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Thomasian Welcome Walk

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The Thomasian Welcome Walk
Status Active
Frequency Annual
Venue University of Santo Tomas
Location Manila
Country Philippines
Inaugurated 14 June 2002
Most recent 2024
Attendance 7,000-10,000

The Thomasian Welcome Walk (TWW) is an annual event of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.[1] Freshmen walk through the Arch of the Centuries, a monument that served as the original doorway to the first campus of the university in Intramuros.[2]

Event

The tradition of passing through the Arch of the Centuries as a welcome to the freshmen community began in 2002. It was first called as "The Rites of Passage". The activities in welcoming the new students were made to complement the Baccalaureate Mass and send-off rites to the graduates at end of the school year.[3]

The parade is followed by a mass that is usually concelebrated by the university rector.

It is a popular superstition that undergraduates should not pass through the arch the opposite way before the send-off rites because it could result in an untimely exit from the university.[4][5]

Parade route

The parade begins from assembly areas of the different college buildings then converges on Intramuros Drive. The students enter the España Boulevard side of the arch then continues to the Rizal Lane (Lover's Lane) toward the UST Main Building.

In the early years, the parade passed through the Benavides Plaza and ended in front of the Main Building where a mass and welcoming events were held. The venues changed later on to accommodate the increased freshmen population. In years not affected by the weather, programs are held at the UST Grandstand. The route turns left before it reaches the Benavides Plaza and goes straight to the UST Grandstand. During inclement weather, the route turns right before it reaches the Benavides Plaza and ends at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

List of walks

Date Freshmen population Venue of mass and programs Ref.
June 14, 2002 In front of UST Main Building (now Plaza Mayor) [6]
June 20, 2003 ~5,000 In front of UST Main Building (now Plaza Mayor) [7]
July 16, 2004 [8]
June 2005 Not held. Replaced by Walking Tour and Freshmen Orientation Program [9][10]
July 21, 2006 7,302 Plaza Benavides [10][11]
July 17, 2007 12,000 UST Grandstand [12]
June 29, 2008 UST Grandstand and Plaza Mayor
July 24, 2009 10,500 UST Grandstand [13]
June 23, 2010 UST Grandstand [14]
August 5, 2011 10,000+ [15]
September 24, 2012 Quadricentennial Pavilion (in 2 batches) [1]
June 7, 2013 11,721 UST Grandstand [16][4]
July 11, 2014 13,049 Quadricentennial Pavilion (in 2 batches) [17][18]
August 5, 2015 12,815 UST Grandstand [19][20]
August 5, 2016 7,915 Quadricentennial Pavilion
August 4, 2017 6,000+ (2,000+ first-year college students, 4,000+ Grade 11 senior high school students, among others) Quadricentennial Pavilion [21][22]
[23][24]
August 6, 2018 16,827 (12,866 first-year college, 3,433 grade 11 senior high school, among others) Quadricentennial Pavilion [25][26]
August 6-7, 2019 14,976 (9,909 college freshmen, 1,053 graduate school freshmen, 3,410 Grade 11, among others) Quadricentennial Pavilion (in 3 batches) [27][28]
August 29-30, 2020,
September 5-6, 2020 		12,000+ Online streaming on UST Tiger TV Facebook page [29]
August 9, 2022,
August 23, 2022 (2nd and 3rd year students) 		8,523 college and graduate school freshmen
2,479 Grade 11 students 		Quadricentennial Pavilion [30]
August 4, 2023 (Basic Education)
August 5, 2023 (Higher Education) 		9,450 college and graduate school freshmen
2,920 Grade 11 students 		Quadricentennial Pavilion [31]
August 5, 2024 (Higher Education, Manila)
August 7, 2024 (Basic Education)
August 29, 2024 (GenSan) 		13,500 high school students, college and graduate school freshmen (Manila)
126 college freshmen (GenSan) 		Quadricentennial Pavilion (Manila)
In front of UST GenSan Main Building (GenSan) 		[32]
August 6, 2025 (Higher Education, Manila)
August 7, 2025 (Basic Education)
August 20, 2025 (GenSan) 		10,381 college and graduate school freshmen (Manila)
2,920 Grade 11 students
213 college freshmen (GenSan) 		Quadricentennial Pavilion
In front of UST GenSan Main Building (UST GenSan) 		[33]

Virtual walk

In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was replaced by a virtual tour of the campus with Minecraft.[29] The virtual tour had a dedicated Minecraft server that was constructed by over 80 UST students.[34]

The project won the “Project of the Year” award in the first-ever AcadArena Awards.[35]

UAAP opening ceremony

In 2016, the university hosted the UAAP Season 79 opening ceremonies in the campus. Student-athletes from all sporting disciplines of all the member schools passed through the arch. The parade moved straight to Rizal Lane, past the statue of Miguel de Benavides, and through to the Plaza Mayor. This was promptly followed by a 10-minute fireworks display from atop the Main Building.[36]

It was done again when the university hosted the UAAP Season 88 opening ceremonies in 2025, this time with an accompanying drone show. Athletes turned left from the Plaza Mayor towards the University of Santo Tomas Field, where the opening ceremonies took place.[37]

