By: Genno Gabriel Rabaya | September 6, 2023
In its 10th year, the Rock Against Youth Apathy (RAYA) band competition concluded with Chilled Pandesal being hailed as champion.
The Dumaguete-based band was the first to win after the competition’s four-year hiatus, with its finals held during the Hibalag Festival’s last day on Aug. 29 at the Silliman University (SU) Ravello Ballfield.
Lead vocalist Cris Aguilar and lead guitarist Katha Paet founded the band. They were later joined by keyboardist John Lasmarias, bassist Evangelle Cabading, and drummer Daniel Pennie.
According to Aguilar, their band aimed to promote mental health awareness among the youth.
“Hence, in our original song ‘Sige Ra!’ [that we wrote] specifically for RAYA, we have a lyric that says, ‘walay gahum ang atong problema’ [our problems have no authority],” he added.
Aguilar also said that the win meant a lot to their band because most of them are graduating students.
“It means the world to us to have achieved one last great achievement before moving on and out of Silliman University. It is truly an honor to be part of RAYA’s and, in turn, Silliman’s great history,” he added.
The final round of RAYA featured four local bands: Chilled Pandesal, Projecto, Abo, and Boylosers.
Music and advocacy
The organizers for RAYA 10 are Ang Sandigan and the Silliman University Producing and Songwriting Artists (SUPASA).
“SUPASA, as a very new [organization], [felt honored] to be able to help organize and help bring to fruition such an event,” SUPASA President Jeyah Mae Culanag said.
Culanag added that RAYA has been an avenue for up-and-coming local bands to showcase their music with their advocacies.
For its 10th anniversary, RAYA pushed for “turning apathy into action” in a post-pandemic setting.
RAYA has long been a part of the Dumaguete City music and youth scene, dating back to 2011.
Notable winners of past iterations of RAYA include 5VOLTS, Willfreedo, and All Over The Place.
RAYA began as a “brainchild” by Cole Leo Vicoy Geconcillo, founder of local music movement Indievided, and Rae Bacon, former SU Student Government president.
Geconcillo said, “As far as organization, RAYA has been handled by multiple organizers since its inception, but primarily by the SG and Indievided.”
