MANILA, Philippines – The NU Pep Squad claimed their eighth Cheerdance Championship in UAAP history with an outer space theme, scoring 713 points, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, December 1. The team tied with UST and UP for the all-time best record in a decade.
The Adamson Pep Squad made a strong comeback from its first championship title in 2017, earning first runner-up with a karaoke-themed routine and 679.5 points. The FEU Cheering Squad finished as second runner-up with 650 points, with a routine inspired by Disney’s Frozen.
Fans online couldn’t get enough of the NU Pep Squad’s stunt-packed performance and UE Pep Squad’s fun, Sexbomb-themed routine. The crowd was particularly thrilled as Sexbomb’s Rochelle Pangilinan herself made a surprise appearance and cheered on UE.
Ay potah ng UE, may back up ng THE Rochelle Pangilinan??? GANDA NG ROUTINE UE OY!!! mukhang may ige-GET GET AWW kayo ha! #UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/P4FYF2ue0r
— MEManong M (@memanongm) December 1, 2024
NU’s ‘out of this world’ performance
The NU Pep Squad did not disappoint with its tosses, as it scored 91 points under the category, the highest among other universities.
Here’s a perfectly captured photo of one of NU’s flyers mid-toss, which Filipino pop culture page FTTM turned into a meme.
The NU team also scored the highest in stunts with 91.5 points — unsurprising, as fans online were raving about one of the team’s stunts where two flyers were turned twice while being lifted by their teammates.
TANGINA NG NU!!! GOOSEBUMPS BUONG PERFORMANCE WTF 🤯🥵
— K ✨ (@keileemuse) December 1, 2024
LALO NA THIS SEQUENCE HANGGANG SA PAG-IKOT IKOT. ICONIC AF!!!! JUSKO ANG LALA!!! IBIGAY NA ANG KORONAAA 🔥🙌#UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/U39RkFjsKw
NU PEP SQUAD IN THAT ONE PYRAMID BE LIKE: #UAAPSeason87 #UAAPCDCSeason87 #UAAPCDC2024 pic.twitter.com/AHiUay7lFI
— Sapphire (@onceswiftpres) December 1, 2024
Best Routine from NU Pep Squad!!!
— Ayel STAÑero_V 🍒💙 (@AyelStanero) December 1, 2024
Shuta ginawang baton sina ate!!!
Goosebumps!!! #UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/4c5CGRjIeO
A social media user said the stunt resembled an electric fan.
Hindi niyo kaya ang NU!! May pa electric fan!!! Galing!! 👏🏻 #UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/S1jz65EMYf
— Q U E E N • H E L L A (@QueenHellaxx) December 1, 2024
FTTM, in its meme, made a reference to when actor Ian Veneracion lifted a fan and flipped them over during a beauty pageant performance.
Fans online had already predicted NU’s win right after the team’s performance. One of them said, “Koronahan agad ang NU (Crown them immediately)!”
BIGAY KO NA SA NU. INYO NA ITO! #UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87
— gaks #VdMbulok (@psychokenetics) December 1, 2024
Koronahan agad ang NU!! Jusko!! Galing!! 👏🏻👏🏻 #UAAPCDCSeason87
— Q U E E N • H E L L A (@QueenHellaxx) December 1, 2024
FTTM jumped in and joked that Filipino conglomerate SM might announce a three-day sale in its malls. For context, SM has majority ownership of NU.
UP is not the same
Several fans took a trip down memory lane after UP Varsity Pep Squad, who placed 6th, completed its cheerdance performance.
The state university’s pep squad team first claimed the top spot in 1999 and went on a championship streak for three consecutive years until 2001.
UP also dominated in the late 2000s, winning championships in 2007 and 2008. The FEU team broke their streak in 2009, but UP reclaimed the title in another three-year streak from 2010 to 2012.
But UP hasn’t had a podium finish since they placed third in 2015.
“Hindi na ikaw ang UP na kilala ko (You’re no longer the UP I once knew),” wrote FTTM in its caption to a meme referencing “Defying Gravity,” a song in the musical Wicked. The song has lines that go, “Something has changed within me; Something is not the same.”
