By Dennis Gorecho
The chant “Ikulong na ‘yan, mga kurakot!” reverberated for four days at the Sunken Garden of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman during the 2026 UP Fair.
The UP Fair stage is never just a stage. The week-long event serves as a platform where artists fuse music with social activism, calling for action against corruption and injustice.
The 2026 theme, “Rak Kontra Korap,” aimed to raise awareness of specific social issues each day: “Kalye Tunes” on Wednesday highlighted urban struggles and the rights of the marginalized; “Quest” on Thursday focused on queer empowerment and women’s rights; “Elements” on Friday underscored peasant rights and agrarian reform; and “Rev” on Saturday centered on ancestral land defense.
Originally held in September, the UP Fair began in the early 1980s as an avenue for dissent during the martial law era of then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.
In 1984, the UP Fair was institutionalized as a fundraising activity by student organizations led by the University Student Council (USC), and has since been considered the biggest student-initiated event in UP Diliman.
From its humble beginnings as a simple “perya-like” gathering, the UP Fair was eventually moved to February and evolved into a full-blown celebration of Philippine art, music and culture — while remaining a powerful platform for social change.
Over the years, the UP Fair has launched and promoted numerous bands and artists, both homegrown and non-UP alike, including The Jerks, The Dawn, Buklod, Moonstar88, Yano, Sinaglahi, Patatag, Ebe Dancel, Lola Amour, Sponge Cola, Morissette, and most notably, Eraserheads.
The Eraserheads first performed at the UP Fair in February 1991, two years after the band was formed in 1989 by Ely Buendia, Buddy Zabala, Marcus Adoro, and Raymund Marasigan.
They returned to the UP Fair in 1992, performing a set that included cover versions of The Knack’s “My Sharona” and John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey.”
Buddy and Raymund were my roommates for two years (1989 to 1991) at Molave Dorm during my final college years.
The final night, “Rev,” was hosted by Sigma Kappa Pi Fraternity and Sigma Delta Pi Sorority, highlighting the defense of ancestral lands and the struggles of indigenous peoples.
Performers included Ridleys, Moonstar88, Apo Hiking Society, Over October, Shirebound, Hey June!, Any Name’s Okay, and more.
The event coincided with the 42nd Cordillera Day celebration held in Manila at the Quezon Memorial Circle, honoring slain tribal leader Macliing Dulag.
On the evening of April 24, 1980, soldiers fired at two houses in the village of Bugnay, Tinglayan, Kalinga, resulting in Macliing Dulag’s death from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was among the leaders of the Kalinga tribes who opposed the World Bank-funded 1,010-megawatt Chico River Basin Hydroelectric Dam Project during the Marcos regime.
Despite lacking formal education, Macliing understood that the project would displace thousands of his people from their ancestral lands and destroy millions worth of crops.
He was killed by government forces in an attempt to silence him, but his death became a catalyst that united the peoples of the Cordillera in resistance against the dam.
One of his most powerful statements on the people’s reverence for land affirms their right to remain:
“You ask if we own the land and mock us saying, ‘Where is your title?’ When we ask the meaning of your words, you answer with taunting arrogance, ‘Where are the documents to prove that you own the land?’ Titles? Documents? Proof of ownership? Such arrogance to speak of owning the land when we instead are owned by it. How can you own that which will outlive you? Only the race owns the land because the race lives forever.”
The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) notes on its website that “more than just a gathering, Cordillera Day is a political statement on present realities by the militant Cordillera peoples’ movement. It carries with it the historical advances of the mass movement for self-determination and national democracy. It affirms the principles and struggles for the defense of ancestral domains and for self-determination, continuing what Cordillera martyrs and heroes have fought for.”
I joined three Cordillera Day celebrations in the 1990s — two in Benguet (Itogon and Mankayan) and one in Sagada, Mountain Province.
The UP Fair music festival deepens one’s appreciation of academic freedom.
These performances embody UP’s enduring culture of resistance and persistence — a safe haven for civilized, intelligent discourse across beliefs and forms of democratic expression.
The rhythm of resistance roars louder than ever.
More than a festival, the UP Fair is a week-long platform where art and advocacy collide — bringing people together not just to revel in melodies, but to rise in solidarity.
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“Peyups” is the moniker of the University of the Philippines.
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Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com or call 0908-8665786./WDJ