THOMASIAN TALENTS from the UST Senior High School (SHS) and the Salinggawi Dance Troupe showcased UST and Filipino heritage during their performance at this year’s Pasinaya, the annual multi-arts festival organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Salinggawi and the UST SHS were among the featured performers in Pasinaya’s historic edition — the first to include international performances — which was held on Feb. 1 and 2. 

In their Pasinaya debut, UST SHS students, alumni and faculty members staged the original musical “Verso L’alto: Ang Buhay at Kabanalan ni Pier Giorgio Frassati” at the National Museum of Natural History on Feb. 2. 

The 30-minute punk-rock opera, first performed in July 2024 at the UST Frassati Auditorium, was produced in collaboration with the CCP. It depicted the life of the UST SHS patron as shaped by his family, friends, faith, and the challenges of his time.

Eliza Calderon, the musical’s production manager and a Grade 12 student at UST, said performing at the National Museum was a thrilling experience. 

“It’s very exciting to bring it here [at the National Museum of Natural History], and we are hoping to bring it to more venues,” Calderon told the Varsitarian

The play’s timing is significant as Frassati, considered the patron of young adult Catholics, is set to be canonized during the Jubilee for Young People from July 28 to Aug. 3.

Apart from the performance, select UST SHS students and faculty members joined a five-day apprenticeship program with CCP for Pasinaya 2025. 

Salinggawi 

Pasinaya mainstay Salinggawi treated attendees of the multi-arts festival to a routine consisting of Spanish-inspired Filipino courtship dances, during its performance at Fort Santiago in Intramuros on Feb. 2. 

The folk repertoire featured jovencita, a Maria Clara suite dance, and panderetas, a dance from Iloilo known for its intricate footwork and tambourine props

The UST dancers also performed the paso doble (double step), which mimics the movements of a bullfighter in the ring, and jota intramurena, a courtship dance influenced by Spain’s traditional jota genre.

Salinggawi artistic director Stephen Biodama said the performance sought to promote and preserve Filipino cultural traditions. 

“Through these kinds of performances, we always want to bring Philippine folk dances closer to the audience, closer to the masses, and closer to the current and the present generation,” Biodama told the Varsitarian.

Salinggawi has been performing at Pasinaya since 2016.

With the theme “Para sa Lahat,” this year’s Pasinaya expanded to provinces such as Batangas, Iloilo, Sorsogon, Himamaylan, and Tagum. It also reached international audiences with activities in Jordan, Libya, and China. 

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