December in UP marks not only the end of the semester and the “hell week,” but also the start of celebration of what good things the year has brought and to creatively spark discussions on the social issues that the country is experiencing.

The year end program this 2020 is especially different because this is the first time that these events will transition online. The theme “Abot-Kamay, Abot-Tanaw: Sulong sa Bago at Mas Mainam na Bukas” is a hopeful take to end this year and all the things that happened that damaged different aspects and sectors of the society and took a toll on the mental health of everyone. There is the COVID-19 pandemic and the ill responses to it, the constant state oppression, and the natural disasters that shook the start of the year and just recently flooded different areas in Luzon and Visayas.

To aid the victims of Typhoons Rolly, Siony, and Ulysses, the Virtual Open Mic for this year which is meant to be an avenue for the UP Diliman community to showcase their talents and express themselves will be made into a fundraising event. Here are the basic guidelines:

  • The call for submissions is open for individual UP Diliman community member (students, faculty, staff) performers or group performers as long as there is at least one UP Diliman member.
  • The submitted videos may be of any performing arts (music, dance, performance, spoken word, etc.) related to the theme “Abot-Kamay, Abot-Tanaw: Sulong sa Bago at Mas Mainam na Bukas.”
  • Submissions must be performed specifically for the Open Mic Night. Previously produced videos/performances may be considered but not prioritized.
  • Original works/performances are preferred to avoid copyright issues.
  • Videos may include a spiel/message, ideally only 15-30 seconds long, from the performer/s about the piece that they are performing.
  • Please keep the total running time of video entries (including spiel and performance) to a maximum of 5 minutes. Longer videos may be edited down.


Members of the community who wish to perform while also helping those in need may review the full guidelines and submit their videos here: bit.ly/UPDOpenMic. Please access this form using UP Mail, in case of its absence, kindly email ovcsa.upd@up.edu.ph. The deadline of submission is on December 2, 11:30 pm. The premiere of this Virtual Open Mic will be on December 6 and 13 (Sundays).

This year’s Virtual Open Mic is presented by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) and Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA).