By: Angelo Yanga, Kathlene Ann Go
Years later, the annual Paskong Arriba experience remains to be the highlight of every Letranite’s stay inside the Colegio. This year's theme, ‘Luces Brilliantes,' which translates to bright lights, captivated Letranites by various ways the Colegio has shown the true spirit of Christmas.
For the first time ever, the Colegio lit the façade with the dancing bright lights of red and blue on the night of December 12, followed by the rest of the Christmas decorations inside the campus. On December 14, the Paskong Arriba finally commenced with an Institutional Christmas Mass at the Letran Gymnasium.
With the hard work of the Letran Student Council in partnership with television network named ETC, the Paskong Arriba concert garnered an audience at the St. Thomas Grounds. The concert featured different Filipino indie bands and performers such as Tapik, Ben&Ben, The Ransom Collective, Autotelic, Hale, and Al James.
Tapik’s lead vocalist, Nikko Bukid, extends his gratitude to the LSC for its heartwarming support for the budding band. “First of all, I really would like to thank team SC for inviting us and making our dreams come true. Sobrang saya. We are so overwhelmed sa mga Letranites na sumuporta samin kahit na ‘di pa nila kami kilala, lalo na sa part na sumasabay sila samin nakaka-kilig,” said Bukid. The spur of the moment was indeed a memorable time not only for the band but also for everyone.
Meanwhile, LSC President Renzo Sabanal shared why this year’s Paskong Arriba was different from the celebrations years before. “Ilan years na kasing hindi masyado maramdaman ng Letranista ang pasko because naka-focus lagi sa concert so we thought of something na dapat makuha ng Letranista 'yung feels ng pasko through lights and the celebration itself,” said Sabanal.
Having less than two weeks of preparation, the committee for Paskong Arriba made the Luces Brillantes theme possible. With the help of College of Business Administration and Accountancy, the Student Council was able to showcase the dancing lights at the Letran Facade and St. Thomas Grounds. The Engineering Building and Grounds (EBG) department also helped in the installation of Christmas lights all over the Colegio, at the driveway, and the Santo House Christmas gallery at the Quezon garden.
Meanwhile, LSC Secretary Nico Aquino shared that he was deeply gratified by the activities provided by the Colegio. “As a Letranite, Paskong Arriba really made me realize how lucky I am to be part of this family. Since it's my last year in the Colegio, I will definitely miss these activities. I do hope that the excitement and the surreal feeling will be passed on to the next generation of Letranites," said Aquino.
The Paskong Arriba event continues to prosper when few of our alumni went back to celebrate Christmas inside their beloved home.
Former Letran AB Psychology student Joshua Brendon expressed how Letran gave him a delightful relief of nostalgia as he went back to enjoy this year’s Paskong Arriba.
“Going to the Paskong Arriba 2017 as an alumnus feels like coming back home. I know I only just graduated in March 2017 but going back to Letran for the annual Paskong Arriba feels a lot different now; there are a lot of people that I do not know and I see a lot of young faces. I felt old. But seeing my old friends there and some of the people I got to know made it feel like I never left," said Brendon.
The Letran community will continue to provide quality programs such as Paskong Arriba in the following years as it continues to make the Letranites remember the essence of Christmas.