THE UNIVERSITY will kick off this year’s Paskuhan on Nov. 28, marking the start of the highly anticipated, month-long Thomasian Christmas festivities in the Manila and General Santos (GenSan) campuses.
The Paskuhan festivities will begin with Tunog Tomasino, an annual battle of the bands, and the lighting of the Manila and GenSan campuses at 6 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, the Office of the Secretary General announced in Nov. 22 circular.
Light and hope are at the center of this year’s Paskuhan, with the theme, “Light Among Us, Hope Through Us,” emphasizing how Thomasians can be the light amid corruption and injustices.
The theme drew inspiration from the Jubilee Year of Hope and a passage from Luke 2:10, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news…”
“Many grow weary as truth is distorted and justice delayed. Yet Christmas assures us that God’s light still pierces even the darkest corners of society and the human heart,” the circular read.
“As Thomasians, we are called not only to receive the Light but to radiate it, transforming our Church, our nation, and the world,” it added.
Paskuhan festivities
The University will hold community gift-giving events with partner-communities from Nov. 28 to Dec. 20.
The UST Faculty Union is planning to forego of its Christmas gathering and donate the proceeds, estimated at P1.8 million, to typhoon and flood victims, the Varsitarian has learned.
The Paskuhan Pop-Up Village will open on Dec. 1 and will close on Dec. 5.
It will be followed by the Tiger Radio Caravan from Dec. 2 to 4.
The UST Christmas Concert Gala will be held on Dec. 2, 7 p.m. at the UST Santisimo Rosario Parish Church.
On Dec. 4, the institutional Advent recollection will be held at the parish church.
The “Christmaseum Concert” will run on Dec. 4 and 5 at the UST Museum Gallery.
Classes and work will be suspended on Dec. 8 to celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, along with the anniversary of the Dominican Province of the Philippines at Letran Manila.
The UST-Dr. William T. Belo Interdisciplinary Research Institute and Center for Research Commercialization and Entrepreneurship will be inaugurated on Dec. 12 at the UST Manila Annex in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The Paskuhan Mass will be celebrated on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m., followed by the Agape, the Thomasian Christmas feast, at 6:30 p.m and the Agape Concert at 7 p.m.
Simbang Gabi or novena Masses at UST will start on Dec. 15 until Dec. 24, with services at 8 p.m. at Santisimo Rosario Parish Church and at 4:30 a.m. at Plaza Mayor.
On Dec. 19, the grand Paskuhan concert will begin at 3 p.m. at the UST Open Field.
UST GenSan
The Mindanao campus will also have its own Paskuhan festivities patterned after the activities at the Manila campus.
The campus’s own institutional advent recollection will be held on Dec. 4.
On Dec. 17, UST GenSan will hold “MAKIBATA,” composed of gift-giving and games.
The Mindanao Paskuhan concert will be held on Dec. 18, 6 p.m.
UST GenSan’s Christmas break will start on Dec. 19 and resume on Jan. 15.
In UST Manila, the Christmas break will begin on Dec. 20, while Term 2 classes will start on Jan. 16.
