The University of the Philippines (UP) Engineering Week is one of the most anticipated events in the UP Engineering community. With this year’s theme, “Sinag: Luningning ng Pag-asa,” the hard work, creativity, and passion of engineering organizations manifested in the events held last Feb. 27 to March 7, 2026. Students showcased their talents in arts, sports, quiz shows, strategy games, and most especially in the night events, which served as the main attractions of the week and drew hundreds of attendees. Two of these night events are Indakan and Jammeng’g, organized by the University of the Philippines Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES), which highlighted the beauty of dance and music.

Indakan 2026: Primetime Live! is a themed dance competition where participating organizations showcased creativity in presenting their own interpretations of popular Pinoy Teleseryes. Rai Kenneth Canlas and Akki Tiggangay headed this year’s iteration, held last March 2, 2026, at the UPFI Film Center. The participating groups evoked feelings of nostalgia among audiences who grew up watching shows filled with drama, romance, comedy, and action, bringing these familiar stories from television screens to a live broadcast on stage. The event welcomed over 700 audience members and featured over 160 participants across nine engineering organizations. Podium prizes were set at P10,000 for the champion, P5,000 for the 1st runner-up, and P3,000 for the 2nd runner-up. UP ACES also presented special awards to dance groups with the Best Overall Production, Best in Costume Design, and the People’s Choice Award.

Stepping onto the Primetime stage, the performers danced their way to the top. UP Circuit emerged as the Champions of Indakan 2026, followed by the UP Industrial Engineering Club (UP IE Club) as the 1st runner-up and the UP Society of Geodetic Engineering Majors (UP GEOP) as the 2nd runner-up. The UP Industrial Engineering Club also won Best in Costume, while the UP Society of Geodetic Engineering Majors received the special awards for Best Overall Production and the People’s Choice Award. The event also featured performances from renowned guest performers, namely UP Dancesport Society, UP D’Streeto V, and the UP Streetdance Club.

As the curtain closes, Indakan 2026 once again proved itself to be a celebrated competition that demonstrates how dance can tell stories of conflict, triumph, and passion. With this year’s Indakan coming to an end, the UP College of Engineering eagerly awaits the next stories to unfold in Indakan 2027. Through dance, audiences witnessed the beauty and creativity of the participating organizations, and with that same spirit, UP ACES also showcased the poetic and melodious power of music through Jammeng’g.

Rooted in the vision of transforming handwritten emotions and vinyl memories into a symphony of sound, Jammeng’g 2026: Written with Love, opened an avenue for participants to sing what they feel and let the audience hear their passion through the strings of their instruments. Through the direction of this year’s overall heads, Vin Collin Reyes and Jose O’Neil Del Rosario, the event took place on March 6, 2026, at the Celebrity Club. Moreover, Jammeng’g is grounded in supporting urban poor communities, in partnership with its advocacy partner and beneficiary, the Urban Poor Associates (UPA).

“We chose our advocacy of supporting the urban poor communities to recognize the backbone of the city’s everyday life. Despite their big contributions as people who keep our cities running, they continue to face challenges such as unstable housing, low wages, and systemic inequality. Through this event, we wanted to amplify their voices and promote solidarity, emphasizing that development and progress should benefit all members of society.

We partnered with Urban Poor Associates because of their dedicated work in empowering urban poor communities. Since 1992, they have been involved in advocating for secure housing, fair opportunities, and community development for marginalized sectors living in areas such as Baseco and Tondo. Partnering with UPA ensures that our advocacy extends beyond awareness and contributes to ongoing efforts that directly support communities in need. Through this collaboration, we unite as one in helping urban poor families and in promoting sustainable and people-centered development,” Vin and Jose O’Neil said.

Through this advocacy, UP ACES has donated P15,000 to the Urban Poor Associates to support initiatives benefiting urban poor communities around Metro Manila.

Jammeng’g 2026 gathered over 650 attendees and featured 12 participating bands from different UP College of Engineering organizations, all competing for a chance to express their heart’s message through love songs. As the echo of their emotions and notes of love rang through the hall, only three bands were able to claim a spot on this year’s podium. Arafell from the UP Circle of Industrial Engineering Majors (UP CIEM) was crowned Champion and took home the P5,000 prize. Anak ni Jack from the UP Industrial Engineering Club (UP IE Club) then secured 1st runner-up and P3,000, while The MangampERGs from the UP Engineering Radio Guild (UP ERG) claimed 2nd runner-up and P2,000.

The accolades for the bands did not stop there. Individual talents were also recognized through best performer awards for each instrument, alongside the Fan Favorite Award. Brian Joachim Sinday and Nero Uno Gianan, members of the champion band, Arafell, were awarded the Best Vocalist and Best Drummer, respectively. Members of the 1st runner-up band Anak ni Jack also received awards, with Lucas Elijah Punsalan winning Best Lead Guitarist and Miguel Alvaro Tamase winning Best Bassist. The Best Rhythm Guitarist and the Best Keyboardist then came from the Finite Fate Machine of the UP Association of Computer Science Majors, specifically by Marcus Joaquim Pascual and Gabriel Ian Carl Matias. Pedro M. of UP Aggregates was then given the Fan Favorite Award. Special performances also came from the guest performers Frank Ely, Better Days, and Dagohoy, who serenaded the crowd with their original songs and filled the venue with an atmosphere of love.

With the dimming lights and the strum of the last note, Jammeng’g 2026 concluded with confessions written in song and a lingering hope for love in the air. With the same passion and drive to stand for what is right, the thrilling anticipation remains for what Jammeng’g 2027 will bring.

UP ACES would like to thank the sponsors and partners that made Indakan 2026: Primetime Live! and Jammeng’g 2026: Written with Love, a success. These events were co-presented by Motivo Philippines, Power Structure Solutions, Unilab, and the Jammeng’g 2026 Liquor Sponsor, Tanduay. Indakan and Jammeng’g were also brought to you by Camera RentAL Hub PH, Microcadd Institute Inc., Emerald Vinyl Corporation, and Goya. The organization also extends special thanks to Angel Lazaro & Associates International, Orange Segment, and Nature Springs. Special thanks are also given to the guest performers from Evo Sound, Soupstar Inc., UP Music Circle, UP Dancesport Society, D’Streeto V, and UP Streetdance Club. The events would not have been possible without the concessionaires, Chicken City, Clerx, Eskinita Coffee Co., Anytime Fitness Blue Residences, and Timeless Petals.

As Indakan and Jammeng’g 2026 come to a close, their vision of being avenues for the expression of dance and music continues to live on. These events remain a testament to the drive and passion of UP ACES in organizing experiences that leave a lasting mark on the UP Engineering Community.