Vice Ganda made sure to give her alma mater a grand opening gift as she brought her friends to turn a sold-out SM Mall of Asia Arena into one massive party for the UAAP Season 89 Kickoff Show on Saturday.
The FEU alumna headlined the first-ever UAAP Kickoff Show, a spectacle likened to the Super Bowl halftime show and the UEFA Champions League Final opener, with fellow Tamaraw Gloc-9 and a star-studded cast of performers joining her onstage.
“When I saw the performance of UST last year when they had Sarah Geronimo, feel ko may chance na tatawagan ako ng FEU,” Vice Ganda recalled, referring to the HOPE Concert that closed last season’s opening ceremony at the University of Santo Tomas.
“True enough, tinawagan nga ako ng FEU. I was super excited. It was my gift to FEU.”
Gloc-9 opened the festivities with a six-song set that had the crowd singing along from start to finish. He kicked things off with Bagsakan, followed by Simpleng Tao, Upuan, Sumayaw Ka, and Sirena before closing with Kaleidoscope World, a tribute to the late Francis Magalona.
Vice Ganda then made a grand entrance, riding a giant golden Tamaraw that carried her toward the LED floor covering the area usually reserved for UAAP basketball games.
(C) UAAP 89 Media Team
She opened her set with a solo performance of Dua Lipa’s Training Season before bringing out a parade of celebrity friends.
(C) UAAP 89 Media Team
(C) UAAP 89 Media Team
(C) UAAP 89 Media Team
Babydolls joined her for Physical and HOT TO GO!, while Kyle Echarri teamed up with her for I Gotta Feeling. Maki then took the stage for Diamonds, followed by Darren Espanto for High Hopes.
(C) UAAP 89 Media Team
BINI members Mikha and Maloi later joined Vice Ganda for Level Up, before the FEU alumna performed Fight Song and closed her solo set with All We Do Is Win.
Gloc-9 returned to the stage for the grand finale, joining Vice Ganda and the FEU dancers in performing the season’s theme song, Dito Sa Amin.
But beyond the spectacle, Vice Ganda also used the occasion to deliver a message about freedom, social responsibility, and the power of young people to shape society.
(C) UAAP 89 Media Team
“I am Vice Ganda, a proud Tamaraw. Isang dating pangkaraniwang estudyante na humarap sa maraming hamon sa buhay — hamon ng kahirapan, hamon ng diskriminasyon, at isama na natin ang hamon ng mga snatcher sa kahabaan ng Recto noon. Gayunpaman, napakapalad ako na nakaranas ng isang makulay na karanasan sa loob ng FEU campus. FEU allowed me to be free, free to be myself, free to be unapologetically super gay, and free to love, free to love, free to love, and free to win. It is very important that we are in an environment that allows us to win,” Vice Ganda said.
“Kaya naman ang hamon ko sa inyo ay ipanalo niyo ang lipunan na magbibigay sa inyo ng disenteng pamumuhay at kalayaang magtagumpay. At mangyayari lamang yan kapag ipanalo niyo ang mga lider na hindi kayo nanakawan at gagawin kayong bobo at ilulubog ang inyong pag-asa sa baha,” she continued.
“Kaya naman Gen Z, I challenge you to show up, fight, no matter what.”
For Vice Ganda, the UAAP stage provided the perfect opportunity to speak directly to a young audience about the values she learned during her time at FEU, where she took up Bachelor of Science in Political Science.
“I felt like it was the perfect moment with the perfect target audience at the perfect location. I did not want to waste that chance,” she said.
“Polsci student ako kaya I wanted to have the chance na maipakita ko ang pinag-aralan ko sa FEU. Sila yung tinatarget natin na mga tao na gusto natin ma-inspire at makasama sa kahit anuman na gusto natin na pagbabago.”
With the opening festivities wrapped up, the focus now shifts to the court as the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament begins on Sunday.
Season host FEU will face Adamson University at 12 p.m. at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
