Despite intermittent rains, academics, and hospital duties, the PHI brods and sisses have always found time for enhancing and developing their creative talent.  A one-week nightly pilgrim to the recording studio in preparation for this year’s FATE Battle of the Bands by the UP Medical Students’ Society proved to be fruitful to the PHI Band, emerging as the winner of the competition last August 6 held at the UP-PGH Science Hall.

The PHI Band is headed by Senior Guardian of the Temple Joshua Anton Ostoy Yabut Φ08B, who plays  keyboards. The other band members are John Michael Paraiso Baking Φ07 on drums, Ace Robert Bañas Alfabeto Φ09 on lead guitar, and sisses Clarissa Ababan Φ08 on vocals and Rita Gollaba Φ07 on bass guitar.  This year’s theme was “Freedom”, in line with the Morong 43 issue, through the appreciation of Original Filipino Music (OPM). The PHI Band performed two classic OPM hits — “Spoliarium”, originally done by The Eraserheads, and “Akap” by Imago.

On a night filled with tunes from a wide spectrum of OPM genres, the performance of the PHI Band stole the hearts of the audience and the judges, surpassing all the rest, thus emerging as the champion of the competition. With it, they have earned the honor to perform in front of the whole UP Manila community in “Tao Rin Pala”, the annual variety show of UP MSS this coming December.

Special mention to the PHI KAPPA MU Band who also performed that night, which is composed of John Michael Paraiso Baking Φ07 on drums, Richmond Paul Enriquez Goce Φ09 on bass guitar, Joshua Anton Ostoy Yabut Φ08B on keyboards, Ace Robert Bañas Alfabeto Φ09 on lead guitar, and Jon Paolo Sandico Pineda Φ08B on vocals. The band performed the hits “214” by Rivermaya, and “Tulad ng Dati” by The Dawn.

This victory is yet another testament to the versatility of the PHI – not just excellent medical students, but also well-rounded individuals. All for PHI!