing, following a period managing the company's Media arm from November 2023 to October 2024.
