By Mark Vincent A. Durano

The pride of institutions culminates in a celebration that honors the decades of shaping their supposed priority—students—whether rain or shine. As Far Eastern University (FEU) boasted its annual Foundation Anniversary Week, changes have showered over the aspired smooth-sailing celebration of 97 years of excellence last February 10 to 14.

1. Schedule

For at least a decade, excluding the pandemic, FEU has traditionally conducted its Founding Anniversary Week during the first week of February, with the highly anticipated One Concierto Piyu (OCP) landing on the week’s Friday.

This is followed by the University Holiday falling on the Saturday of the same week.

In an interview with FEU Advocate, FEU Central Student Organization (FEUCSO) President Christmer Roland Ordanes stated that moving the schedule was an administrative decision.

“It was an administrative decision to move Foundation Week one week later, primarily to accommodate scheduling concerns and logistical adjustments,” he said.

Ordanes also shared that the student-governing body started planning around November to brainstorm, secure approvals, and lay groundworks while full-scale preparations and coordination began last month.

To compensate, the Founding Anniversary Week’s activities will span until February 28, concluding with FEU’s decadal hosting of TamVows.

2. SAYAWIT

Including FEU High School and FEU Institute of Technology, institute-based talent organizations pride ‘SAYAWIT’ as the opportunity to showcase the talents of each green-and-gold degree-granting unit. 

Due to unforeseen events, the FEU community was only able to witness the ‘Battle of Dance’ (BOD) with an unannounced winner and a stageless ‘Battle of the Bands’ (BOTB).

Usually, the winners of both competitions take the highly-regarded opportunity to grace the OCP stage, but neither rain nor shine could have saved the event from the several negotiations and realignment FEUCSO went through.

SAYAWIT was supposed to start at 7 a.m., but it only formally began at around noon, further pushing back the time needed for BOD and the rest of OCP.

According to SAYAWIT Head Coordinator Joshua Maigue, the ingress of their production supplier was delayed due to concerns over the approval of entry forms, despite arriving on time. 

“Instead of starting by supposedly 6 p.m., around 8 [p.m.] ‘yung ingress nila dapat, na-late sila ng start ng ingress so late natapos ‘yung stage. I think by around 8 [a.m.] na natapos ‘yung stage setup so by around 8 [a.m.] kami nakapag-allow mag-start ng sound check, natapos namin ang blockings,” he said.

Additionally, the suppliers were asked to reroute before entry, also delaying the ingress.

While the blockings for BOD were finished, the rehearsals for BOTB were cut halfway due to the sudden downpour. 

“The production supplier is not allowing us to continue habang umuulan since there is a high probability na may maaksidente with the wirings, maga-ground with the equipment. Tapos, may high probability na mag-malfunction ‘yung speakers and equipment namin,” Maigue added.

Left to compromise, FEUCSO changed venues from the FEU Quadrangle to the FEU Mini Auditorium for BOD, while BOTB was supposed to take place as part of OCP’s pre-show.

FEUCSO has yet to announce the winner for BOD while BOTB will be rescheduled to February 28 as an external event after considering holding the event at the FEU Grandstand in late March.

3. Cut programs

From the usual five main performers, this year’s OCP gladly welcomed OPM bands Autotelic, Better Days, The Itchyworms, and Imago, along with soloist Adie and drag performer Maxie Andreison as headliners. DJs Hundred Digits and Papi G, student-drag artists from 'Drag Battle 2025,' FEU Drummers, and FEU Boosters were also part of the setlist.

On top of the delays and cutting of performances, OCP 2025 did not see the return of two of the University’s renowned performers One FEU Music & Records (OFMR) and FEU Cheering Squad.

OFMR, previously known as One Piyu Music, have made it to the setlist since 2021, breaking their streak performing for the FEU crowd this year.

The FEUCSO President justified prioritizing other artists namely DJs Hundred Digits and Papi G and Drag Battle winner Missy Rider.

“One FEU Music [&] Records was not included in the lineup due to a shift in program prioritization. Given the changes in the schedule, we decided to allocate performance slots to a homegrown DJ and the winner of the Drag Battle, ensuring we highlighted diverse talents from the FEU community,” he stated.

Moreover, the FEU Cheering Squad was not able to showcase their routine due to the unexpected rainfall, prompting safety hazards. 

“The wet and slippery floor made it too risky for them to execute their routines, prioritizing their well-being above all else,” Ordanes added.

Additionally, the setlist was cut midway due to a sudden heavy downpour, prompting safety concerns over electric equipment. This caused another major delay for the culminating event, originally scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m.

While it resumed at around 5 p.m., FEUCSO Vice President Patricia Mae Luansing told FEU Advocate that the initial performance length per artist would be cut short. 

Ordanes also cited that other parts of the programs were cut to make up for the extreme delays that happened in OCP 2025.

“The Parade of Flags was cut, and some spiels were shortened to ensure that all the scheduled performances could still take place while preventing the event from running too late. While it was a tough call, our priority was to maintain the event’s energy and momentum while being mindful of the audience’s time,” he said.

4. Student volume

For a grand event like OCP, a large volume of crowd can always be anticipated. However, this year saw a smaller sea of gold.

Last year, the Security and Safety Office (SSO) reported to FEU Advocate that at least 17,000 Tamaraws tapped in, while this year's count lowered to 9,768. 

This marks at least a 40-percent drop of attendees for this year’s eight-turned-ten-piece setlist.

Just before OCP 2025 concluded with its traditional fireworks display, SSO counted at least 8,000 students who tuned in ‘til the last act, which was delayed for at least two hours.

