A student organization at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman is facing a public outcry after a list of challenging initiation tasks or “dares” for an internal event surfaced on social media, igniting widespread condemnation.
At the heart of the controversy is an alleged outline of tasks for the UP Junior Marketing Association’s (UP JMA) annual “committee wars,” which came to light on X (formerly Twitter).
The controversial list, posted by a user who uploaded screenshots from a UP-related Reddit forum, has drawn fierce criticism due to its inclusion of tasks ranging from borderline criminal stunts to outright humiliating behaviors.
Among the reported tasks were directives such as “making out with a tree trunk,” “licking the pavement,” “shouting at a traffic enforcer,” and even “doing a striptease act for two minutes,” sparking an immediate uproar on social media.
Additional items on the list included instructions for “having one player wear only a diaper and making them ‘kaldag’ to the chorus of ‘Ice Ice Baby'” with a specific timestamp for the song.
Other tasks mentioned poking a hole in a condom and drinking milk from the hole, along with “fart strong enough to blow powder off a surface.”
Shockingly, some participants engaged in these activities, which were part of the UP JMA’s anniversary celebration.
“This has been going on for years,” noted one X user, @iskolarspeakss.
The student organization appears to have incorporated this tradition into its culture, as a different set of dares emerged during their 64th-anniversary celebration.
Some of these challenges involved actions like pooping in a pool, threading one’s whole eyebrow off, and even public exhibitionism.
Screenshots uploaded by the user included excerpts from the now-defunct X account @upjmaanniv, providing further insight into the “dares” for the committee wars.
The revelations quickly went viral on social media, with numerous users decrying UP JMA for subjecting its applicants to humiliating situations and being out of touch.
Some criticized the organization for what they perceived as an elitist attitude and exclusionary practices.
Several individuals corroborated the list’s authenticity and shared their own experiences with the UP JMA, raising concerns about its initiation practices.
This incident has brought attention to a broader issue within student organizations at the Philippines’ premier state university, where similar cases have surfaced in recent years.
Many UP organizations have publicly denounced UP JMA for failing to uphold safe spaces for students and fostering a culture of violence within its ranks.
LGBTQ+ organization UP Babaylan stated, “Whether or not the members consented, violent activities like these SHOULD NOT exist in the first place—most especially for an organization that champions safe spaces. No spaces are safe if the people who claim to work toward it do not abide by the principles it entails.”
As a consequence of this controversy, the organizers of the annual UP Pride event have severed their partnership with UP JMA. In a statement, they expressed their disappointment, saying, “In our calls for equality, we have to foster, maintain, and defend the safe spaces that we have long advocated for. Unfortunately, UP JMA failed to uphold this.”
Meanwhile, women’s group Gabriela Youth – UP Diliman called upon UP JMA to take appropriate action, saying, “While they insist it’s consensual, the existence of various forms of violence and abuse within the organization for many years shows the continued negligence of those in leadership positions.”
The discussion has also extended to Reddit, where some users contemplate reporting or “storming” the UP JMA’s page.
One Redditor stated, “Should we also storm their page instead para mas mapublicize katarantaduhan nila?”
This controversy has cast a spotlight on the initiation practices and culture of student organizations at the state university, prompting a broader conversation about accountability and safety within these institutions.
The Daily Netizen 