It Really Happened

More than a week has gone by since TEDxUPV and I’ve realized I haven’t had the chance to talk about it. Instead of what transpired that day last Friday March 6, 2015, I’d like to like briefly recall how it all came to be.  And amazingly up to this day, a part of me is still amazed that it actually happened.

Well yeah it did. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

For those of you who aren’t familiar with TED, it is defined by its website as a platform for “ideas worth spreading”. A series of short and powerful talks on just about anything are given at a TED event. It is a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converge as it welcomes people from every discipline and culture to speak before an audience. 

TEDx on the other hand is an “independently organized event” (x stands for independent). It was created  to give a chance to independent organizers to hold their own TED-like events in their local communities all over the world. A TEDx event is planned and coordinated independently under a free license grant.

 

Here in the Philippines, it is great to note that there have been a number of TEDx events organized by universities and other institutions. TEDxUPV is the first in Western Visayas!  

It all started with an approved license to hold a TEDx event and then followed by a group of people all willing to make it happen. The main theme revolved around the concept of Transition. 

TEDxUPV Poster by Katrina Bayog

TEDxUPV came to be because we wanted see it to happen in UPV (the Miagao Campus in particular). Despite a few criticisms about holding it in the boondocks, we pushed on.  TEDx events around the world were held in slums, deserts, islands and caves! How endless are the possibilities?

It was a tough challenge. We’ve been planning everything since the 1^st semester of this academic year.  It was more than a five-month preparation. We started off as 17 undergrads all assigned to work on a specific committee. At first, the weight of it all didn’t seem to have had a big impact on us. We were just excited we’re finally bringing something different to UPV.

The TEDxUPV Organizing Committee and Staff. Photo by Katrina Bayog

Not everything went well for us. We’ve encountered inconveniences along the way. But it was a battle we weren’t willing to give up easily because we knew the impending effects of it.

And so it happened on March 6, 2015 at the Pidlaoan Hall of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences with 8 amazing speakers and two awesome hosts. We’ve successfully brought in a diverse pool of speakers to whom we are greatly thankful. That day was filled with so much ideas coming from different perspectives. We had our speakers talking about the youth, education, determination, dreams, justice, technology, health and even surviving typhoon Haiyan.  It really did happen.

Speaker Ms. Angenette Bantiles. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Ms. Pwek Kwong. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Mr. Mark Lozano. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Mr. Howie Severino. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Mrs. Concepcion Tababa. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Atty. Prima Quinsayas. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Mr. Anthony Scolary. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speaker Dr. Michael Caampued. Photo by Therese Sarabia

Hosts Mr. Peter Rapiz and Ms. Joyce Pring. Photo by Karla Magsipoc

Speakers and Hosts doing a jumpshot on stage. Photo by Lawrence Sabellina

I am a week and a day late but I want to say kudos to the organizing committee for pulling everything off. My respect and gratitude goes to these people who went out of their way to make all of this possible! Here's to the nights at Melden’s, Sulu Garden, Cafe Diem and wherever and the groufies we took!

I’m proud of the organizing committee. I’m grateful and honored to be a part of it.

TEDxUPV Organizing Committee. Photo by Therese Sarabia

TEDxUPV Organizing Committee. Photo from Niambee Palacio

We want TEDxUPV to be a transition in itself. We want a fresh perspective, a different way of looking at things and people who are willing to listen to the wildest, craziest, most inspiring ideas that exist. But we do not wish to stop there.

Because more than ideas worth spreading, we hope to move people on their feet – that ideas be more than just worth spreading but most importantly, worth doing.