By Lysander Tiu
Disney movies have long taught me about believing in the magic of things beyond my television screen. It taught me that magic, while obviously not real, is the imaginary force that keeps the joy of things alive. Unfortunately, the younger version of me who always dreamed of visiting Silliman University’s most looked-forward-to event—would be crushed to hear that I don’t quite feel its magic anymore.
For more than a century, the Hibalag Booth Festival, organized by the Silliman University Student Government (SUSG), has long been founded on the efforts of its students. This annual gathering of Sillimanians across the world has not only celebrated what it means to be a student and a graduate from the university, but also helped us remember what we cherish most about it.
However, what struck me as odd in this year’s celebration, was the alarming amount of externally-sourced food vendors, souvenir sellers, and businesses that dominated student-led booths.
Among these are branding solutions provider I-Concepts, service app Grab, automotive manufacturer Morris Garages, rental and transport services Daniel AutoMotors, local restaurant Flamin’ Grill, Turkish brand Maxiderma, and food and beverage company Del Monte.
Honda Philippines Inc., one of the festival’s sponsors, occupied a major area beside the gymnasium, and other sponsors’ booths filled up the entryways into the Hibalag grounds. Moreover, some of the country’s telecommunications providers Smart, Globe, and Dito Telecommunity, and Futura, a real estate franchise by Filinvest, populated the stalls which would have been better used for student’s gimmicks.
While it is commendable that they managed to secure big industries, what should be remembered is to whom this festival was founded for in the first place: students and alumni. This sets the precedence that students’ booths will continue to be sidelined in favor of prioritizing sponsors. In other words, losing the magic of what the Hibalag Festival truly is all about—the community.
I cannot solely blame the organizers for prioritizing external sponsors over student-led booths, as the festival is entirely managed and funded by the SUSG and Committee on Student Organizations. It should also be mentioned that student and academic organizations consume much of their resources and manpower for booth building. Not only that, some organizations are under probation, which discourages them from making efforts to be part of the festival.
Disney movies have long taught me that happy endings are earned through learning from change, especially the most challenging ones.
Ultimately, we should always go back to the main reason why the festival is held: to celebrate Sillimanians. Because when such patronage for sponsors continues to persist at the expense of our students—then we can truly say that the magic of celebrating Hibalag is gone.
