The Future of Thomasian Media: Bida One Production Unveils a Dual-Sensation Season

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

In a bold fusion of student life and environmental activism, Bida One Production—a powerhouse formed by the third-year Communication students of the 3COM1 block at the University of Santo Tomas—has officially announced a groundbreaking lineup of television shows for their latest production cycle. Operating under the Faculty of Arts and Letters’ Department of Communication and Media Studies, these young visionaries are set to redefine campus media with two distinct series: the emotionally resonant campus drama "On Your MARCH" and the high-stakes sustainable fashion competition "KATHALIKASAN".

On Your MARCH: Navigating the Thomasian Soul

Launching on March 27, 2026, the first series, On Your MARCH, is a student-centered campus saga that captures the high-stakes journey of becoming and remaining a Thomasian. This isn't just a guide; it is an immersive narrative designed to inform and empower.

Episode 1 (March 27): The journey begins at the precipice of the USTET. Viewers will follow a student navigating the anxiety of the admissions test, supported by expert insights from the Office for Admissions and the show’s digital mascot, TomTom.

Episode 2 (April 6): The drama shifts to the pursuit of opportunity. After passing the entrance exam, the narrative dives into the complex world of scholarships, featuring guidance from the Office of Student Affairs to help students pursue their dreams with confidence.

Episode 3 (April 13): The finale looks toward the horizon, tackling the daunting transition from campus life to the professional world. With help from the Career Center, the show explores how internships and organizations forge the path toward graduation and beyond.

Supporting SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, this series emphasizes the collaboration between students and university institutions to foster a supportive community.

KATHALIKASAN: Where Waste Meets the Runway

While On Your MARCH explores the internal journey, Bida One’s second production, "KATHALIKASAN," turns its gaze outward toward the planet. This sustainability-driven competition challenges students to transform everyday waste into "fashion-forward" masterpieces, championing SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Episode 1 (April 27): The competition ignites. Teams introduce their creative campaigns and mechanics, setting the stage for a battle of environmental wit and design.

Episode 2 (May 4): The tension rises in the studio. This episode documents the grueling process of gathering materials and the "final assembly" of outfits under strict time constraints.

Episode 3 (May 11): The grand finale. A high-energy runway showcase where models present completed designs crafted exclusively from recycled materials. The season concludes with a dramatic reveal of rankings and the crowning of the sustainability champion.

The Minds Behind the Vision

This ambitious dual-show season is spearheaded by a dedicated leadership team committed to professional-grade storytelling:

Supervising Producers: Abigail C. Belza and Chrisna S. Granil

Business Development Heads: Dominique Jean M. Santos and Cobbie Andrew C. Feliciano 

From the halls of the Faculty of Arts & Letters to the flicker of the television screen, Bida One Production is proving that the next generation of communicators is ready to tackle the world's most pressing stories—one episode at a time.

The Gastronomic Throne: Hong Kong Sweeps Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The air in Hong Kong was electric on 25 March 2026 as the city didn’t just host the Oscars of the culinary world—it conquered them. In a historic first, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) brought the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony to its shores, transforming the city into a high-stakes arena where the finest chefs on the planet gathered to witness a local revolution.

A Historic One-Two Punch

In a breathtaking display of culinary dominance, Hong Kong claimed the top two spots in Asia.

The Chairman, the legendary bastion of Cantonese excellence, was crowned The Best Restaurant in Asia for the second time.

Wing, the contemporary Cantonese powerhouse, followed closely behind, securing a stunning second place.

"To achieve it here in Hong Kong makes it even more meaningful," remarked Danny Yip, owner of The Chairman, reflecting on a victory that solidified the city’s status as the ultimate "Culinary Capital".

The Force of Ten: A City-Wide Triumph

The accolades didn't stop at the top. Hong Kong’s presence on the list was a relentless wave of talent, with ten restaurants recognized across the full 1-100 ranking.

Inside the Top 50:

Neighborhood (No. 24) 

Estro (No. 32) 

Caprice (No. 35) 

Mono (No. 46) 

On the Extended 51–100 List:

Ta Vie (No. 68), Vea (No. 70), Andō (No. 88), and Amber (No. 90) all stood strong, proving that Hong Kong's culinary depth is as vast as its skyline.

