The University of the Philippines is surely on a roll. The men’s basketball team has a winning streak at the UAAP Season 82, and the institution was declared as one of the 100 best universities in Asia. Now, the school has a new cheer, and it was composed by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab.
Listen to it below:
The cheer’s backstory begins with Ramon Eugenio, a UP alumnus. According to Esquire, he said, “During rehearsals for a UP PGH fundraiser wherein Mr. Cayabyab would be an honoree, I wondered whether he would consider making a cheer for UP. I took a chance and texted him, knowing his great love for our school. It was so easy.”
Cayabyab, a fellow graduate, responded by asking for keywords he could use. Eugenio sent him the lyrics of all the existing cheers of the Fighting Maroons.
The composer then asked for help from his daughter Krina and her fiance Stephen, who are also alumni. They learned and recorded the cheer, which you can hear in the clip above.
Cayabyab said, “I was supposed to do a Tagalog or UP-centric cheer but I shelved it. My idea was to use “Ikot ikot ikot” when the ball is on the other team, and “Toki na Toki na” when the ball is snatched back by the UP team.”
He said that the cheer is still a concept, but it sounds good as it is.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
