The squeaking of shoe soles and echoing laughter rings throughout Stevenson Courtyard. The Isang Himig (One Melody, in English) a cappella group begins to lead a range of voices in Tagalog to create the tune of the Pilipino national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang” (Chosen Land, in English). 

Sopranos from Isang Himig gather inside Stevenson Event Center, practicing their rendition of the Pilipino national anthem.

“Bayang Magiliw, Perlas ng Silanganan Alab ng puso sa dibdib mo’y buhay…”

“Beloved Country, Pearl of the Orient, The heart’s fervor In your chest is ever alive…”

Jannine Barros, co-coordinator of Isang Himig, expressed the significance of the anthem for this year’s celebration:   

“It demonstrates our strength and our connection. It shows how our hearts all beat as one.”

The anthem is one of many performances that were prepared for the annual Pilipino Cultural Celebration (PCC), produced by Bayanihan, a student-run organization that promotes filipino empowerment. Bayanihan is also an umbrella organization known for several different performing and non-performing groups, such as Isang Himig.

PCC has carried the legacy of Pilipinx-American students at UC Santa Cruz for the past 33 years. This year, the title for PCC XXXIV is “Hanggang Sa Muli – Until We Meet Again!”

Each year, a cast of Pilipinx-American arts groups come together to honor their ancestors, celebrate their culture and tell their own stories.

The dances, acts and performances this year tell the story of Morgan Torres, the production’s main character, and her loss of relationships over time, but also her realization that it is never too late to rekindle past loves. 

The directors and producers of the show emphasized the broader importance of this storyline for its viewers, and the strong community ties behind it. 

“PCC is taking the space and making it available for so many students of color to remember that their stories deserve to be heard,” said Dani Dayao, the co-chair of Bayanihan. “It’s about remembering that there’s a community still here in Santa Cruz and that we’ll always find our way back together.”

Performing groups include the Haluan (Mixed), Kasama (To be Together), and Pagkakaisa (Unity) Dance Troupes; Isang Himig; and acting group People Power. The acts range from ballroom dancing, and a capella, to tinikling — a dance where two people rhythmically clap two bamboo poles together while dancers move in between them.

Other performances included the folk tradition Sayaw sa Bangko (Dance on a Bench), a dance performed between narrow wooden benches that performers hop, jump and switch across while maintaining complex hand and foot movements.  

Bamboo poles lay grouped on the ground before students practice a Filipino folk dance known as “tinikling.”

In the months leading up to the event, members spent countless hours writing scripts, creating dance choreography and counting each act down to the second — all to ensure a seamless performance. For Barros, this time has allowed her to see the newest group of PCC’ers connect with their culture and gain a better understanding of their past.

“I get to see [the younger performers] shine,” Barros said. “They’re learning how to sing, dance and indulge in all these themes of our culture. When you see the play, it’s like they’re healing their inner child.” 

Performers rehearse the play on stage while PCC XXXIV coordinators watch and provide feedback.

Stepping Off the Stage: Broader Implications

For some members, the continuation of the event is not only important for the Bayanihan community, but also carries an important political message:

“[The production] shows not only the government and the university, but also future generations, that our stories are still alive and that they will never die out,” said KJ Thompson, a co-coordinator for People Power. “It’s really important that us as a community can stay strong and push through these times and show that we’re not going to hide who we are, and we’re not [going to] hide our culture.”

In early February, U.S. Military Academy West Point forced 12 student-led cultural clubs to disband. This came after the university issued a memorandum meant to “direct changes in accordance with recent Presidential Executive Orders.” 

Despite the national threats to cultural and ethnic student spaces, PCC continues the education and sharing of tradition beyond the stage. However, the co-chairs at Bayanihan, including Kyle Vergara, worry about the potential impacts of federal cuts to universities on their organization, as Trump continues targeted attacks on college campuses: 

“UCSC’s administration has yet to give a firm commitment to protecting programs like PCC,” Vergara said. “The pressure is on us to protect our right to exist on this campus. PCC empowers other students to showcase their cultures in a similar way, and protects our right to be unapologetically ourselves.”