Every “Yellow Day” and UAAP game, the Thomasian community transforms into a sea of yellow across the UST campus and in the arenas where the games are held.
One of the main sources of that flood of yellow is Shirt Happens Customs, a company founded by a UST alumnus with a simple aim: to create a student organization shirt that would not crack or peel after just a few jeepney rides.
The company has made UST’s official support shirts for the last two UAAP seasons, including Season 88, which UST is hosting. It has also supplied support shirts for the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, Golden Tigresses, and Golden Spikers, and for events like Paskuhan.
Economics graduate Mikhael Rosario, who founded the company, said he went straight into entrepreneurship after graduation and did not enter corporate work. He described himself as “business-minded” and said his drive to support campus groups stemmed largely from his experience in UST student organizations.
“Mahilig akong mag-support ng mga organizations. Siguro ang naiba sa akin sa ibang business or entrepreneurs is when I look sa UST, parang lagi kong tinutulungan ’yung mga Thomasians — when it comes to pricing, payments, at kapag may kailangan sila, sponsors or sponsorships,” Rosario told the Varsitarian.
Rosario said the concept began during his stint as vice president for marketing and business development of the UST Student Organizations’ Coordinating Council (SOCC) from 2013 to 2014, when he noticed how quickly their shirts deteriorated.
“Naaalala ko kasi, nung [nasa SOCC] ako, meron kaming supplier ng shirt. Every time na nasa jeep ako, laging sira ‘yung shirt namin, as in nagbibitak-bitak ‘yung print,” he said.
He recounted bringing a UST shirt on an overseas trip for a presentation, only to see the print crack again. He later recognized that those repeated disappointments — from peeling prints to weak fabric — pushed him to build his own shirt business.
When he started Shirt Happens, Rosario said his edge at UST was not just superior quality but also his familiarity with student realities, such as tight budgets, rush orders, and the pressure associated with major campus events.
Shirt Happens’ first major opportunity came when he presented his services to University offices and student organizations, offering a more adaptable and student-focused alternative to established suppliers.
Rosario credited his background in his parents’ family businesses and said he began experimenting with small ventures as early as grade school, from selling sweets to classmates to managing uniform projects in high school.
After graduating, he left home and launched Shirt Happens with a capital of just P3,000, living frugally to align with the company’s modest beginnings.
UST quickly became both his testing ground and his most meaningful client base, which is why he continues to provide discounts, flexible payment options, and support to campus organizations.
Rosario said a defining moment came during the 2015 UST papal visit, when he produced yellow Pope Francis shirts and sold them around campus to meet strong demand.
The company’s momentum was challenged during the pandemic, when Shirt Happens endured what Rosario described as its biggest setback.
Rosario invested P7 million to P8 million in a project, only to find out later that a contract provision allowed nonpayment due to an “act of God” or “act of nature.” He subsequently declared bankruptcy and reopened the company in 2022 after obtaining capital from another business venture.
Since then, Shirt Happens has revived its partnerships with UST and expanded its reach to other schools and private companies.
For Rosario, the true measure of the company’s success is not production volume, workforce size, or equipment, but whether the shirts help others achieve their goals.
“It’s not how big the factory is, how many employees, or how many shirts were produced. I don’t call that success. Success is not tangible. Success is if nagawa kita maging successful — that’s success for me.
