Lovely ladies float down on a sea of symphony as they reenact the Cadena
de Amor, an annual rite of transition that was practiced even during UP’s early
years in Diliman.
Multimedia concert tells UP’s glorious past.
Lovely ladies float down on a sea of symphony as they reenact the Cadena
de Amor, an annual rite of transition that was practiced even during UP’s early
years in Diliman.
Was it a lesson in history or an entertainment fest?
Actually, it was both.
It was no little night of music last June 18 as the University of the Philippines (UP) held the gala night of Pamantasang Hirang, a benefit concert featuring 100 years of UP history.
The main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila was packed to the rafters despite the heavy afternoon rainfall as alumni, students and employees from every corner of UP flocked en masse to witness the opening of the much anticipated event.
The concert boasts of some of the most recognizable alumni in the media, some of whom were Malu de Guzman, Agot Isidro, Candy Pangilinan, Jon Santos and Joaqui Valdez.
Proceeds from the performance went to the Iskolar ng Bayan Fund to help deserving UP students. It is jointly produced by UP and the 14th Congress of the Philippines.
The performance was divided into two acts, depicting UP’s history from the time it was established in 1908 to the present. It was also the premiere of Paano Susukatin ang Isang Dantaon?, a composition by music master and UP alumnus Ryan Cayabyab with lyrics by concert scriptwriter Floy Quintos.
The first act depicted UP’s origins when it was first set up in the city of Manila, now the location of UP Manila and various government offices such as the Supreme Court.
The stage flares up in protest as the performers sing of the
violent events during the First Quarter Storm.
The concert paid homage to four of the founding colleges when UP was established in 1908 by the then ruling US government: the College of Medicine and Surgery in Los Baños, the College of Medicine and Surgery, the College of Law and the College of Fine Arts.
The next number featured a collection of quotes about the university during its early years. A special segment was also dedicated to the events leading to the creation of UP’s most beloved landmark, the Oblation by National Artist for Sculpture and College of Fine Arts alum Guillermo Tolentino.
It also chronicled the years when World War II devastated the country, the Japanese occupation and the subsequent move from the Manila campus to its current location in Diliman. Narrated by UP alumna Boots Anson-Roa, a special segment was devoted to the traditions and rituals that blossomed within the campus.
The second act depicted the development of UP as we know it today, beginning from the events leading up to the turbulent 1970s at the height of activism and the First Quarter Storm, to the university as it is today.
Breaking from all the history and high culture, reigning UAAP Cheerdance Champions the UP Pep Squad and the UP Streetdance Club came in for a number entitled “Move,” pulsing with the energy and exuberance that only youth can bring.
Staged and directed by Dulaang UP Director Alexander Cortez and written by Floy Quintos, the two-hour extravaganza also showcased, in song and dance, the best in the university’s performing arts. These include groups like the UP Filipiniana Dance Group, the UP Dancesport Society, the UP Dance Company and the famed UP Madrigal Singers.
A new kind of energy pulses through the crowds as the UP Pep
Squad does what it does best.
The audio-visuals and video used in the concert were created by a team headed by no less than UP Open University (UPOU) Chancellor Grace J. Alfonso, already a successful television producer before she joined the university as the Dean of the School of Distance Education when UPOU was created in 1995.
The segments were narrated by some of UP’s most distinguished alumni, including such broadcast luminaries as Cheche Lazaro of Probe Inc. and Jessica Soho of GMA Network.
The arts, according to UP President Emerlinda R. Román, is one of the best ways to encapsulate history. And with a concert as big and as rich as UP’s history, this is one hell of a celebration.
By Anna Regidor