#FEATURE | Paskorus: From silence to symphony
By Katch Viernesto & Savannah Laurio
Tuloy na tuloy pa rin ang Paskorus!
A time-honored tradition, Paskorus has long been a staple in every student’s Pisay journey. Emerging from the silence caused by the pandemic, the competition has recently returned to the campus with a show-stopping symphony across the batches.
Paskorus is the annual choral competition of Philippine Science High School — Main Campus (PSHS–MC), in which participating sections perform a Christmas song or medley. As a requirement in Music for Grades 7 to 10, the competition allows students to shine as they showcase their skills and present the beauty of choral singing.
With the finals last December 21 leaving the Pisay community awestruck, the performances of the students in both the Foundation Years Program (FYP) and Advancement Years Program (AYP) are a testament to their talent and creativity.
Harmony in the holidays
Opening the last day of Humanities Festival (HumFest) 2023, the Paskorus finals consisted of two levels: Level I for Grades 7 and 8, and Level II for Grades 9 and 10. The qualifying sections scored 85% or higher in the elimination rounds.
Both levels were judged by PSHS–MC alumni Franz Guico (Batch 2021), Samuel Salacup (Batch 2020), and Jacob Villa (Batch 2019), who were also musicians during their time in Pisay.
Popular song choices for the competition included Ben&Ben’s Bibingka and ABS-CBN Station song Star ng Pasko. As the battle of these songs came to a close, one section’s rendition prevailed.
With their performance of Bibingka, 8-Adelfa emerged as the champions among Grades 7 and 8. Batch 2028 swept the Level I category with 8-Rosal and 8-Camia winning first and second runners-up, respectively.
Salacup commended the winning section for their clean performance and memorable storyline, which ended with the giving of bibingka mentioned in the song.
“Ultimately, as a class, we decided that the most important thing [for] us was to enjoy the moment, to have fun, and it’s only going to be a cherry on top if we win,” said Robyn Santos of 8-Adelfa.
For Level II, Batch 2026 took two spots on the podium, with 10-Gluon and 10-Muon taking first and second runner-up, respectively. Batch 2027’s 9-Cesium’s performance of Ilang Tulog Pa Ba, which was also the last performance of the event, secured them the title of overall champion of the Level II category.
However, the road to the finals was not easy. With a performance to prepare for in addition to their studies and requirements, students faced many challenges on their first Paskorus journey. One such challenge was that not everyone was able to attend practices.
“Even though in some practices we weren’t complete, we were able to do great,” remarked Maricier Carambas of 9-Cesium.
As students improve from music notations, Christmas-themed costumes, and practices heard in every building, Paskorus is indeed back in Pisay.
Echoes of the Yuletide past
In its origins, Paskorus has been an integral part of the school for around 20 years. Beginning only as a project for their Music subjects, it was originally not a competition among students — it was a festival, wherein every section could perform any Christmas song.
After a few years, the Music teachers decided to make Paskorus a competition. They hoped to boost the morale and engagement of students by having them prepare and deliver entertaining performances.
Unfortunately, with the advent of the pandemic, classes had to shift online. Students had to attend Music — once an interactive class that honed their musical talent in the beloved Music room — on Google Meet.
With no way for students to perform with their classmates, Paskorus came to a halt, leaving the campus silent for the first time during the holiday season.
In the second year of its return to face-to-face classes, Pisay finally introduced Paskorus to its latest scholars — Batches 2026 to 2029. It was all their first time participating in the competition, leaving the battle for the podium a fair game.
“Since after the pandemic, it’s like a dream come true [that Paskorus has come back], not for me, but for the students,” said Music teacher Ma’am Melody Hernandez.
She also expressed her excitement about newer students getting to experience the beauty of choral singing, performing, and collaborating, as they reap the fruits of their labor together.
Meanwhile, as students who also once roamed Pisay, the judges reminisced about when they participated in the choral competition.
Villa recalled, “It was really such a central part of the Christmas season here.”
He also recounted his memorable moments of walking around the campus to hear sections practicing their songs, saying: “Taking time out of classwork to make music together is something [that] I think is really fulfilling for everyone.”
Salacup added, “Having this Christmas celebration really makes Pisay Christmas so much more special.”
The return of festive cheers
For Sir Vlad Lopez of the Social Science Unit, seeing the performance of his first advisees, who earnestly practiced (even overnight) for the competition, made him realize how skilled they were even outside of academics.
“Your ingenuity and talent [come] out in events like this, whether it’s the Paskorus or some of the other HumFest [activities],” he stated. According to him, these events are also highly anticipated by teachers because of the opportunity to see students in a different light.
Sir Lopez added: “Events like this help develop . . . [the] character of different batches.”
Meanwhile, Ma’am Hernandez congratulated the finals-participating batches: “Making it to the finals really makes you all winners.”
In the wake of this celebration, the revival of Paskorus became not just a competition but a heartwarming tradition to be continued by future generations of scholars.
With its official return, Paskorus will remain a memorable holiday staple in Pisay from here on. Students will continue to replace the silence of the halls in the campus with the lively symphony of Christmas songs.
The Paskorus finals once again reminded the Pisay community of the students’ talent and capabilities outside of academics, and as Ma’am Hernandez would like to remind the contestants: “You all deserve a big round of applause.”
