‘Smart has always provided the youth with a safe space where they can express their uniqueness and creativity,’ says Melvin C. Nubla of Smart. ‘The competition sought to give the participants the opportunity to express their school pride and support their school’s varsity teams.’
UAAP Season 87 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), hosted by the University of the Philippines, held its opening ceremony under the theme “Stronger, Better, Together” last Sept. 7.
Months before the opening, PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) held a T-shirt design contest among UAAP member-schools to further champion the youth’s passion for sports.
“Smart has always provided the youth with a safe space where they can express their uniqueness and creativity. Aligned with this, the competition sought to give the participants the opportunity to express their school pride and support their school’s varsity teams,” said Melvin C. Nubla, FVP and group head of Go-to-Market and Subscriber Management at Smart.
The winning designers were Janine San Ignacio from Adamson University, Tiffany Chua-Reyes from the Ateneo de Manila University, Cherubim Citco from De La Salle University, Regina Laine Tan from Far Eastern University, Riza Alvarado from National University–Fairview, Arbli M. Go from the University of the East, Mary Glo Garcia from the University of the Philippines, and Joshua Isaac Galvez from the University of Sto. Tomas.
The winners each got P5,000 in cash plus a bonus P15,000 worth of shirts bearing his/her artwork. The designer’s school-based organization will also receive the custom-designed Smart shirt. The winning designs were adopted by Smart and will be printed on shirts and given to the school for future activities or as prizes or honoraria. Students were also encouraged to wear their custom-designed Smart school shirt at UAAP games.
As a former varsity athlete of Adamson University, Janine San Ignacio, who recently earned her Pharmacy degree, highlighted the Adamsonian battle cry “Unawakanahimo” in her shirt design. “It means fighting on regardless of what people around you say or do. The ‘falcon’ element reminds us of our unyielding spirit. One of the most important lessons I learned at Adamson is that trying hard is better than not trying at all,” she said.
Tiffany Chua-Reyes, a second-year Communications Technology Management major at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), believes that sports brings students together and gives them a sense of belonging. She anchored her design on the Blue Eagles’ “One Big Fight” battle cry.
“I wanted to capture what makes our university community special. ‘One Big Fight’ is a rallying cry that all of us share, whether we’re in the stands cheering on our teams or facing challenges in the classroom. I wanted the design to feel very personal and authentic, which is why I hand-drew the lettering for the phrase,” she explained.
Regina Laine Tan, a fourth-year Fine Arts student majoring in Visual Communication at Far Eastern University (FEU), said her design pays tribute to the courage of FEU students or the “Tamaraws.”
“It reminds us that, at some point, we must step out of our comfort zone and boldly pursue our dreams. The ‘Tamaraws Be Loud’ battle cry is not just for UAAP events. It can be used in different school activities, from advocacy events to casual gatherings,” she said.
Smart’s support for youth-led initiatives and student-led activities underscores the company’s commitment to delivering meaningful connections and experiences for the academic community. It is also aligned with the PLDT group’s much broader goal to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education.
The excitement of the UAAP games can now be seen by Filipinos overseas through TinBo (Tindahan ni Bossing), powered by PLDT Global Corporation (PLDT Global), the international arm of PLDT Inc. (PLDT). Philippine sports action and entertainment will be available to overseas Filipinos via its partnership with Pilipinas Live.
Under this partnership, overseas Filipinos can conveniently access live and on-demand games of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Premier Volleyball League (PVL), Spikers’ Turf, Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), and more via the PilipinasLive app, with its Premium International Plan available to purchase on TinBo.
“Filipino athletes have brought so much attention and anticipation this year, so this is a timely service that we’re adding to our TinBo portfolio, enabling sports-loving Filipinos around the world to have an exciting time watching their favorite sports, easing their homesickness, and making their entertainment experience more meaningful,” said PLDT Global president and CEO Albert V. Villa-Real.
“Through our partnership with TinBo, we aim to extend our promise of bringing Pinoy sports content to Filipinos abroad and showcase the talents and stories of Filipinos in sports,” said Gerard L. Milan, chief revenue officer of Cignal TV, which owns Pilipinas Live.
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