Festive Gatherings: UST holds first-ever Paskuhan Pop-Up Village
By: Agatha Rei Gomez
Every day is Paskuhan day in UST with the recently launched Paskuhan Pop-Up Village, the first-ever Christmas funfair of booths, raffles, and daily performances at the Quadricentennial Square, held from December 5 to 15, 2023.
The two-week-long Pop-Up Village officially opened with a ribbon cutting headed by Communications Bureau Director Philippe Jose Hernandez, MEng, last December 4.
Food and merchandise concessionaires from partners and sponsors, including booths from Thomasian students, were officially welcomed as part of the Pop Up Village exhibitors. Snacks, meals, drinks, and creative merchandise were among the selections present in the booths.
“Give it a few more years, we will have a representation per college.” Mr. Hernandez said during the ribbon cutting as he hinted on the possibility of having more Thomasian-owned business exhibitors in the succeeding years of the Pop-Up Village.
Student booths from the College of Commerce and Business Administration (CCBA) and the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) were among the exhibitors for this year’s Pop-Up Village. One of them was Sibol.Co, which auctions convertible leather backpacks that can also be used as tote bags.
Thomasian talents were also featured during the opening program, including a crowd call dance performance by UST Prime, a Christmas song number from the UST MusiCASA, an OPM performance by Offcenter, and the sharing of literary pieces from the Varsitarian’s Gawad Ustetika titleholders and UST MaKatha Circle’s Aleia Marie Anies and Jericho Christian Lopez. More Thomasians are expected to perform until December 15.
The Pop-Up Village is led by the Tiger Media Network production, with Tatjana Rizz Deocareza as the Executive Producer, Giella Mechtilde Diaz as the Supervising Producer, Hanielle Garcia as the Associate Producer, and Gabriel Alvarez as the Director.
The UST Tiger Radio Caravan is also present in the Pop-Up Village, which welcomes open mic performances from visitors.