UP fans also posted videos online of the pep squad’s 2015 routine, which ended with an iconic heart formation.
punong puno yung arena before + ang saya ng crowd 😭#UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/lzC2Q5dnJS
— haewon 🏹 (@simp4twicetzy) December 1, 2024
After UP’s performance, FTTM’s meme joked that UP might be vying for the last spot alongside the teams from Ateneo and La Salle, as the blue and green teams have consistently ranked last and second-to-last since 2016.
The meme referenced a video clip of former child actors Sharlene San Pedro and Nash Aguas.
A day before the contest, FTTM teased that the performances from Ateneo and La Salle were mere intermission numbers at the cheerdance competition.
“Anyway, ready na po bang mag-intermission number mga taga La Salle at Ateneo sa UAAP Cheerdance Competition,” wrote FTTM in a social media post.
(Anyway, are the teams from La Salle and Ateneo ready to perform their intermission numbers at the UAAP Cheerdance Competition?)
However, several fans noted that the Ateneo and La Salle teams have improved this year, despite taking the last two spots once again.
WOW ATENEO!🦅
— Popoy at Basha Colinares (@kweenjoshmojica) December 1, 2024
That’s the best routine you guys have showcased from the last 10 years 👏👏
Gone are the days na ‘need ng medic na naka standby’ meme sa performance nyo 😭😭#UAAPCDCSeason87 #UAAPCDC2024
Big improvement for Ateneo #UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/3nKaJ7xvFg
— chy (@archyandfriends) December 1, 2024
in fairness LA SALLE , u did great job!! 👏 #UAAPCDC #UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87
— monopauly (@polyester2930) December 1, 2024
Infairness to La Salle! Minimal errors! I love the Improvementttttt #UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSEASON87 #CDC
— domingo (@luxxjan) December 1, 2024
Better performances
Several fans online enjoyed the performances of the teams from UE, UST, and Adamson, following Ateneo’s opening routine.
pero infairness ha!! grabe yung first 4 performances agad like parang dati puro kalat agad napapanood natin hahaha pressure is real sa mga next pa 😆 #UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87
— K ✨ (@keileemuse) December 1, 2024
Grabe kayo Adamson Pep Squad! Routine, pyramid and powerdance ang linis 🔥#UAAPCDC2024 #UAAPCDCSeason87
— N K a m p t o n i s m 🏹 (@NCKamptonism) December 1, 2024
As someone na pinalaki ng Sexbomb, apaka husay and fan fave agad to !! apaka linis and okay din level of difficulty !!
— PeterFranz (@AuthenticZnarf) December 1, 2024
Bomba na ! HAHA
Go UE Pep Squad !#UAAPCDC2024#UAAPCDCSeason87 pic.twitter.com/roaTRmaUc3
Binakla ng UE ang CDC HAHAHAHAHA aliw!!!! #UAAPCDCSeason87
— Angelo 🔬 (@geloRMT2016) December 1, 2024
Of the first four performances, only the Adamson squad made it to the podium. A fan said that the teams of UE and UST had good concepts for their performances but might have lacked cheering skills.
Ang laking sayang ng concept ng UE at UST. Kapos lang talaga sa cheer skills 😩#UAAPCDCSeason87
— NIKKO⚡️ (@nikkoadeser_) December 1, 2024
Robbed?
Despite a creative but error-prone performance, the FEU Cheering Squad made it to third place. But many fans said that the teams of UE or UST should have gotten the bronze medal instead.
UE/UST got robbed for podium placement. These two teams are better than FEU.#UAAPCDC2024
— Jane Dela Cruz (@Jane_Dela_Cruz) December 1, 2024
PARANG WRONG MOVE SILA KAY ATE MO ELSA, HINDI SILA MASYADO NAKAHATAW 🥲 BTW STILL GREAT PERFORMANCE PIYU! #UAAPCDC2024#UAAPCDCSeason87
— MAOY 🤸♂️ (@daydreamer_kiro) December 1, 2024
Not the cleanest performance, FEU!! But it was fun and creative!! Galing, FEU!!!#UAAPCDCSeason87
— Song🦜 (@iamkuiper) December 1, 2024
Parang pilit yung theme nung FEU. Dami woobles din at early dismounts. Kudos pa rin FEU. #UAAPCDCSeason87
— Ross Zara (@rosszara01) December 1, 2024
Sayang, pasok dapat sa podium ang UE ❤️#UAAPCDCSeason87
— Kyler (@kyler_lgp) December 1, 2024
– Rappler.com