Postponements

In 2009, the Walk was postponed for more than a month because of the cases of Influenza A(H1N1) virus in the campus.[13] In 2012, like the previous years, the Walk was postponed several times because of bad weather. Originally scheduled on June 28, it was held on September 24 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. The Walk, for the first time, was divided into two batches as the venue could not accommodate all freshmen students.[38]

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 "UST 'passport' and the Welcome Walk", The Varsitarian, retrieved April 23, 2021.
  2. Back to citation Bernardo, Jaehwa (August 6, 2020). "UST gives campus tour to freshmen through Minecraft game". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  3. Back to citation "Freshmen to be 'initiated'". The Varsitarian. 73 (11). June 6, 2002; Tigers’ tips for UST’s new blood, Full Court Fresh, June 4, 2012, retrieved December 17, 2019; #ChalkTries: The Thomasian Welcome Walk, ABS-CBN Lifestyle, August 29, 2019, archived from the original on November 12, 2019, retrieved December 17, 2019.
  4. Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 "Welcome Walk" greets 10,000 UST freshmen, Yahoo! News, June 9, 2013, retrieved December 17, 2019.
  5. Back to citation Agner, Mara (August 11, 2017). "Here's How ADMU, UST, and Other Universities Welcome the Freshmen". candymag.ph. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  6. Back to citation "Freshmen to be 'initiated'". The Varsitarian. 73 (11). June 6, 2002.
  7. Back to citation "Rector appeals to Thomasians: 'Be advocates of hope'". The Varsitarian. 75 (1). June 30, 2003.
  8. Back to citation "CSC pushes through with freshmen welcome rites". The Varsitarian. 76 (2). July 17, 2004.
  9. Back to citation "Freshmen Orientation and Walking Tour". The Academia. June 2005.
  10. Back to citation occurrence 10.0 Back to citation occurrence 10.1 "Freshmen, sinalubong". The Varsitarian. 78 (3). August 22, 2006.
  11. Back to citation "Enrollment soars anew". The Varsitarian. 80 (1). June 30, 2007.
  12. Back to citation "The quadricentennial doctors are in". The Varsitarian. 80 (1). June 30, 2007.
  13. Back to citation occurrence 13.0 Back to citation occurrence 13.1 "Freshman Walk pushes through". The Varsitarian. 81 (3). July 31, 2009.
  14. Back to citation "Papal nuncio urges Thomasians to uphold truth". The Varsitarian. 82 (1). July 1, 2010.
  15. Back to citation Freshmen Walk, umusad, The Varsitarian, retrieved June 15, 2021.
  16. Back to citation Freshmen get early welcome, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  17. Back to citation LOOK: Thomasian Welcome Walk 2014 trends, ABS-CBN News, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  18. Back to citation UST welcomes more than 13,000 freshmen, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  19. Back to citation 12,000 sumali sa UST Freshmen Walk, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  20. Back to citation ‘Thomasian Welcome Walk’ today, Manila Bulletin, August 5, 2015, retrieved December 17, 2019.
  21. Back to citation UST welcomes 7,000 freshmen, GMA Network News, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  22. Back to citation Welcome! 6k new UST students enter Arch of the Centuries, Politiko, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  23. Back to citation Welcome walk, Manila Standard, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  24. Back to citation 6,000 newly minted Thomasians enter Arch of the Centuries in UST ‘Welcome Walk’, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  25. Back to citation Maging mapagmahal sa katotohanan, Veritas 846, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  26. Back to citation UST welcomes 16,827 freshmen in annual Welcome Walk, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  27. Back to citation NEW BEGINNINGS, The Manila Times, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  28. Back to citation UST welcomes 14,976 freshmen in A.Y. 2019-2020, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 9, 2019.
  29. Back to citation occurrence 29.0 Back to citation occurrence 29.1 Tiangco, Minka Klaudia (August 25, 2020). "UST to launch virtual campus tour for freshmen in Minecraft". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  30. Back to citation Freshmen enrollment up by 3%, The Varsitarian, retrieved August 11, 2022.
  31. Back to citation UST welcomes Academic Year 2023-2024 through onboarding week, University of Santo Tomas, retrieved November 22, 2025.
  32. Back to citation UST welcomes over 13,500 freshmen for Academic Year 2024-2025 onboarding season;UST GenSan’s pioneering batch is warmly welcomed, University of Santo Tomas, retrieved November 22, 2025.
  33. Back to citation Over 10,000 freshies enter UST in AY 2025-2026, The Varsitarian, retrieved November 22, 2025.
  34. Back to citation Grande, Ralph (August 24, 2020). "UST to launch virtual campus tour for freshmen in Minecraft". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  35. Back to citation Baron, Gabriel (February 27, 2021). "UST Minecraft wins in AcadArena Awards". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  36. Back to citation Bracher, Jane (September 3, 2016). "IN PHOTOS: UST opens UAAP Season 79 with grand parade, fireworks". Rappler. Retrieved April 28, 2021; "UAAP wows crowd with 'Olympic style' opening". ABS-CBN News. September 3, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2021; "UST's rich history in full display as UAAP Season 79 kicks off". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 3, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  37. Back to citation "UST lights up with grand ceremony to officially open UAAP Season 88". ABS-CBN News. September 19, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  38. Back to citation Freshman hold welcome walk finally The Varsitarian. Breaking News • September 24, 2012.
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