5. Drag in the scene

Tamaraws surely embrace FEU as the ‘Gayest University’ in U-Belt on top of the gradual opening of doors and acceptance towards the LGBTQIA+ community. Alongside the continuous efforts to uplift pride, drag as a significant aspect in queer culture finally made its historical debut in the OCP stage.

Six student-drag artists lip synced for their lives in the first-ever University-recognized drag competition, ‘Drag Battle 2025: FEU Drag Excellence,’ last February 12.

Third-year Communication student Missy Rider reigned supreme and graced the OCP stage alongside fellow Drag Battle queens, first runner-up Letisha Jasmine, Kheanna Khan, and Z3ta. Drag artists Celeste and Via Beach also joined the search for FEU’s inaugural ‘Drag Battle Superstar.’

Following its success, FEUCSO, in partnership with FEU Sexuality and Gender Alliance, eyes for the drag event to become part of the annual festivities, reinforcing the University’s support for queer representation.

Moreover, Drag Race Philippines (DRPH) Season 3 winner and Queen of the Universe contestant Maxie Andreison took the center stage as the first drag queen headliner for OCP. This follows the momentous return in the University of DRPH Season 1 and FEU alumna Brigiding as the University’s first-ever drag performer last Tatak Tamaraw 2024.

6. Student Concessionaires

Student-led initiatives are a must-have in any celebration for the students. They serve not just as an avenue for entrepreneurship but also a display of wit, creativity, and perseverance.

After the strict policies that led to the last-minute scrapping of student booths last Foundation Week 2024, student-entrepreneurs have returned this 2025 through FEUCSO’s ‘TAMFair,’ in collaboration with FEU Entrepreneurship Club.

In a separate interview, FIL ARC Creatives Co-founder and President Junel Babiano Budlong expressed his joy upon being able to sell at the event again.

“It’s definitely good that we were able to sell, though it's just for two days. [However], it's better than not selling at all. Though I hope for next year, we could go back to the whole week of selling,” he said.

Securing a booth requires submitting various documents, including City Permit, DTI Permit, IDs, and a sketch of the booth and items.

Budlong also deemed this year’s process as stricter, hoping for a leeway from FEU Student Development with requirements, as they may have become a higher bar to reach for student-entrepreneurs.

Additionally, they only got confirmation for the booth only days before TAMFair.

“I think that made us a bit anxious because, given the events of last year where it was canceled at the last minute, at least it didn’t happen. That was the only thing for me, but for the other entreps, it was harder,” the co-founder added.

Other student-owned businesses, such as CramBayan, UP Beauty, My Tea-Cof, Dazzlerati, You Sparkle, and Air Baking, also took part in the entrepreneurial fair.

Meanwhile, FEU Academic Services also brought sponsor booths through ‘Tams ASsemble’ from February 10 to 11.

7. Student Activities

Despite the absence of previous activities such as Institute Student Council booths or the classic inflatables, FEUCSO led other initiatives that made their debut for this 97th Founding Anniversary Week.

To start, Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts students, as well as Institute of Arts and Sciences students, showed off their artistry in the live-painting exhibition ‘Pride of Hue,’ which was then unveiled and displayed to the FEU community on February 13.

FEUCSO also led ‘Cinematique,’ a free film showing for students, showcasing Tamaraw-made films in partnership with FEU Film Society, FEU Media Center, and Department of Communication.

Besides the lectures and discussions held by the Administration and Departments, FEU Center for the Artists staged its classic ‘Palabas sa Piyu’ throughout the week, featuring a variety of performances from its cultural groups.

8. Casualty report

Any event accumulating a large amount of crowd is susceptible to incidents that need prompt response. 

From the approximately 9,000 attendees this year, FEU - Red Cross Youth Council (FEU-RCYC) reported a lower number of recorded casualties for OCP compared to previous years.

Only nine cases were reported, 36 incidents lower than last year.

Moreover, only one attendee experienced a major case of hyperventilation, while the rest are minor cases of superficial wound, abrasion, lingering discomfort or pain, and dizziness.

FEU-RCYC deployed 62 volunteers, which were divided into six roving teams, two first aid stations teams, and an ambulance crew of five.

Amid all crises, the FEUCSO president expressed his gratitude to the FEU community who participated, supported, and remained patient despite the felt struggles.

“Events like these take a lot of effort, coordination, and teamwork, and we appreciate the community’s understanding. At the end of the day, the goal was to create a memorable experience for everyone, and we hope that despite the hurdles, we were still able to achieve that,” Ordanes said.

Dedication to one’s goal, may it be as simple as just making Tamaraws enjoy or as grand as conducting the grandest concert of all, does not just lead to bright, sunny days as heavy downpours may still disrupt the flow. To fully commit to this genuine intention requires passing through the bureaucracy that floods away months’ worth of efforts.

- With reports from Shayne Elizabeth T. Flores and Julliane Nicole B. Labinghisa
(Photo by Apollo Arellano, James Neil Tamayo, Janice Aina Herrera, Shane Claudine Rodulfo, Gwyneth Mendoza, Ralph Mari Castro, Aleena Louise Abad, Melvin James Urubio, Euxim Valonzo Garcia/FEU Advocate, Photo courtesy of FEU - Red Cross Youth Council, Layout by Jonathan Carlos B. Ponio/FEU Advocate)

ERRATUM: The article listed in '6. Student concessionaires' has been edited to correct the time frame of booths from student-owned businesses and sponsors from TAMs ASsemble as well as to add context for the guidelines for student concessionaires.