University of
the Philippines

The Fun Walk: Sweating for the Scholars

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There’s something magical about Meadowvale Conservation Area when autumn arrives. The day opened at 10:00 a.m. with weather so flawless it felt tailor-made for us. Golden sunlight filtered through a glowing canopy of fall leaves, painting the trails in warm amber tones. As everyone took to the path, surrounded by towering greenery and the quiet rustle of autumn leaves, it wasn't just a walk—it was a gentle reset for the soul, taking in the fresh air and the beauty of the park together.

 

Before anyone hit the trail, UPAAT Secretary Wena Basco led a lively stretching session to make sure everyone’s joints were ready for the morning's physical (and social) activities.

Seven enthusiastic UPAAT members laced up their walking shoes to raise funds for our beloved Iskos and Iskas, but they didn't walk alone. Families were drafted into the mission, turning it into a massive community affair.

 

The Walkers' Roll Call:

The Leaders & Marshals: Joseph Redoblado and Eileen Aday led the pack, with Ed Lopez and Jonathan Aday keeping everyone on track as marshals.

 

The Family Contingent: Council Member Monica brought her husband Ryan and their three energetic kids—Michaela, Marga, and Ely.

 

The Senior VIPs: Bay Bernabe (UPAAT's most senior member and Past President) walked alongside his wife, Daisy. The trail was also graced by prominent senior members Jo Flach, Lynette Custodio, and Tita Leynes, proving that the UP spirit never skips a step.

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The Games: No Experience (or Athleticism) Required!

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Wena kept the energy high throughout the day by organizing traditional Filipino games for both adults and kids. The children seemed to have boundless energy, while the adults quickly discovered that watching from the sidelines and catching their breath on the benches was an equally important—and highly strategic—part of the competition!

 

Here is the play-by-play of the battlefield:

 

Bato-Bato Pick

The introductory game to help everyone get to know each other. To play, everyone finds a partner to introduce themselves like samurais before a duel. From here they play rock-paper-scissors and whoever loses follows behind the victor to cheer them on. This continues until everyone is separated into two groups screaming out the name of their fighters to decide who is the rock-paper-scissors champion. Karen came out on top as our champion!

 

Mingle Mingle

This next game’s purpose was to help people bond over similar interests. The announcer would tell everyone to mingle where we walk in random directions until we are given a choice between two things:

• Dogs vs. Cats: Dogs took the victory!

• Adobo vs. Sinigang: An impossible decision, as both hold a special place in everyone's hearts!

• Jollibee vs. McDo: Jollibee took the crown easily over McDo.

• Jollibee vs. Lechon: Now this completely divided the house!

• Taylor Swift vs. Madonna: Six, seven... let's just say the generational split was real!

 

Guardian of the Can (Tumbang Preso)

There are two roles to play in guardian of the can: the attackers and the guardian. The attacker's goal is to knock over the can with thrown flip-flops. While the guardian’s goal is to tag attackers to pass on the role of guardian. Guardians can tag anyone if they are outside the safe zone or the can gets knocked over. However, the can must be upright for them to move. The game goes from a calm toss game to a chase whenever attackers need to retrieve the flip-flops—it was a lot of fun.

 

Calaman-Spoon Race

This last game was a relay race with a twist: you must be holding a calamansi with nothing but a spoon the entire time. Each team is given two spoons and their calamansi where the person in the front of the line would race forward and back to pass on the calamansi to their teammate. Whichever team has every member finish the race is declared winner!

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The Kainan: Lechon, Tsismisan, and New Connections

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All that running, walking, and cheering makes a UP grad hungry. Thanks to Beth Ruivivar, the feast was nothing short of spectacular: roast chicken, grilled tilapia, lumpiang shanghai, menudo, ampalaya with egg, and a talong-and-okra medley. Dessert lovers were equally spoiled with cassava cake, leche flan, ensaymada, and freshly baked pandesal, all of which disappeared in record time.

 

But the star of the table was the Lechon. It was escorted by five knights: Melvin, Joseph, Chito, Bryan, and Wilbert. When it arrived at the picnic table, everyone gathered around. Joseph was about to chop it when young Ely asked, "What's that?" As a reward for his curiosity, Joseph gave him the very first chopped leg.

 

While waiting for the lechon, the picnic tables naturally transformed into a warm circle of connection. UPAAT Treasurer Eileen—a proud UPLB alumna—introduced a vibrant new group of fellow Los Baños graduates, and it didn't take long for initial intros to spark into deeper conversations. Surprised laughs echoed across tables as people realized they’d sat in the exact same lecture halls decades ago, while others bonded over the shared, deeply relatable journey of adapting to life in Canada. You could hear long-time members proudly sharing stories of the org’s history alongside familiar faces who were returning after a hiatus, genuinely excited to dive back in.

 

Though everyone hailed from different campuses, eras, and walks of life, those boundaries completely dissolved. The entire park filled with that unmistakable warmth and effortless camaraderie we used to feel back in our university org days—a truly unique, comforting experience that is so hard to find here in Canada, wrapped up in nostalgic tsismisan and endless halakhakan.

 

The Group Photo: "Tanders! Picture!"

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You can't end a Filipino gathering without the attempt to organize everyone into a single picture frame.

 

It started with the first call: "O, picture na!"

 

Most people started gathering at the photo spot, except for one lingering table. That’s when someone shouted across the venue: "Tanders! Picture!"—an affectionate nod to matanda, which immediately got people smiling.

 

Once everyone was standing together, the hilarious directions began:

"Ang mga babae, sa kaliwa. Ang mga lalake... sa kaliwa. Ang mga bata sa harap. Ang mga kaya lumuhod... sa harap."

(Women to the left. Men to the left. Kids in front. Those whose knees still allow them to kneel... in front.)

 

By the time everyone was set, some were laughing, others were smiling, and everyone was clearly happy to share a few good laughs together. Phones were being passed around to the photographers left and right so everyone could secure their own copy of the heartwarming moment.

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Before wrapping up the day, members were also excited to snap up their commemorative 50th Anniversary T-shirts, proudly showing their support for UPAAT and its milestone celebration.

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The Bottom Line (TLDR)

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It was truly a day filled with fun, fellowship, and the enduring UP spirit. It's a warm, familiar atmosphere that we don't often experience in Canada—something that brought us all right back to our university days.

If you missed it this time, consider this your warning for next year. We’ll save you a spot at the table!