Courtesy of Janina Gbenoba

Kasama, Yale’s Filipino student association, will hold its annual Barrio Fiesta cultural show this Saturday, April 12.

The show will feature dancing, singing and other performances celebrating aspects of Filipino culture, history and community.

“As we say in the introduction to the show each year, Barrio is principally an expression of Filipino artistic joy; it’s a time to celebrate our shared heritage and culture, and a reminder that being Filipino is more than just a label—it is a lived experience,” Janina Gbenoba ’27, Kasama co-president, wrote in an email to the News.

Each year follows a specific theme, this year’s theme being “Kasamarama” — inspired by Filipino game shows. The show also draws inspiration from Philippine Cultural Nights.

According to Marissa Halagao ’27, Kasama co-president, Philippine Cultural Nights emerged as a way for Filipino migrants to hold onto and cherish their culture as they navigated through assimilation throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

“Barrio represents our community’s resilience and commitment towards empowering our heritage, as we navigate a space that historically has not always adequately empowered or represented our identities,” Halagao wrote in an email.

One of the most anticipated parts of every year’s Barrio Fiesta is Tinikling — the Philippines’ national dance. Dancers jump in and out of bamboo poles, and the goal is for one’s feet to not get stuck in between.

There will be three different Tinikling routines at Barrio, with each taking months to perfect. Of the three, two are newly choreographed performances, according to Naysa Kalugdan ’27, Kasama’s Barrio Director.

“We’ve been working very hard since February to showcase these routines and are extremely excited for everyone to witness them,” wrote Naysa Kalugdan ’27, Kasama’s Barrio director.

For members of Kasama, this year’s Barrio Fiesta is especially meaningful because it will also celebrate Kasama’s efforts to offer Tagalog at Yale. Tagalog is the Philippines’ national language and one of the most spoken languages within the United States.

In partnership with the MacMillan Center’s Council for Southeast Asian Studies, Kasama was able to get Tagalog offered as a language course beginning in the Fall 2025 semester.

“We hope this milestone for Yale and the Filipino community can help us amplify our desire for more Filipinx Studies and Filipino history representation as a whole, and the fact that the fight for Tagalog is rooted in anti-colonialism, and we stand for anti-colonialism everywhere,” wrote Halagao.

Many find preparing for the show to be a fun and challenging way to connect with their Filipino heritage, especially for those who did not grow up around many Filipinos.

The community has become invaluable to members of the club.

“I’m from Minnesota, which is not home to many Filipinos, so joining Kasama felt like a home away from home,” said Kalugdan. “I really felt connected to our community through the weekly tinikling practices from my first year. I simultaneously got to know the members of Kasama better and learned more about Filipino culture last year,” wrote Kalugdan.

Barrio will be held at 53 Wall St. and is entirely free of charge.