Pubmat by Joline Rumbaoa

By Aliya Janeo

“Tuloy pa ba ang fair?”

On February 9 and 10, the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) had its first fair since the beginning of the pandemic. Coined ‘Elesina,’ the two day event was a weekend of fun and magic brought about by both the fairgoers and the ones who made the fair possible. 

The Fruits of Labor

The first day of Elesina was kicked off by the band ‘Kahit Ano,’ composed of members Raiza Juanta, Roni Lee, Jo Paclibar, John Villafuerte, Enrique Gonzales, and Noelle Alarcon; the Blue Babble Battalion; as well as a dragon dance for Chinese New Year. Friday offered the first opportunity to experiment with various styles at the flea market, finally try the vikings ride and velocity swing, and explore the sea of concessionaires. Moreover, it was also a day that emphasized students who wished to show off their talents. “Transcendent: Students’ Night” was an event that allowed performers to showcase their dancing prowess, star quality, and runway-ready energy. 

Part of the event was Eksaherada, a pageant-esque show that was complete with a runway segment, Q&A portion, and lipsync battle, held in collaboration with Season Pass and Sandigan Lakambini. It was meant to serve as a fundraiser for the Golden Gays and encourage inclusivity and openness in the ASHS. 

If anything, the first day was just an appetizer for what the second day was about to bring. Elesina’s second day was packed with special events such as “Tataya: It’s Bingo’clock,” as well as the well-anticipated concert, “Mahika.” Tataya kicked off Saturday, with prizes such as headphones, a television, gift certificates, and a grand prize of 15,000 pesos in play. Amidst a student-catered fair, Tataya was how the fair committee aimed to entice the families of the students as well as people across all age groups. 

On the other hand, “Mahika,” the concert to end the fair featured performers of diverse genres, such as: OPM and R&B singer, Maki; hip-hop band PLAYERTWO; and rock, funk and pop headliner, Lola Amour. Since the events for both days mainly served as fundraising for beneficiaries, much consideration was placed into both days. According to Special Events Department Head Brent Gonzales, the events on both days were picked according to a student interest check conducted at the start of the school year. 

Inside the first floor of the ASHS building were many activities for the fairgoers to enjoy. World Mysteries was an escape room presented by the Intercultural Relations District; Po-in-Ts: Your Points-in-Time was a wedding booth presented by Grafiction, Zoom Photography, and Pugad Literary Folio; Presyong Preso was a jail booth presented by the Media and Creative Arts District and the Analysis and Discourse District; AlunSing Na! was a karaoke booth prepared by Alunsina; and SOAKFEST: Splash for a Cause was a fundraising event prepared by the CSC and the HumSS Council. Additionally, spread across the fairgrounds were different booths selling merchandise and services, usual fair games where you hit a target or shoot a ball, and inflatables to jump and have a good time in. 

Elesina also gave fairgoers the opportunity to discover new artists with the “Bluelapalooza” event that was held in the morning to the afternoon of both days. Performers had the chance to play their own original pieces, and or showcase their renditions of popular songs. Bluelapalooza is far from being the most organized event the whole weekend; but despite the mishaps and errors, it was still an event that gave the stage to performers with varying styles and genres. There is always going to be room for improvement, and there will be chances in the future for these artists to fully showcase what they have to share. 

When it comes to addressing criticism, there have been a set of general critiques that come from the AHS Freedom Wall. An example of this would be how fairgoers expressed their dismay at how their experience didn’t fully make up for the price of tickets— there were instances of alleged mistreatment from committee members on and complains regarding wasted money on ride tickets unusable during concert hours. At the same time, it was also expressed how there was no warning that the fair would be closing in the late afternoon for those who paid for the concert, which threw off a lot of fairgoers who weren’t aware of this as they were being ushered out the venue. Additionally, there were posts regarding the treatment of the performers for the Bluelapalooza, as there have been several complaints of mistreatment towards these smaller artists. 

