One may say that the Theresians of Saint Theresa’s College take intramurals to the next level. For one, the Theresian intramurals is not even called intramurals. The yearly event is called Pakiglambigit, a Bisaya word which means “to interact.” It is a time where all grade levels from pre-school to college participate in sports and celebrate their skills and talents beyond their respective classrooms. The Pakiglambigit is not just limited to sports either. Students showcase their talents in dancing, chanting, arts and others in different performances all throughout the four-day event. Despite the changes in the school such as the farewell of the directress this year and the closure of the Sunken Court (the STC gymnasium) to give way to the construction of the senior high school building, the Theresians did not fail to impress throughout the Pakiglambigit 2017. This was evident even during the beginning of the event with the opening ceremony last September 20, 2017.

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It was early in the morning; the sun was so hot and the air was humid. Some students haven't had breakfast yet. Some parents and teachers were anxiously getting their kids ready for the parade. Still, everyone flashed big smiles and ran with overflowing energy once their grade levels and college organizations were called by the emcees. This is the usual scenario for the parade that begins the Pakiglambigit opening ceremony every year. The parade is led by the STC Drum and Lyre Core and followed by the grade school, high school, college, and varsity players.
 

However, unlike the previous years, the school directress sister Cora was not around to give her speech. Instead, this year’s opening ceremony was kicked off by an inspirational message from the STC assistant directress, Teresa Nilda Pinili. Nonetheless, Pinili tackled the Pakiglambigit 2017 theme which is, " Building a Christ-centered Earth community of justice and peace".

"Intramurals 2017 is truly the perfect time to experience a holistic and active lifestyle, and practice the art of winning, losing, and teamwork. It teaches us the value of sportsmanship," Pinili said.

In her speech she stressed three important points. First, she said that playing sports and Filipino environmental games teaches the students to refrain from being boastful and arrogant. Instead the students learn to be realistic and humble. Second, she highlighted being Christ-centered which is the first mark of being a Theresian. She reminded the Theresian community of the cherished values taught by the three women disciples and the teachings of Jesus, who is the center of everything. Lastly, she callout the Theresians to take care of mother nature by maintaining the cleanliness of the school and by observing proper waste disposal and waste segregation.

 "Passion in justice and peace also invokes respect in the integrity of creation," Pinili said.

The opening ceremony then proceeded with its yearly symbolic torch relay participated by the representatives of the grade school, high school, college, varsity, faculty, parents’ council, and the administration. Even with the field slightly muddy from the recent rain, the representatives ran with genuine smiles on their faces and carried the flaming torch until it reached the end which was the flag pole.

Like usual, this was followed by the raising of banners. Two representatives of each grade school, high school, and college level run from one end of the field to the other and race to raise their banners first. In this year’s raising of banners the Grade 4 pupils for the grade school, the Grade 12 students of the high school, and the Psych-Soc (Psychology and Social Work) of the college raised their banners first.

One of the most awaited parts of the opening ceremony, especially by the parents, is the field demonstration of the nursery, and grade school pupils. For this year’s field demonstration, each grade level was assigned to one sports event and were tasked to incorporate their assigned sports to the theme of their performances. These performances involved dancing with elaborate props and singing chants. The children were clad in bright neon colors and waving their props in time to the rhythm of their dances. They were all smiles and strong voices despite the hot weather.

The high school department also have their own field demonstration competition. However, if the nursery and grade school pupils had elaborate props and chanting, the high school department sets performances to a higher level. The very competitive field demonstration involves strong chanting, intricate props and costumes, upbeat dance moves, and various formations. The chants made and performed by the students could be heard all over the campus. As the year levels get higher, the chants get stronger. The costumes and props which were also created by the students have bright and attractive colors and designs. They use these to create formations all throughout the dance. The student formations on the field are so big and ever changing, that the viewers from the second and third floor of the school buildings cannot help but take photos and videos of the performances. Some of the memorable formations this year was the golden balance scale from the grade 10 and the vibrant blue sea waves from the grade 9.

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Despite the shortened practice time because of the closure of the Sunken Court where practices are usually held, the Theresians continue to impress with performances even better than the previous years. With the loud cheers and bright smiles despite the undesirable circumstances and temperamental weather, the excitement of the Theresians for Pakiglambigit 2017 cannot be concealed. The Pakiglambigit 2017 opening ceremony was truly a success!