University of the Philippines, the host for UAAP Season 87, held its annual Pep Rally last September 4, 2024 at the University Theater in UP Diliman.
Despite the heavy downpour of rain caused by Typhoon Enteng, the UP community powered through in support of the athletes and teams battling it out for the gold this season.
This event sends off hundreds of the university’s athletes hailing from 20 sports as the season officially opens this upcoming September 7, 2024, Saturday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The night started with goalkeeper Alfonso Gonzalez from the UP Men’s Football Team leading the invocation to formally start the Pep Rally.
Afterwards, the UP Varsity Pep Drummers led the infamous University of the Philippines chants to hype up the theater that was filled to the brim with athletes, students, UP alumni, and UP officials.
Then, athletes Favour Onoh (UP Women’s Basketball Team), Jayvee Ferrer (UP Men’s Judo Team), Macky Tobias (UP Men’s Football Team), Matthew Alumbres (UP Varsity Swimming Team), and Susmita Ramos (UP Badminton Team) joined UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II for the Ceremonial Torch Lighting, which symbolizes the start of UAAP Season 87.
The torch for this season was designed by Toym Imao, an Architecture and MFA Fine Arts graduate at the University of the Philippines and was inspired by the iconic Olympic torch.
It was also gifted to fellow UAAP member schools and is meant to be displayed throughout the school year and can only be removed at the end of Season 87.
It showcases hands holding on together and creates the artistic illusion of a flame, symbolizing unity among the eight member schools.
This sense of unity was empowered by the words of UP President Angelo Jimenez as he and the UP community sent off the athletes.
“You are not ordinary players, you are players from the greatest university this nation has ever seen.”
He also shared the essence of the word “fight” in “Fighting Maroons” to the UP community.
“We fight for our university, for that vision – that shining vision of the Filipino youth […] that is the ‘fight’ in the Fighting Maroons.”
In addition to the inspiring speech by UP President Angelo Jimenez, UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II and OASD Director Bo Perasol also shared their words of encouragement for the athletes to keep doing their best at their respective sports and for the UP community to continue their never ending support for the Fighting Maroons.
One of the main highlights of the evening were the many performances prepared by every varsity team in the university, namely; the UP Junior, Men’s, and Women’s Basketball Teams, the UP Track & Field Team, the UP Badminton Team, the UP Baseball and Softball Teams, the UP Chess Team, the UP Fencing Team, the UP Men’s and Women’s Football Teams, the UP Men’s and Women’s Judo Teams, the UP Varsity Swim Team, the UP Streetdance Club, the UP Varsity Table Tennis Team, the UP Taekwondo Team, the UP Lawn Tennis Team, the UP Men’s, Women’s, and Beach Volleyball Teams.
And after 2 hours of exhilarating performances pumped up by an energetic crowd, the night ended with a UP Pep Squad routine that was accompanied by the UP Varsity Pep Drummers and the school spirit of the UP community ringing through the University Theater.
With the UP Fighting Maroons getting their very well-deserved send-off, the community now looks forward to this September 7, 2024, Saturday, wherein the opening ceremony will feature performances by the UP-bred legendary band Eraserheads at 11:00 AM and the first game of the season, the Battle of Katipunan, where the UP Men’s Basketball Team will be going head-to-head with their neighbors, the Ateneo de Manila University Men’s Basketball Team at 6:30 PM.
President Jimenez also enthrallingly fueled the excitement of the audience, with a powerful statement that “the UAAP will see an opening ceremony like it has never seen before.”
