Written by: Briana Regina P. Vergara

Reviewed by: Angela Loui Delos Santos & Karyle Gwenlian Ventura

Last November 7, 2025, the Organizational Communication Society (OrComSoc) held its annual Acquaintance Party (AKWE) at UP Manila’s Museum of a History of Ideas with the theme, Viva OC: The Ultimate OrCom Fiesta – Sa Diwa ng Bayanihan at Saya. Inspired by the vibrant spirit of Filipino fiesta, the venue was adorned with colorful bandaritas, pamaypays, and, most notably, a sari-sari store beside the stage.

AKWE has long been a tradition that welcomes freshies into OrCom culture. Through this exclusive event, OrCom students—from freshmen to seniors—are brought together to build camaraderie. As the closing event of OrCom Week, AKWE celebrates what it means to be part of the OrCommunity.

This year, AKWE 2025 highlighted not only fun and connection but also giving back to the community. Part of the event proceeds will go to earthquake relief efforts in Visayas and Mindanao through the Angat Buhay NGO.

In line with the fiesta theme, guests were encouraged to come in their best “typical kapitbahay” outfits—from dusters and basketball jerseys for a “tambay” look, to traditional baro’t saya. This made AKWE 2025 not only colorful but also reflective of Filipino culture and traditions.

Upon entering, each guest was given free loot bags containing coupons for freebies: treats of choice from the sari-sari store, unlimited iced tea or lemonade, sorbetes, and free toys like torotot and mini bubble wands. They also received nametags in different colors—later revealed to determine groupings for one of the games. 

To open the program, JVP for Partnerships and Advocacy, Jaren Bricks Cordero, welcomed the guests and introduced this year’s theme and goals. 

Throughout the night, the Junior Vice Presidents (JVP) of OrComSoc facilitated a total of 3 games and special segments, including raffle draws and awarding of the best in costume. These activities helped guests break the ice and bond with other OrCom students.

The Language Game (What is “chaka”?)

To warm up the crowd, the hosts introduced the first game of the night called: “The Language Test”. Random guests were chosen and divided into two groups. Participants had to translate everyday Tagalog phrases into English and raise their hand while shouting “Viva OC!” to answer.

After several rounds, the second-year group emerged victorious!

Guess the Filipino Dish (What dish has bagoong and peanut butter in it?)

To everyone’s surprise, the color of their nametags became the basis of the groupings: 

• Red – Dog
• Black – Pig
• Brown – Cat
• Blue – Snake
• Yellow – Monkey
• Orange – Lion
• Purple – Chicken
• Green – Mouse

Once grouped, participants worked together to guess a Filipino dish based on two key ingredients. Hosting this game were JVP for Membership Experience Allyana Cartas and VP for Partnerships and Advocacy Gio Leaño. Groups had to shout the sound of their assigned animal and guess the dish.

In the end, Team Orange (Lion) won Motivo vouchers, redeemable when purchasing Motivo products on Shopee.

Raffle Prizes

Another highlight of the night was the raffle. JVPs Cassandra Austria and Jaren Cordero drew names, while Allyana Cartas and Gio Leaño announced the winners.

And the first winner was… Deira Hungriano! She is a freshman who was also one of the main hosts of the AKWE party. She was given a blind box as her prize.

But she wasn’t the only one, for the second winner was Mariah Poblete, another freshman. Congratulations!

Special Performances

After the raffle, first-years Franz Tumalak and Matthew Vitug performed acoustic renditions of songs they had prepared to keep the party alive.

They opened with “Hanggang Kailan” by Orange and Lemons, with Franz on vocals and Matthew on guitar. They also performed “Japanese Denim” by Daniel Caesar, where Franz’s smooth vocals captivated the crowd. Their set ended with Matthew’s unexpected powerful rap performance of “Upuan” by Gloc-9 feat. Jeazell Grutas, earning cheers from the audience.

Dress to Impress

The next segment surprised guests with more prizes—this time for Best Dressed Kapitbahay. Surely a kapitbahay will stand out. But, who? 

The winners were Matthew, Margaret, Andy, and Josh. Matthew was dressed as a construction worker, Margaret as a typical kapitbahay with hair rollers, Andy as a Shopee courier driver, and Josh jokingly said he was dressed as “himself”, to which the hosts called him a “mayor”. 

Yet again, the winners received blind boxes.

(left to right): Construction worker, kapitbahay with hair rollers, Shopee courier driver, and contestant as “himself”/”mayor”

Hosts Jaren Cordero and Cassandra Austria then entertained the crowd by asking the winners with quirky questions:

1. “Ano ang nauna, itlog o manok?”
2. “Kapag ang tao namatay, inuuod. Kapag ang uod ba namatay, tinatao rin?”
3. “Kapag nahulog ang sabon, ano ang nangyayari? Dumudumi yung sabon or lumilinis yung sahig?”
4. “Kapag nahulog ang baka, nagiging ground beef na ba siya?”

After all of the fun, the program proceeded to everyone’s favorite part: hapunan! Local dishes were served along with sweet refreshments like blue and red iced tea. It was a chance for everyone to mingle, bond and meet new people.

To end the night, JVP for Projects and Operations Cassandra Austria thanked all the sponsors—brands, organizations, and families—that made the event possible. She also expressed gratitude to everyone who attended.

AKWE 2025 was truly a night to remember. It was the perfect way to wrap up OrCom Week and celebrate the Organizational Communication program’s 41st anniversary. It was filled with laughter, fun activities, and new memories made while celebrating with the whole OrCommunity.