TUPDKK Grand Eye Ball to coincide with December 16 U.P. Diliman Lantern Parade

To enlarge the graphic just click on it

The 1st TUPDKK Grand Eye Ball and TUPDKK Scholarship Launch will be held at the UP Track Oval, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City on December 16, 2011, 7 p.m. onwards.

At least 1,000 attendees are expected to attend this gathering and with possible additional attendees from the spill-over of the UP Lantern Parade which starts at 3 p.m.

TUPDKK, which stands for Taga U.P. Diliman ka kung … is a Facebook page founded by U.P. Diliman alumnus Cleve D. Mallari, and which now has over 35,000 members. It was created last August 10, 2011. The members include students, faculty, staff, residents, and alumni of UP Diliman.

The success of the online community has led its administrators to the creation of a TUPDKK book and a scholarship project. The book, which will contain stories culled from the exchanges in the Facebook group, endeavors to document the unique UP Diliman experiences across many generations. The book will also be a means to give back to the community as a portion of the book sales will be used as seed money for the scholarship project. No deadline has been announced yet for the release of the book by TUPDKK.

TUPDKK’s scholarship project aims to support deserving high school student/s from the poorest rural areas who aspire to become Iskolars ng Bayan. The projected expense of sending one scholar through a four-year course in UP Diliman, inclusive of all allowances and book or project fees, is estimated to be about PhP 500,000.00

To further raise funds for the scholarship project and to ensure its sustainability, the group also plans to come out with merchandise and other fundraising events.

Aside from the scholarship project, it is also our group’s vision to actively support initiatives within the UP Diliman community that promote the culture of giving back and serving the country.

Unlike other institutions which have sports teams that act as a focal point for their communities, the U.P. Pep Squad is the only athletic team that has consistently garnered the top spot among its peers. TUPDKK is especially popular among UPD alumni, because many of them have an unexpressed nostalgia for their college days that has remained unsatisfied – until now – through TUPDKK.

Coming in on the heels of hard times for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), including the University of the Philippines, which has experienced massive budget cuts, TUPDKK allows the alumni and other members to express pride in their institution in an organized way within a community of peers.

The TUPDKK event is therefore seen by many as a means of reigniting UPD’s fighting spirit, as the University of the Philippines System itself faces the challenge of seeking greater financial autonomy from the government which is facing budget constraints.