Beyond the Ceremony: A Feast Without Borders

This wasn't just a night of trophies; it was a city-wide celebration of flavor. For the first time, HKTB partnered with the organizers to launch 11 exclusive Collaborative Signature Sessions.

Forty internationally renowned and local award-winning restaurants joined forces, creating "tasting surprises" that merged global cuisines at a single table. From high-octane collaborations like Estro x Baan Tepa x Born to the sophisticated fusion of Louise x Odette x Villa Aida, the city became a living, breathing laboratory of gastronomic innovation.

The Global Spotlight

The HKTB left no stone unturned in broadcasting this triumph to the world. Media from the Chinese Mainland, South Korea, Thailand, and beyond were treated to immersive experiences:

Masterclasses: Dim sum workshops led by Chef Wong Lung-to of Forum Restaurant and egg tart baking sessions.

Chef Exchanges: In-depth sessions with local luminaries like Vicky Cheng of VEA.

Street Culture: Showcasing the soul of the city through specialty "Kitchenware" and "Dried Seafood" streets.

With over 200 restaurants now listed across the "Asia's 50 Best," MICHELIN Guide, and Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, Hong Kong has sent a clear message to the world. The "Culinary Capital" isn't just a title—it's a promise.

Scribbles of discontent: Graffiti and banyulatin as works of literature

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The law often dismisses graffiti as “destruction,” “anarchy,” or even as mere “dirt.” But new research from the Ateneo de Manila University’s Filipino Department reveals what laws may not: that graffiti can be seen as works of literature emerging from unequal access to space and speech. Indeed, vandalism and bathroom graffiti—banyulatin in Filipino—beg us to ask why someone felt compelled to write them in the first place.

When speech is pushed out of public life, it finds refuge in the margins: spray-paint scrawls sinking into walls and corners, words etched into bathroom stalls. Graffiti settles into spaces where the authority’s gaze is less sharp. Although public spaces are often imagined as open and neutral, in truth, they are sites of contestation: places where power decides whose voices may linger and whose must fade quietly into the cracks.

Faculty researcher Harvey James G. Castillo listens closely to these voices. His work reveals that graffiti and banyulatin are far from mindless acts of vandalism; instead, they are honest attempts to be heard when power silences dissent. These suppressed forms of writing ask us to read beyond policy and see literature as an instrument where repression and expression meet. 

Drawing on Filipino literature, Castillo shows how graffiti is shaped by risk anchored in spatial struggle. Anger, humor, political critique, and despair surface in these markings because official forums often cannot accommodate them. Public walls, then, become grounds for voices excluded from dominant narratives of progress and civility.

These spatial politics show how power governs not just what is said, but where it appears. As Castillo posits, some spaces become permissible only when the state controls the message it once condemned, even as other spaces become criminalized. In this front-and-back politics of space, names of the wealthy are displayed in plain view, while informal markings of the marginalized are pushed to the back and hidden parts of infrastructure. Literature often highlights bathrooms as semi-private spaces where authority loosens, and anonymity frees people to speak more openly. Here, banyulatin becomes conversations of collective tensions and anxieties.

Exposing how legal approaches to graffiti fall short, Castillo turns to Philippine literature as a site of liberation. While laws may seek to punish and paint over graffiti, literature restores context—situating these writings within specific historical moments, including dictatorship, class struggle, and social surveillance. In this light, graffiti is not simply an offense, but a kind of testimony. It transforms into voices that persist and echo long after walls have been repainted countless times.

When one reads these walls through the lens of literature, following the stories that fill their cracks and corners, one uncovers narratives of hope, defiance, and a refusal to be erased from the social fabric. In spaces where survival and resistance take root, these writings continue to matter: today, as questions of voice and belonging intensify, graffiti remains a vital intervention in public discourse.

What was once dismissed as noise becomes something to be read, interpreted, and remembered.

Harvey James G. Castillo published “Tinig-Karakter sa mga Pader: Graffiti, Bandalismo, at mga Banyulatin sa Piling Panitikang Filipino” in Humanities Diliman: A Journal on Philippine Humanities in December 2025.