Festives in Motion
BSTM studes bring culture alive, debut festive floats in World Toursim Day celeb
NEWS
After years of attempts, Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management (BSTM) students from the College of Hospitality and Management (CHTM) of Pampanga State University finally launched their long-awaited float parade, showcasing a vibrant display of Kapampangan and Filipino culture in celebration of World Tourism Day at the Dr. Ernesto T. Nicdao Sports Center on October 10.
In an interview with The Industrialist, Winona Hazel L. Lacanilao, one of the advisers of the League of Tourism Students of the Philippines (LTSP), expressed her gratitude to the first-year students and lauded the successful execution of the street dance and float parade.
“This event is one of the most remarkable, we can say. Of course, very happy kami to finally execute the street dance with the float parade. We all aim to showcase the Yaman ng Pilipinas, so we are very happy and thankful to our first-year students na nakipag-collaborate with us today,” she said.
Float of parade pushes through despite rain
Despite threats of cancellation due to the rainy weather, the event pushed through, with multiple floats representing various festivals parading from Gate 6 along San Fernando Road to the CHTM building and back to the gymnasium.
Reigning over the parade, the Sinulog Festival float by BSTM 1C was named Best in Float, capturing the spirit of Cebu’s renowned festivity through its detailed and colorful design.
In a separate interview, Mary Jane M. Valencia of BSTM 1C shared that their float enhanced their overall street dance performance.
“’Yung first ever na ma-nonotice niyo po when you see our festival float, nakalagay po doon Sinulog Festival, and andun po ‘yung Santo Niño and the flower designs. Without this float, hindi po matutuloy and hindi po magiging maganda ‘yung street dance namin kasi po connected po talaga ‘yung dalawa,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Kadayawan Festival float by BSTM 1B was awarded first runner-up, while the T’nalak Festival float by BSTM 1A placed second runner-up.
Sinukuan wins Ms. Festival Queen 2025
Adding to the spectacle was the crowning of the Ms. Festival Queen 2025, where elegance met heritage in a stunning display of provincial pride and cultural advocacy.
Alexa Deanne Miranda of BSTM 1F, representing Sinukuan Festival, clinched the title, also winning Best in Advocacy Speech.
"I will use my title to inspire others to do the right thing. Especially in my advocacy speech, I teach everyone to plant trees and that's the right [thing] to do, especially flood is more of an issue now,” she said.
Joining her were Michaela Diane Baugbog of BSTM-1D, representing the Niyogyugan Festival, and Jashley Mhae Morales of BSTM-EM-1A, representing the Maskara Festival, who placed first and second runners-up, respectively.
A showcase of Philippine festive
The event also showcased lively street and cultural dances, with students bringing the country’s colorful festivals to life within the university grounds.
In the street dance competition, Sinukuan Festival dancers bagged the championship title, followed by Panagbenga Festival in first runner-up and Sinulog Festival in second runner-up.
In the cultural interpretative dance category, Niyogyugan Festival emerged as champion, with Kadayawan Festival and Sinukuan Festival claiming the first and second runner-up spots.
Challenges, triumphs behind celebration
Samuel Espino, one of the Kadayawan Festival dancers, shared that the celebration strengthened their class’s bond despite the challenges posed by weather disruptions and tight schedules.
“Actually, being a first-year, I thought madali lang siya lalo na nung SHS kami. Mostly, nag-take siya ng two to three weeks, tapos rush lang halos kagabi ‘yung float namin. Halos late sa pag-suspend so hindi kami nakakapag-announce agad kung may practice or wala. So during suspension, wala kaming practice buong week,” he said, expressing surprise at the demands of college culture.
Moreover, In her closing remarks, Lacanilao said they fought for the continuation of the event despite weather challenges that nearly caused the float parade’s cancellation.
“Let’s do it [the event]. Today’s event is not just about us, organizers, it’s not just about our participants and our co-faculty members and guests. To everyone here today, we have proven once again, that CHTM champions can work as one and is truly champions,” she expressed.
This year’s celebration, themed “Hiyas ng Pilipinas: Celebrating Culture for a Sustainable Future,” was organized by BSTM-3F and BSTM-EM-3A, in collaboration with LTSP–Pampanga State University Chapter.
