Photo by: Charydel Cassandra Malintad
ROXAS GROUNDS — Representatives from the different divisions sang to the greatest hits as they competed in the 2013 “Biritan Edition” of the annual Karaoke Challenge.
The event was headed by the General Assembly of Class Presidents (GACP) and was hosted by Jemimah D’lonsod and Ralz San Pedro.
“May the best biritista die… in so much happiness!” San Pedro joked.
The competition was centered on the contestant singing to some of the most popular records following the “birit” theme while performing a specific challenge. The top three were to proceed to the final round.
The judges were Cesar Fadolin, a janitor, and Myrla Engada and Elizar Balbero, security guards from the campus.The event started with Shievar Olegario, last year’s champion, and his rendition of Aegis’s Sayang Na Sayang Talaga.
Natural Science and Mathematics’s March Corbeta kicked off the first round with Celine Dion’s Alone as he had to blow empty a tray full of flour as he sung.
Zar, or “Kiray” from the School of Engineering and Architecture went next with Jeffrey Osborne’s On the Wings of Love while being hit with newspaper balls from the audience.
Having to withstand being tickled with feather dusters, Computer Studies’s Chanly Basa belted out Celine Dion’s All by Myself while hula-hooping.
Christine Soria from the Humanities and Letters followed with her performance of Sarah Geronimo’s How Could You Say you Love Me, having to keep a straight face while eating green mango.
Aegis’s Halik was sung by John Paul from Business and Management as he finished off a plate of polvoron.
Accountancy’s Joshua Alcuezar performed Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing as she played piko flag onstage.
Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back was belted out by Joanne Villarba from the School of Education while having to balance a book on her head amidst strong blows from industrial fans.
Mabs Pacatang of the School of Nursing closed the first round with Beyonce’s Love on Top as she had to pop balloons by sitting on them.
As the judges tallied the results, Rigel Micolob, 2nd runner up of last year’s Star Search, performed an acapella rendition of Alicia Keys’s If I Ain’t Got You.
John Paul, Mabs, Zar, and Joanne proceeded to compete in the final round where they had to perform their rendition of Beyonce’s Listen as they swim in a pool.
Joanne bagged the championship, saying to Atenews that “Tung first kay medyo ulaw, pero tung finals na kay kinahanglan gyud magseryoso for the prize, for Education! (At first, it was quite embarrassing, but at the final round, I had to do my best for the prize and for the pride of the School of Education!)”
She went on to express that the experience was very new and her win was a big achievement.
Joanne received P1000 in cash and a tumbler from GACP.
The rest of the winners were as follows:
First runner-up: Zar from the School of Engineering and Architecture
Second runner-up: Mabs Pacatang from the School of Nursing
Third runner-up: John Paul from the Business and Management Division.