Da Kaibigan Showkase gives local artists a stage

The Portland State Kaibigan Club hosted a night of contemporary Filipino culture last Saturday, which featured YouTube singer J.R. Aquino.

The Da Kaibigan Showkase, held in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, featured live music, complex dance routines and poetry. The event also included catering from a local Filipino restaurant, and informational booths from local vendors and community organizations.

“This is one of our biggest social events of the year,” said Patrick Guillen, president of Kaibigan, the Filipino American Student Association at PSU. “Here at Kaibigan, we like to intertwine all the four aspects [culture, social interaction, political activism and education] together, and show that in our [events] every term.”

Da Kaibigan Showkase gives Filipino-Americans an opportunity to express creativity on stage. Whether it is the president singing a cultural song, a dance group formed by PSU students or a famous YouTube artist covering Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” the stage was open to anyone who was willing to entertain.

Kaibigan has showcased talent for the past 13 years, according to Guillen. As part of a catalog of cultural events hosted this school year, they continue to educate and improve social interactions within the Filipino community.