UP Kustura (Marikeño Student Organization): Difference between revisions

	UP KUSTURA (Marikeño Student Organization)
Established	07 July 2001
Category	Student; Socio-Cultural
Chairperson	Chester Fritz Mendoza (BS HRIM)
Facebook	UP KUSTURA
Adviser	TBD

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Latest revision as of 13:07, 31 January 2026

UP Kustura is a socio-cultural organization comprising of college students from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, residing in the City of Marikina. It was founded with the aim of binding and consolidating UP students, who are living in Marikina and of Marikeño lineage, as well as promoting academic and leadership excellence, and advancing the social, cultural, economic, and political consciousness of the people of Marikina.

UP Kustura commits itself to serving the university and the community as a whole through projects and programs that will help preserve and build the pride and dignity of the City of Marikina.

History

The founding of UP Kustura is rooted on the inspiration of having a recognized geographic-based or ethnicity-based UP student organization for those who are from the National Capital Region, particularly those who live in Marikina City and/or those who are of Marikeño lineage.

It all started in early 2001 when a small group of students from different colleges in Diliman engaged on the idea of forming a provincial/regional org that would represent the National Capital Region. But since all of them are from Marikina City and they thought that it would require a bigger effort for them to consolidate Metro Manileño/as in the campus, they decided to form a city-org instead, thus giving birth to UP Kustura, a Marikeño Student Organization, the first and only Metro Manila-based city student organization in UP Diliman.

On the 7th day of July, the organization’s constitution (which was written in Filipino) was formally certified by more or less twenty five (25) undergraduate students enrolled in the different colleges of the university. This has also become the organization’s official founding date. In the same year, the founding members were also able to work on the recognition of the org by the university’s Office of Student Affairs as a university-wide city-based student association in UP Diliman.

Since its founding year, UP Kustura continues to commit itself to the ideals of service and excellence while promoting Marikina’s culture and pride, both in the university and in the city it represents.

Executive Committee (A.Y 2025 - 2026)


Executive Position	Resident Member
Chairperson	Chester Fritz Mendoza (BS HRIM)
Vice-Chairperson	Zane Adriel P. Vinluan (BS CE)
Membership Committee Head	Joshua I. Penuliar (BS Geog)
Education and Research Committee Head	Alab Maiken Melendres (B SEd)
Externals Committee Head	Theo C. Ebuen (BA Philo)
Logistics and Secretariat Committee Head	Jamil Joram C. Caballes (B PA)
Publicity Committee Head	Dominique M. Caban (BS BA)
Finance and Marketing Committee Head	Kaira Millen B. Catacutan (BA Philo, MA Ed)

Resident Members

Education and Research Committee:

Finance and Marketing Committee:

Logistics Committee:

Membership Committee:

Publicity and Secretariat Committee:

Activities

Linis Kalikasan

Aims for environmental awareness, Linis Kalikasan is an event organized by UP Kustura wherein members of the organization hold clean up operations around the campus. This event gives importance to the cleanliness of our environment in a fun and exciting way. The committees of the organization compete on the heaviest accumulated trash which makes Linis Kalikasan an event to look forward to.

Applicants' Orientation

Held every semester, the applicants' orientation is the first step in the application process. Prospective applicants are invited by members of UP Kustura for them to get to know the organization and the members. The Membership Committee, who is in charge of the application process, organizes this event for an early interaction among applicants and members through introductions and games. Requirements that the applicants need to fulfill in order to be a member of the organization are also given and explained to them. It aims to let applicants get a taste of what’s in store for them in the app process and when and if they become members of UP Kustura.

UPCAT Tutorials

The UPCAT Tutorials is an annual event of UP Kustura, designed to help 4th year high school students from selected schools in Marikina City prepare for the upcoming University of the Philippines College Admission Test, commonly known as UPCAT. The members of the organization give lectures on language proficiency, reading comprehension, mathematics, and science, which are usually covered on the exam. The event aims to increase the number of Marikeño students who pass, and study in the University of the Philippines, and to uphold academic excellence among Marikeño students.

