By Luigi De Guzman

By Noriko Yamamoto

The Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) fair “Siklo” capped off its first day on Friday, January 30, with the Students’ Night celebration themed “Haliya,” featuring performances from various student organizations and renowned Filipino performers, as well as pageant “Marahuyo.”

The theme was derived from the legend of the Bakunawa: “As the Bakunawa threatens us with eating our last moon, we must take a stand and fight back … driving the forces of the Bakunawa away with music and cheer.”

The event was hosted by well-known Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) social media figure Luis Arroyo and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) correspondent Vicsi Burgos.

To open the program, the Marahuyo models, representing the nine committees in the Council of Student Committees (CSC), walked the stage to showcase their first outfits of the night.

This was followed by Indayog ng Atenistang Kabataan’s (IndAK) piece from the Dance Supremacy: Kings and Queens.

Moreover, the ASHS Symphonic Ensemble and Glee Club presented a collaborative performance of “Pink Pony Club,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan, AMES, and Dan Nigro.

Teatro Baguntao (TBT) then performed an interpretative dance to “Bisikleta” by Radioactive Sago Project, a song that highlights systemic corruption in the Philippines.

Afterwards, the Broadway Theatre Troupe of Ateneo (BTTA) performed “Ex-Wives” from SIX: The Musical and later collaborated with IndAK for a performance of “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from the musical Hairspray.

Following this, Marahuyo models returned to the stage to showcase their second set of outfits, followed by the question-and-answer (Q&A) portion for the junior and senior contestants.

“As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, here in the ASHS, I am proud to say that I am safe and comfortable to  be in my own skin thanks to programs like gender-inclusive policies and organizations like Sandigan Lakambini,” Javi Bellen, representing Sandigan Lakambini, said.

“We can create and foster an inclusive and positive environment for the people around us where negativity cannot grow and foster,” she added.

After the juniors’ Q&A, the Southridge Dance Troupe (SRDC) — the newly crowned Dance Supremacy Kings champions — performed a dance to a remix of “Ale” by The Bloomfields and “Babaero” by gins&melodies featuring Hev Abi.

The Senior Q&A portion followed shortly after, where Sandigan Lakambini senior representative Miks Sta. Maria said, “Kings, queens, and monarchs, as a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am proud to inform you that acts do not make you who you are.”

“Therefore, your identity must not just be interconnected with what you’re doing. We should be able to fight the stereotype that your acts are always linked to you SOGIESC,” she added.

She then concluded with a quote from Sassa Gurl, stating, “Being queer is a revolution in itself, and these acts must not hinder us from being able to stand up for who we are.”

Furthermore, Hiphop International Philippines (HHI PH) national champions V-Peepz energized the crowd with a performance to FERG’s “Plain Jane” remix featuring Nicki Minaj.

The awarding ceremony for the models then took place, with Sandigan Mayari, Sandigan Lakambini, and Sandigan Matanglawin announced as the top candidates.

Meanwhile, the People’s Choice Award was given to Sandigan Matanglawin, represented by models Pia Enriquez and Aidan Sioson.

On the other hand, the Best Junior Q&A award ended in a tie between Sandigan Alunsina and Sandigan Matanglawin, while the Best Senior Q&A award was won by Sandigan Mapulon.

Sandigan Lakambini then won Best Pair and was later announced as the overall champion, with Sandigan Matanglawin and Sandigan Mayari, represented by Jaime Avila and Lana Aquino, named as runners-up.

A DJ set by DJ Rynzy followed, before the program concluded with a performance by Filipino drag queen Taylor Sheesh, who performed to popular Taylor Swift songs.

Haliya will continue on the second day of Siklo on Saturday, January 31, with a fundraising concert on the Special Events grounds, featuring Original Pinoy Music (OPM) artists.