By Kean Andrei Bagaipo | November 16, 2023
To maximize students’ sports engagement this year, the Silliman University (SU) Senior High School (SHS) conducted its first week-long Pasiklaban: Sports Festival from Nov. 6 to 11.
Initiated by the SHS Student Council, Sports Committee, and SHS Sports Faculty, Pasiklaban 2023 aimed to give students from different strands and grade levels more opportunities to play their desired sport, aside from the All-University Intramurals.
According to SHS Governor Seve Tuale, around five hundred students participated in various sports activities, including over fifty working members of the student council committees facilitating the event.
Eight teams participated during this year’s Pasiklaban: the Pink Panthers, Black Raven, Purple Wyverns, Orange Phoenix, Blue Leviathans, Golden Griffins, Red Flags, and The Yodas.
These teams competed in basketball, volleyball, frisbee, swimming, lawn tennis, and badminton competitions, held in separate sports venues around the campus.
“This event might be the biggest event yet for our Student Council when it comes to the number of students who can actively participate,” Tuale said.
Tuale noted that the senior high department is “home to almost 1,800 students,” but only a few can represent their department in the annual university intramural meet.
“This year, we plan to go all out for the university intramurals and represent senior high school in the best way we [can], and that includes involving as many SHS students as possible and having a properly-phased and fun preparation process, with Pasiklaban being an important part of that,” he stated.
Before the event’s implementation, the SHS Student Council coordinated with their sports, finance, infomedia, secretariat, and logistics committees to finalize plans and technicalities of the event.
On setting precautionary measures
Considering that most students are still minors, Tuale said they complied with the measures and requirements set by the Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD) by “outlining proper health and safety protocols, contingency plans, and guidelines.”
Sports Committee Head Smile Fortin detailed the process of disseminating the necessary consent form to all student-athletes, class representatives, council members, and students who wanted to watch the games, which “usually lasted beyond school hours.”
She added that they formed subcommittees to ensure that the event’s needs were met.
“Since we had a number of committee members who signed up to help, we have divided our committee into three other subcommittees, namely the Food Committee, the Secretariat Committee, and the CLAYGO Committee,” Fortin said.
Moreover, the council and sports committee also coordinated with SU Red Cross Youth for medical emergency assistance and the College of Education’s Bachelor of Physical Education students as the event’s game officials.
On placing mechanisms for Pasiklaban’s future iterations
With the preparations starting around September to October, Tuale said that aside from their initial plans, the SUSHS Physical Education (PE) instructors approached their council, also proposing the Pasiklaban and making it an annual tradition.
“As a way forward, we plan to turn this project over to the next Student Council as well for continuity, so that avenues for student involvement such as this may be continued in the future,” he said.
Aside from the different sports, the SHS Pasiklaban 2023 also had cheering competitions and the Mister and Miss Pasiklaban pageant, both held during the event’s opening and closing culminations, respectively.
