After 32 years, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons once again made it to the UAAP men’s basketball finals on Wednesday, Nov. 28, through a victory over Adamson University’s Soaring Falcons, 89-87.
The Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles will battle it out with the Maroons in a best-of-three series, starting Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Maroons were clearly hungry for another championship after being in the bottom of the ranks for so long. Fans thus freely expressed their pride and joy through witty memes, jokes and one-liners, a lot of which quickly trended right after the historic UP victory.
To show his school pride, UP alumnus Martin Bondoc let Maja Salvador’s “Wildflower” character Ivy Aguas do the cheering for him. This he posted in the “Narinig Ko Sa UP (Overheard at UP)” public Facebook group.
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Narinig Ko Sa UP (Overheard at UP) group
Meanwhile, Alodia Ivy Tenebro on Twitter noted that the Adamson Falcons were not the only “birds” in the arena last night. She took a photo of someone’s banner, bearing an image of the UP oblation and words alluding to the statue’s nakedness: “May bird din kame!” (We have a bird too!)
KALA NIYO KAYO LANG?! #UPFight ‼️ 💚🏀❤️ pic.twitter.com/IapiQNXxhK
— Alodia Ivy Tenebro 💚✊🏾❤️ (@ALi9Ten) November 28, 2018
Meanwhile, Facebook user Neyzielle Ronnicque Cadiz’s group may have held the key as to why the Maroons won — by tilting the TV while watching the game, causing the Falcons to miss the hoop.
With the Maroons advancing to the finals to face the defending champions, and considering their campuses’ proximity, the championship fight has earned the title “Battle of Katipunan.”
In anticipation of the upcoming games, friendships between Iskos and Ateneans are temporarily set aside, at least in humorous fashion. One example is a trending screenshot of a text conversation between friends supposedly from U.P. and Ateneo, with the one from Ateneo already congratulating his friend on a second place finish.
Image: Screengrab from Twitter/@kwentongup
Grab Philippines also joined the fun, asking people who will win the crown by posting a graphic of blue and maroon cars designated at the Ateneo and U.P. campus areas.
Even a shopping mall in Katipunan was not spared. A Facebook page, Blue Babble Ex-Battalion, created an event titled “Agawan sa U.P. Town Center,” with 786 people already enlisted to be “Going.”
Image: Screengrab from facebook.com/events
“The lines have been drawn!” so said sculptor Toym Leon Imao, who creatively took the effort to draft a map identifying nearby establishments as “demilitarized zones.”
Luckily, they could always count on neighboring Miriam College, named as referee for the upcoming match.
Since they still have days away from the big event, Twitter user going by the handle toMatoooooo (@MetalBender_) asked his “drews”: “MAKIPAGMOMOL SA MGA ATENISTA BAGO TAYO MAGAWAY-AWAY SA SABADO!” (Let’s make out with the Atenistas before we all fight on Saturday!)
TARA DREWS MAKIPAGMOMOL SA MGA ATENISTA BAGO TAYO MAG-AWAY-AWAY SA SABADO.
— toMatoooooo (@MetalBender__) November 28, 2018
But netizen and LGBT rights advocate Jonas Bagas may have found the one thing that Iskos and Atenistas can agree on, for what he calls a successful and peaceful “Battle of Katipunan”: offering the person of a shared alumnus up to the heavens.
Nag-undergrad sa Ateneo, nag-Law sa UP. Panginoon, para sa isang matiwasay at mapayapang #BattleOfKatipunan, inaalay po ng UP at Ateneo sa Inyo si Juan Ponce Enrile. Amen. #UPFight #OBF
— Jonas Bakla 🏳️🌈 (@jonasbagas) November 28, 2018
May both universities fly high in this historic battle. JB
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