Sunflower as symbol of empowerment for UP women athletes

 

“We are as strong as men!”

A strong statement by  Gabby Calope of the Women’s Football  Team of the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons during the Fourth  Sunflower Run-Walk-Parade that was held last March 21,2026.

“Pagpugay sa Kababaihan, Pag-asa Para sa Kabataan” is the event’s theme as part of the Women’s Month celebration of the UP Community that started in 2023.

The sunflower is fast becoming UP’s second symbol, after the Oblation.

Sunflowers have historically served as a potent symbol of women's rights  by representing enlightenment, empowerment,  growth, and the pursuit of equality.

The powerful drumbeats of the UP Varsity Pep Drummers  reverberated around the academic oval as participants carried the giant  sunflower lanterns as tribute to female UP athletes.

The parade was attended by UP female athletes   from  badminton,  basketball, beach volleyball,  chess, football, and swimming,  as well as Filipiniana dance troupe along with varsity pep squad and  pep drummers.

Member universities of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) compete in 20 sports which have Men’s and Women’s divisions, with the exception of baseball, in which only men participate, and softball, which is for women only.

Since 1938, UP women’s teams were champions for twenty two  seasons in swimming, twelve in judo, ten  in badminton, eight  in volleyball, seven in basketball, six in table tennis, six  in fencing, four  in softball ,two in chess,  two in taekwondo kyorugi,  one  in football,  and one  in taekwondo poomsae.

Softball is only played in the women’s division that started in 1953. UP won the championship four times: Seasons 58 (1995–96), 59 (1996–97), 64 (2001–02) and 70 (2007–08).

In badminton, UP was champion for ten seasons :  Seasons 58 to 63 (1995–2001), 77 to 79 (2014-17)  and 87 (2024-25).

In judo, UP won the championship twelve times: Seasons  58 (1995–96), 59 (1996–97), 60 (1997–98), 62 to 65(1999–2003), 67(2004–05), and 69 to 72 (2006–10).

In women’s basketball, UP won the championship seven times: Seasons 39 (1976–77], 40 (1977–78), 41 (1978–79), 43 (1980–81), 44 (1981–82), 45 (1982–83), and 46 (1983–84). UP Men’ Basketball team won four championships in 1939, 1986, 2022, 2024.

In women’s volleyball, UP was champion eight times: Seasons 1 (1938–39), 10 (1947–48), 12 (1949–50), 14 (1951–52), 25 (1962–63), 40 (1977–78), 42 (1979–80) and 45 (1982–83).

In table tennis, UP was champion  six times: Seasons 60 to 63 ((1997–2001), 74 (2011–12), 76 (2013–14).

In fencing,  UP was champion six  times : Seasons 59 (1996-97), 63-67  (2000–2005)

In volleyball, women teams first played during the first season (1938-39) while the men’s team first played eight seasons later (1946-47). UP won during said first season.

In basketball, women teams first played in Season 13 (1950-51) wherein UP first won in Season 39 (1976–77).

UP women athletes had winning streaks in badminton for six seasons (1995–2000), swimming for five seasons (2009–2013), fencing for five seasons (2000–2004) basketball for four seasons (1980–1983), judo for four seasons (1999–2002 and 2006–2009) and table tennis for   four seasons (1997–2000).

For Season 88, UP Fencing Women’s Team’s   overall  ranking is 1st runner-up  with gold medals  in Foil  team,  individual foil (Marina “Nana” Carbonell)  and individual epee  (Jennina Mendoza) . UP won gold  in  Epee team and bronze in  Saber team.

UP also won ranked second  in  tennis  and  third in badminton.

The women’s swimming team has been champions for 22 seasons : Seasons 2 (1939–40),  3 (1940–41),  10 (1947–48),  27 (1964–65),  28 (1965–66) 29 (1966–67),  51 (1988–89),  54 (1991–92),  56 (1993–94),  57 (1994–95),  58 (1995–96), 60 (1997–98),  61 (1998–99),  62 (1999–00), 72 (2009–10),  73 (2010–11) 74 (2011–12),  75 (2012–13),  76 (2013–14),  79 (2016–17) 86 (2023–24) and  88 (2025-26)

Quendy Fernandez   led the team in Season 88  to cap their 22^nd championship title.

UP’s medal  haul in swimming comprised of 12 gold medals, seven silver, and six bronze finishes. Of the gold medals, seven were from individual events and five were from team events. All the silver and bronze medals were from individual categories.

 Gold medalists  in the  individual swimming events include  Fernandez in backstroke,  (50m, 100m, 200m)   and freestyle (50m) along with Thanya Dela Cruz  in breaststroke( 50m,  100m)

Silver medalists are Yana Villanueva (800 m) and Atasha Dela Torre-(50m and 100m) in  free style;  Nikki Sarmiento  (50m) and  Aubrey Tom  (200m) in butterfly;  Kate Dequiña in backstroke (100m, ) and  CY Delos Santos in  breaststroke (50m).

Bronze medalists  are Fernandez in  individual medley (200m); Dela Cruz (50m) and Tom (400m) in  freestyle;  Tom (100m) in  butterfly; Delos Santos (100m) in  breaststroke;  and Kate Dequiña (50m) in  backstroke.

UP women’s  swimming team also dominated the relay team event, specifically in the medley (4x50m, 4x100m) and freestyle (4x50m, 4 x100m  4 x 200m).

 Tom received the  Rookie of the Year  award after winning  one gold in team event along with  one silver, and two bronze medals  in individual events.