UP Kustura Anniversary

In celebration of the organization’s founding anniversary on July 7, 2001, UP Kustura holds an annual anniversary party where current members and alumni meet during the special occasion. Filled with fun games and performances, this event looks back on the many fun years and milestones of UP Kustura.

Rummage Sale

The Rummage Sale is a fund- raising event organized every semester by the Finance and Marketing Committee of UP Kustura as a means to generate funds for the various activities the organization’s members has planned and agreed to push through. The members and the applicants of the organization are all encouraged to participate by donating intact, presentable clothes, shoes, accessories and other used but still useable items for selling. More than often, the said activity is implemented side-by-side with a BINGO game, in which both the organization’s members and current applicants are obliged to sell BINGO cards. Members and applicants are also welcome to be participants.

HS students from Marikina who won in the debate-themed LISTO 2012

Listo: Tagisan ng Talino

LISTO: Tagisan ng Talino is the annual, often most-awaited event of UP Kustura which aims to uphold the ideals of the organization in promoting excellence in all fields and broadening the horizons of the youth’s participation not only in academic matters, but also in social, political and cultural endeavours beneficial to the citizens of the city of Marikina. Thus, LISTO: Tagisan ng Talino involves enriching activities and competitions organized and prepared by the members of the organization, such as debates, quiz bees and the like, by which students from high schools all over Marikina City are invited to take part. This not only serves as a means to achieve recognition and honour for their respective schools, but also as their contribution to binding the youth of Marikina City as a whole.

Mr. Steve Dailisan on an ACLE entitled Tugon sa Panahon ng Nagbabagong Klima

Alternative Classroom Learning Experience

The ACLE or Alternative Classroom Learning Experience is an activity organized by the university’s student council every semester which enables the students of the university to broaden their horizons, enrich their capacities and reach beyond the structural boundaries of the academe by attending alternative classes which may or may not be connected to the students’ course, chosen field of expertise, or academic pursuits. UP Kustura often partakes in the said activity in partnership with the student council and/or another organization by offering enriching, educational, creative and/or recreational classes, lectures, tutorials or activities as its contribution to making every UP student versatile, knowledgeable and well-rounded individuals.

Workshop Day

Workshop Day is an event made to teach, develop and improve the skills of the members of UP Kustura. Each committee of the organization administers an activity that can hone the abilities needed to be part of their committee. This event also helps the members decide which committee their skills would fit in for the benefit and betterment of other projects of the organization.

UP Kustura members competitively playing at a Sportsfest

Sportsfest

The UP Kustura Sportsfest is an event organized every semester by the organization’s Membership Committee as a part of the applicants’ application process. It does not only aim to bind the applicants and the members closer together as a functional and unified component of the organization by involving them in friendly, healthy competition; it also aims to widen the range of helpful, enriching yet enjoyable activities the organization has to offer to both its members and its current applicants. Usually, if the numbers permit, the competition is between the members and the applicants, but changes are done when necessary. The applicants, however, are given incentives if they happen to win all or a lot of the games.

Christmas Party/Outreach program organized for the children of Kasipagan Preparatory School

Outreach Program

The members of UP Kustura organize an annual Outreach Program, usually when the holidays are nearing, to be able to give back to the society and fulfil their duty and purpose to help and support the citizens of Marikina. All the members and applicants are obliged to partake in the said event, wherein the organization chooses to help a foundation, a school or any learning facility, or any association that supports those in need. Income generated from the organization’s various fund-raising events all throughout the year are used to throw Christmas parties to children or to the aged, as well as to give donations or any kind of help or support the foundation, association or learning facility may need.

A clue being shown to the contestants of Jeupardy 2013

Jeupardy

Jeupardy is a university-wide game show about anything under the sun. The name and format of this fun and exciting game show is inspired by the popular TV quiz show in the US, Jeopardy!. It covers wide variety of topics which includes geography, local and international pop culture, arts, literature, science, mathematics, history, pun, wordplay and many more. Like Jeopardy!, the host gives out the clue in a form of an answer, and the teams must state or phrase the answer to the clue by a question form. Scores are based on the value that has been placed on the clues.