Friday, March 29, 2024

Hibalove or Hibulag?

By Maria Fiona Labucuas | Feature Writer

Vol. XCI No. 5

Aug. 28, 2019


Hibalag came from the Visayan colloquial term that means “to gather” or “to meet”. Hibalag is where you meet new people and make new friends. Is it also where you meet your love interest? Or where you lose them?

There are different Hibalag “statuses” or types of HIbalag experiences.

August brings about more rainy days and colder nights. Some may say that the cold nights get warmer when you’re with the right person.

A few weeks before Hibalag, students start asking each other, “Naa nakay Hibalag fling? (Do you have a Hibalag fling?)” Although it is a shared joke among Silliman students, some also take it seriously and try to find HIbalag flings for them or their friends. Hibalag flings can be the start of something new or simply just a fun experience to pass time.

It’s the season to find your HIbalove. Several student love stories originated from Hibalag. It’s either they met during this period or started as Hibalag flings and grew into something more. These cheesy love stories can make you go, “Sana all” and dream of your own Hibalag love story. Students may also say that Hibalag nights are the coldest nights after a breakup. Seeing all the happy couples can make you remember how happy you both were. But now, like those memories, your relationship belongs to the past. It’s the season for Hibulag, for nights as cold as your ex was.

Hibalag isn’t limited to the beginning or the end of relationships. It’s also the season for Hibalik. Students and alumni from all over the world come back to Dumaguete for the week-long celebration. Hibalag becomes the place where you meet old friends and make new ones. It can also be the place for your “muling Hibalik” – where you can rekindle old friendships or even past relationships.

Because of the events and the booths, it’s the time to be Hibalaagan with your friends. You can try the famous Horror Chamber in Katipunan Hall or the Rock-Climbing activity of the Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers Club. The Miss Silliman Pageant, Mr. Hibalag and the Dormer’s Night are also must-see events during the booth festival. The unique events and gimmicks are like no other in Dumaguete, which is why a lot of people try and go to them.

Hibalag, no matter what happens, will always be an eventful time for every Silliman student’s school year. It’s a time for love, for heartache, for friends. It’s an avenue for meeting new people, for making memories, and writing new stories. It’s exciting and it is now fast approaching. The question is: What’s your Hibalag status?

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