Disco Parol Fever Lights Up UPAABC’s 2025 AGM and Year-End Party

By Christian Cunanan

he University of the Philippines Alumni Association in British Columbia (UPAABC) celebrated another milestone year with Disco Parol Fever: UPAABC’s 2025 Annual General Meeting and Year-End Party, held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Civic Hotel in Surrey. The event brought together alumni, community partners, and friends for an evening that combined formal organizational updates with a festive celebration of unity, service, and shared achievements.

The program opened with the Annual General Meeting (AGM), during which UPAABC President Stephen Andrada presented an overview of the organization’s accomplishments over the past year and outlined ongoing initiatives to further strengthen UPAABC’s presence in British Columbia. He outlined ongoing initiatives aimed at further strengthening UPAABC’s presence in British Columbia and highlighted the significant contributions of UP alumni across the province.

Some of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural Gawad Liyab ng Paglilingkod (Blaze of Service Award), an honour established to recognize distinguished alumni whose work exemplifies service, leadership, and legacy. The first recipients of this prestigious award are:
1. Gawad Liyab ng Paglilingkod – Mellisa Remulla-Briones (Service)
2. Gawad Liyab ng Pamumuno – Laila Pires (Leadership)
3. Gawad Liyab ng Dangal – Lenore S. Lim (Legacy)

The program also featured a presentation of UPAABC’s community programs for the year, highlighting initiatives such as Padayon (Volunteer and Community Partner Appreciation), ALAB (Alumni Linkages and Bonds), Tulay at Gabay in Vancouver and Victoria, Balagtasan, the Conversation with Minister Rechie Valdez, and the UPAABC Scholarship Program, which provided support to 46 scholars across all UP Systems.

UPAABC concluded the year with two significant distinctions: the 2025 UFCABC Distinguished Service Award and the 2025 UPAA Distinguished Service Award for an Alumni Chapter, both recognizing the Alumni Association exemplary commitment to excellence and its meaningful impact on the community.

Disco Parol Fever served as a fitting finale to a year defined by service, leadership, and strengthened alumni engagement.