Student skits heat up ‘17thBattle of the Barrios

Battle of the Barrios Overall Champions St. John’s University PARE performs an uplifting tribute to parents in its award-winning skit. CONTRIBUTED

NEW YORK – Dreamers, racism, reverse brain drain, parental love, and family values were the core subjects of the skits during the 17th Battle of the Barrios – the annual talent competition among Filipino student organizations under District 3 of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND) – held last March 24at the Douglas Student Center of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Eleven teams vied for Best in Cultural Dance, Best in Modern Dance, Best Skit and Best Overall Performance awards.

St. John’s University’s PARE (Philippine Americans Reaching Everyone) were Overall Champs winning Best Cultural, Best Modern Dance, and Best Skit with its heartwarming “Tatay” number.

Battle first-timers FUPAC (Fordham University Philippine American Club) tied with PARE for Best Skit with its innovative Dora-themed puppet show incorporating Philippine tourism destinations.

Fordham University’s FUPAC’s lean team of 3 presented an innovative and entertaining puppet show, which bagged them Best Skit. CONTRIBUTED

City College of New York and Columbia University teamed up to show an Avatar-themed skit on human rights. Baruch College’s FUSION presented DACA Dreamers’ plight in its skit. Hunter College paid homage to the sacrifices of parents.

College of Mt. Saint Vincent SAMAHAN urged the community to make cliques obsolete and to work together instead. Stony Brook’s PUSO wants to promote Filipino food. Rutgers Newark RUNFSA tackled DACA in its skit, incorporating longganisa as a central theme.

Steven Tech FAST highlighted the importance of “kapamilya” and also touched on DACA. The host, Rutgers New Brunswick RAPS’s skit pointed to family love in balancing racism’s impact on children. Montclair University MUFASA and William Paterson FACE again teamed up to examine reverse brain drain in their skit.

Vice Consul Khrystina Corpuz Popov sat with the panel of judges, among some youth leaders. During the intermission, she addressed some 500 students and family members in the audience about the Consulate’s programs for the youth. She also spoke on Diskubre Tour, the immersion tour for Filipino Americans to be launched in July.

Filipino-American YouTube star Chester See provided entertainment.