PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) ignites the school spirit of students from University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) member-schools. Championing the youth’s passion for sports, Smart launched a T-shirt design contest for students from UAAP member-schools.
“Smart has always provided the youth with a safe space where they can express their uniqueness and creativity. Aligned with this, the competition sought to give the participants the opportunity to express their school pride and support their school’s varsity teams,” said Melvin C. Nubla, FVP and Group Head of Go-to-Market and Subscriber Management at Smart.
The contest was opened to all students of UAAP member-schools in February and ran until July. The winning designers were Janine San Ignacio from Adamson University, Tiffany Chua-Reyes from the Ateneo de Manila University, Cherubim Citco from De La Salle University, Regina Laine Tan from Far Eastern University, Riza Alvarado from National University – Fairview, Arbli M. Go from the University of the East, Mary Glo Garcia from the University of the Philippines, and Joshua Isaac Galvez from the University of Sto. Tomas.
Each winner was awarded ₱5,000 in cash, including ₱15,000 worth of shirts bearing his or her artwork. The designer’s school-based organization will also receive the custom-designed Smart shirt. The winning designs were adopted by Smart and will be printed on shirts and given to the school for future activities or as prizes or honoraria. Students can wear their custom-designed Smart school shirt at UAAP games to brandish their school colors.
As a former varsity athlete of Adamson University, Janine San Ignacio, who recently earned her Pharmacy degree, highlighted the Adamsonian battle cry “unawakanahimo” in her shirt design. “It means fighting on regardless of what people around you say or do. The ‘falcon’ element reminds us of our unyielding spirit. One of the most important lessons I learned at Adamson is that trying hard is better than not trying at all,” she said.
Tiffany Chua-Reyes, a second-year Communications Technology Management major at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) believes that sports brings students together and gives them a sense of belonging. She anchored her design on the Blue Eagles’ ‘One Big Fight’ battle cry, “I wanted to capture what makes our university community special. ‘One Big Fight’ is a rallying cry that all of us share whether we’re in the stands cheering on our teams or facing challenges in the classroom. I wanted the design to feel very personal and authentic, which is why I hand-drew the letter.
Regina Laine Tan, a fourth year Fine Arts student majoring in Visual Communication at Far Eastern University (FEU) said that her design pays tribute to the courage of FEU students or the ‘Tamaraws’. “It reminds us that, at some point, we must step out of our comfort zone and boldly pursue our dreams. The ‘Tamaraws Be Loud’ battle cry is not just for UAAP events. It can be used in different school activities, from advocacy events to casual gatherings,” she said.
Smart has been empowering the youth with products and services that enable them to pursue their passions. One of these is the Smart app, which helps Smart customers keep track of their accounts, top up their credits, and subscribe to promos. It’s the go-to platform for smart youth seeking value-packed load packages.
Smart’s support for youth-led initiatives and student-led activities underscores the company’s commitment to delivering meaningful connections and experiences for the academic community. It is also aligned with the PLDT group’s much broader goal to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education.
