Gadja 2015 Promises Youth Engagement, Interschool Collaboration
Gadja, a portmanteau of the Cebuano words “garbo” and “sadya”, “pride” and “merrymaking” respectively, was begun in USC last year. However, at a press conference held Mar. 21 at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, event organizers unveiled plans to turn the celebration into an outlet for youth empowerment.
In 2015, Gadja has partnered with the Mega Cebu 2050 Vision. A brainchild of the Cebu provincial government, Mega Cebu was launched in 2011 and envisions a “wholesome, advanced, vibrant, equitable, sustainable (W.A.V.E.S.)” future for the metropolitan area by the year 2050.
The scope of this year’s Gadja has expanded beyond a rave and a battle of the bands — the revised proposal aims to “expand the Cebuano talent pool, enhance youth entrepreneurial skills, and create awareness through advocacy-based organizations,” the latter two points culminating in the presence of vendors and student organizations looking to reach a broader audience.
“We want the spotlight to be on the students,” explained organizer Patrick Dy. “For Gadja this year, we want to magnify what we did last year.”
This year will also mark the first time to bring Gadja outside of San Carlos; twelve schools will be participating in the festivities to promote a foundation of cooperation and unity among different universities, with a projected goal of eight thousand attendees.
Gadja’s trademark paint will also find its way outside of USC’s walls; in line with the goals of Mega Cebu, all profits from the event will go to the creation of murals, restored sidewalks, and other paint-related public works projects for the benefit of the greater population of Cebu and Mandaue Cities.
As Gadja has been started as a USC-held event, its core group of organizers is being spearheaded by members of San Carlos; however, there are plans to incorporate core group members from other participating schools in the future.
Gadja 2015 will be held on Mar. 27-28, 2015 at the Aboitiz Soccer Field, Subangdaku, Mandaue City; up-to-date information on ticket availability and scheduling can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, each under the name “GadjaCebu”.