Planting the Seeds of Labor 

The fair would not have been possible without the Fair Committee, led by the Fair Central Core: Overall Head Hannah Porca, Co-Heads Dia Timbang and Bianca Tan, and General Secretary Alyssa Añonuevo. The Fair Committee’s main role is to plan and produce the annual fair, creating a memorable experience for everyone in attendance. Elesina was a fair made with the intention of raising funds for its beneficiaries, and the fair committee allocated several months worth of planning to make that dream come true. Since the start of the school year, the Fair Committee has been hard at work, and through Elesina did the labor and love of these students shine through.

It’s no secret that Elesina was a public event, meaning that anyone and everyone was welcome to engage in the festivities; this also meant that the security department were hard at work maintaining order alongside fun. 

Furthermore, the more inclusive setting gave the Fair Committee more of an opportunity to promote the fair to people outside of the ASHS. From well-thought-out videos advertising the flea market, different mini events and booths, and the entirety of the fair itself as a whole, to creative pubmats detailing everything you needed to know before setting foot on fair grounds—these were all courtesy of the hard work of the Promotions, Video Editing and Graphic Design Departments. 

At the same time, the fair itself needed to look just as good as its posts online; and the decors department, alongside members of the Projects Operations Department, whose members were spread out amongst various departments, made sure that the fairgrounds looked just as if you were walking into another world. 

Elesina was a product of the blood, sweat and tears of the fair committee core and the members that made it possible. Nothing good comes for free or at a low price, so it was the accounting and sponsorships departments’ job to manage the budget for the fair and find sponsors to fund the event—all with the intention of creating the best possible experience for everyone in attendance. 

Other essential factors in boosting one’s fair experience comes with the rides, taken care of by the Rides Department; according to its head, Margarita Erese, the final rides were also picked based on the aforementioned student interest check, alongside the fair layout, feasibility, and cost. 

Additionally, there were also a variety of fun-filled booths and activities, courtesy of the Mini-Events Department, in collaboration with different organizations and districts. 

The fair wouldn’t be a fair without a few treats to keep your energy up the whole event, and that’s where our concessionaires come in. Not only did the Concessionaires Department bring household names like Potato Corner, they also brought more recently established brands like PrimEspresso. According to Maxwell Bendicion, a member of the Concessionaires Department, the department made sure to consider any health concerns by limiting the sellers’ ingredients, but still making sure the food and drinks served would be of the same quality as they are in stores. 

The headliners of the fair—the special events—were handled by the Special Events Department and backed up by the manpower of the Logistics Department and ACO. According to Special Events Department Head Brent Gonzales, challenges arose pre-fair in the form of juggling various logistical and external aspects, constant changes in the program and working with a set budget for artists; which included their hospitality and tech fees. On the day itself, Logistics and Special Events members were constantly running back and forth from one location to another; with Gonzales even citing how they hit over 66,000 steps running to attend to performers in their holding rooms to convert files at the tech booth. Quoting Gonzales: “Regardless of what we had to go through pre-fair, it was a fulfilling experience, especially with the connections and bonds that we had made along the way…it was a fun experience especially since we were able to see the community together with smiles and enjoying the events we had prepared for months.” 

The main goal of the fair has always been to raise funds for its beneficiaries. Regardless of the outcome, the fair was meant to be an enjoyable event—that a person’s attendance alone would benefit a good cause. Through the ups and downs of the fair, the committee has served the ASHS to the best of their abilities. In the words of Gonzales: “The very essence of working in the Fair Committee is learning how to be patient and appreciative of the resources that we have, though seemingly limited. As the committee moves with a thrust that’s bound on being of love, light, and service to others, we always put our best foot forward regardless of the circumstances.” 

There’s no event that’s going to be smooth-sailing in its entirety, but it doesn’t take away from how much time, work and energy was put into the preparation for this year’s fair. The fair was built on the collaboration and teamwork of students and teachers, and serves as a memorable highlight within the juniors’ first lap in the ASHS, and a one-of-a-kind experience for the seniors to look back on after they graduate. 

Elesina started 2024 off with a bang, inciting even more anticipation for what’s to come in the next years.