The Team Payaman is a group of Filipino vloggers and content creators founded by Lincoln "Cong TV" Cortez Velasquez in 2015. The group are known for humorous videos with no specific topic that cover a wide range of everyday life, with members who are also independent influencers. The group also ventured into esports and gaming events.[1]
Lincoln Cortez Velasquez, also known as Cong TV, the founder of the group (pictured in 2017)
Team Payaman was formed in 2015 by Lincoln Cortez Velasquez, or also known as Cong TV. According to Cong TV, the group started as a "trip" (just for fun) and grew as the members realized they could enjoy creating content while also earning a living.[2] Josh Pint, the group's video editor, said working with the group helped him become more confident and creative. Cong TV added that the members were shy at first but learned to work together.[2] The group lived together in a house called the "Payamansion", where they recorded most of their videos. Their content shows true-to-life and humor that many young Filipinos can relate to. When some members started their own families, they moved out but still worked together on projects.[3]
The group rose to prominence in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, Team Payaman became involved in esports by representing the Happy Feet Emperors in The Nationals, the country's first franchise-based esports league. The group also joined smaller tournaments as part of their efforts to gain more competitive experience.[4]
In 2021, Team Payaman started a podcast called Payaman Insider on Spotify. It is hosted by Junnie Boy, RogerRaker, Peachy Twice, and Boss Tryke. On the show, they share stories from their everyday lives, talk about funny experiences, and let listeners see what it is like to be part of the group.[5]
In 2023, Zildjian James Parma, also known as "Kulob" uploaded his first vlog, where he talked about his short time with Cong TV and Team Payaman. He said he went back home to Albay to focus on his studies and mentioned a misunderstanding with a member over a joke about a social media influencer. He also discussed the unreleased music video for his song "Ligaw Tingin" and explained his pairing with Viy Cortez's younger sister Yiv Cortez. Cong TV confirmed he did not know Parma had a girlfriend at the time. Parma was first noticed by Cong TV when he held up a sign asking for help to start a career in entertainment.[7]
In 2024, male members of Team Payaman joined the Star Magic All-Star Games at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Cong TV served as coach for Cong's Anbilibabol Basketball troop, which faced the Shooting Stars Blue team led by actors Donny Pangilinan and Ronnie Alonte. His team was made up of fellow YouTubers, relatives, and close friends, including Junnie Boy, Boss Keng, Burong, Dudut Lang, Mentos, Bok, and other collaborators.[8]
Some members have moved out of the Payamansion or paused their stay, including Seth Simon "Tita Krissy Aquino" Liu to focus on their families or other activities but continue to collaborate on projects.
Works
Music
In 2022, two years after the death of Emman Nimedez, the members of Team Payaman later came together to release an unreleased song in his memory. The track was uploaded to Nimedez's YouTube channel and was completed with the help of his close friends Awi Columna, Kiyo, and Alisson Shore. The music video, directed by Titus Cee, featured Emman's father Daddy Louie, driving a jeep with several Team Payaman members, including Cong TV, Junnie Boy, RogerRaker, Boss Keng, Yow, and others, appearing alongside him.[9]
In 2023, Team Payaman members Dudut and Pat Velasquez released a Christmas song titled "Araw-araw Lang Pasko". The song was written and composed by Awi Columna and Cong TV.[10]
Videos
In 2020, Team Payaman and Cong TV created two short films in memory of their late friend Emman Nimedez to help raise funds for his family. The group split into Team A, which made "Skyline", and Team B, which made "Pop Love". Both films were uploaded to Cong TV's YouTube channel on August 31, and featured several members of Team Payaman, honoring Nimedez's nickname "Pambansang Oppa" and his viral videos.[11][12]
Others
In 2023, Team Payaman held its first Team Payaman Fair and brought together fans from different places, including those who traveled to support the group. Other social media personalities such as Toni Fowler, Flow G, Angelica Yap, and Rana Harake were also present.[13] The group continued to hold the fair in the years that followed.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
