Filipino engineer Donny Dones launches Spearhead One with a Sponge Cola and Karylle Dubai show

Donny Ray Dones, a Filipino civil engineer in Dubai, co-founded events company Spearhead One with his wife and two partners. Its first concept brings Sponge Cola and Karylle to The Agenda on 13 March 2027 after a Ramadan date change.

Donny Ray Dones, a Filipino civil engineer living in Dubai, has co-founded Spearhead One, a newly launched Dubai events company, with his wife Victoria Dones and co-founders Frankie Boton and Jihad Magalin, Expat Media reported in a 4 November 2026 profile.

First concert concept

The company's first concept pairs Filipino acts Karylle and Sponge Cola for a concert titled "Sponge Cola & Karylle: Mundong Puno ng Pag-Ibig" ("A World Full of Love") at The Agenda in Dubai Media City. Expat Media's November profile says the show is set for 13 March 2027. The Filipino Times reported in September that Spearhead One was organising the concert for 13 February 2027; Expat Media later reported on 12 October that Spearhead One moved the date to 13 March 2027 because the original date coincided with Ramadan, with the venue unchanged.

According to Expat Media, co-founder Victoria was moved by a fan video of Sponge Cola lead vocalist Yael Yuzon and his wife Karylle singing a Filipino ballad, which helped spark the Dubai concert idea. Spearhead One CEO Donny Dones told The Filipino Times the concert is meant to give the Filipino community in the UAE a chance to reconnect through music.

Bridging Philippine and UAE stages

Donny told Expat Media that Spearhead One wants to create experiences that promote fresh talent and unexpected combinations, not only concerts. He said the company wants to bring a major band and also feature an unknown band that is really good, and that there are talented artists in the Philippines who need exposure as well as UAE-based performers who need more mileage.

A side project built by corporate professionals

Expat Media said Donny is a civil engineer with a background in quantity surveying and cost planning; Victoria is a senior finance partner at a UK-based company in the UAE; Frankie Boton is a mechanical engineer with event-organising experience; and Jihad Magalin is a civil engineer with an IT background. Donny said they are corporate people building Spearhead One on the side while keeping day jobs, with him handling cost planning and his wife handling finance.

From Mapúa and Makati to Dubai

Donny graduated in civil engineering from Mapúa University and began as a quantity surveyor in Makati before becoming a manager at an American construction company, Expat Media said. His wife moved to the UAE in 2015; he arrived in 2016 after a UAE construction firm recruited professionals from the Philippines. They married the following year and have a son, now seven, and a daughter, five, whom they have raised in the country.

In the UAE he worked on pricing for projects including the Museum of the Future and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and later in consultancy for clients including Emaar, DMCC and Dubai Holding. Expat Media said Spearhead One is also exploring sports concepts such as dragon boat racing, boxing and basketball beyond concerts.

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