THOMASIANS WILL be treated with a taste of Tinsel Town as the University of Santo Tomas will bring down the UAAP Season 88 curtain with glitz and glamour on Friday, May 15.
After staging a grand opening ceremony last September with performances from Sarah Geronimo and Rob Daniel, the host school is now setting its sights on delivering what it hopes will be the “classiest” closing show in UAAP history—with an Oscars-inspired twist.
“For this year’s closing ceremony, we wanted it to be different from the usual format, which is often held alongside the street dance competition. It will be a black-tie event with an Oscars-inspired feel, where we will pay tribute to the heroes of Season 88,” UAAP closing ceremony program director Marvin Rellamas told The Flame.
While the opening festivities dazzled audiences with colorful fireworks and drone shows, the closing ceremony to be held at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion will shift toward elegance and sophistication, highlighted by a red carpet event and formal attire.
According to Rellamas, the overwhelmingly positive response from both the Thomasian and wider UAAP communities to the opening ceremony inspired organizers to craft a fitting culmination that will complement what many called the league’s grandest opening.
“So with that, we asked ourselves: How do we create a fitting culmination for this season? If we had the ‘grandest’ opening ceremony, why not aim for the ‘classiest’ closing?” he said.
Athletes who will receive awards during the event will don tuxedos and floor-length gowns to match the formal atmosphere.
Rellamas added that each UAAP member school would also be formally recognized during the program proper, with the UST Symphony Orchestra performing the respective school hymns as their athletes are honored on stage.
“Just like in the Olympics, there is a different kind of pride when you are an athlete and you hear your national or school anthem being played for the institution you represent. That is the same experience we want to recreate in the closing ceremony,” Rellamas said.
The organizing committee has also tapped Thomasian alumni couturiers and designers to dress the university’s athletes for the occasion.
“There are many Thomasian designers and couturiers, so we thought—why not make this a platform for them to showcase their talent by dressing our athletes?” Rellamas added.
The ceremony will also feature concert-style performances from the UST Symphony Orchestra, UST Singers, Thomasian alumna and stage actress Katrine Sunga, theater actor David Ezra and the Salinggawi Dance Troupe.
“We have a wealth of Thomasian talent, so we decided to give them the spotlight on stage,” Rellamas said.
UAAP President Fr. Rodel Cansancio said the UAAP Season 88 closing ceremony would be open to the Thomasian community. Tickets will be made available within the week on a first-come, first-served basis.
Organizers will also hold a public watch party at Plaza Mayor for those who cannot attend onsite. F
