Self-Care Column: The Intersection of Rave & Filipino Culture

WHATS UUUUPP TROYPHI! I hope you all had a restful and healing Spring Break—from doomscrolling to spending quality time with family and friends to doing some self-reflection. With the end of the semester beginning to surface, it will truly fly by. Give yourself the allowance to breathe, recenter and focus on what you want to truly get out of the college experience.

With only 5 weekends until finals week, it can be easy for time to slip between your fingers. Yet a little birdie told me that out of those weekends, one of them might be occupied… with Beyond Wonderland! For those of you who don’t know, Beyond Wonderland is one of the biggest EDM festivals in Southern California, approaching in 4 days. We will be holding Office Hours this week (look at Cherise’s part below for more information!) related to this!

Anecdotally, my college experience has exposed me to the rave scene, and I’ve recently drawn some connections from both that environment and my own Filipino identity.

Like Cherise mentions below, rave culture is built on this idea of PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity & Respect). Growing up in a Filipino household, I found myself mimicking the selfless tendencies of my older figures, particularly my mom and Lola. Acting with this instinct to give back, often known as “utaang na loob,” has been a driving force in virtually everything I do. As a first-generation low-income college student, the cornerstone of my work has been to provide for my family, as a way to give back for the countless efforts made to push me forward. 

In this way, I believe one thing very attractive about the rave community is this similar notion to give, without the expectation to receive. In Filipino culture—or more broadly put, immigrant culture—these ideas are so similar that it can provide another outlet of comfort and community aligned with these values.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the hospitality felt within the rave scene. As the natural progression of selflessness (or PLUR), community is often built from this feeling of acceptance through hospitality. Quintessentially, the Filipino identity is known for their hospitable tendencies, from instinctually offering food to guests to acts of service, which creates a resilient and close-knit community. In a similar vein, the ethos of rave culture is to create a hospitable environment, creating community through a shared interest and goal to have fun (moreso leaning into this idea of escapism, another contentious topic that is worth exploring in itself).

Lastly, and arguably most interestingly, raving has come as a byproduct of colonialism. Historically, the rave community was birthed from oppression and counterculture, characterized through reclaiming autonomy, defying societal norms, and creating temporary utopias of radical joy. And for many Filipinos, especially in the diaspora, it becomes a powerful way to reclaim identity. 

With a history shaped by colonization, migration, and conservative expectations, the act of dancing, dressing up, and expressing freely at raves becomes a form of healing and defiance. For queer, and marginalized Filipinos, these spaces offer a rare sense of liberation and chosen family. It’s not just partying—it’s reclaiming your body, your joy, and your voice in a world that often tries to silence it. Many Filipino ravers blend tradition with futurism, from wearing textiles inspired by indigenous designs to incorporating Baybayin or kulintang sounds into EDM. Raving becomes a modern-day fiesta—loud, communal, expressive, and full of pride.

So in a sociocultural and anthropological sense, raving is beautifully rooted in this greater sense of selflessness, epitomizing what it means to reclaim your identity in its totality, including one’s Filipino heritage. Positioning your own exploration of identity through an open mind can allow yourself to experience beautiful discoveries of yourself—whether it is through raving or some other social medium.

Personally, finding, discovering and growing myself in a community I previously didn’t know existed was a blessing in disguise. Time that exists after today is yours to claim, beyond the 5 weeks between now and finals week. I call upon you to begin, or continue, the conversation of what it means to embrace yourself, through exploring, learning and internalizing. 

Now check out what Cherise has to say, and more information about this week’s Office Hours!

Para sa kultura, sa pagmamahal at sa PLUR,

Josh Placido

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What’s up Troyphi!!!

I'm back with another dev corner for this month!! It's been a while since I've written here but I hope you all have been able to find a healthy work-life balance from the last time I wrote a dev corner! With spring break coming to an end, I hope you were all able to get plenty of well needed rest after midterms! Whether rest to you means staying home and rotting in your bed or going/ traveling somewhere new, just know it was well deserved after the tough midterm season. Personally, I love getting to sleep in after having plenty of late night studies and early morning classes (and this is exactly how I chose to spend my break + I did a few other things). Here's are some pictures from my spring break!

That being said, now that we are starting school and more events are coming up again, you should all come stop by joili-bee office hours!! In case you aren't familiar with what this is, office hours is a time where you can meet and socialize with other members and participate in either small activities or work on any homework you may have. The activity/ theme changes every meeting so you can always expect to see something different! This week, the office hours will be kandi-making aka friendship bracelet making! Exchanging kandi, aka beaded bracelets, is a common practice at raves, where you can show off your collection and trade with others.

If you are going to Beyond, you should definitely stop by! Don't worry if you haven't been to a rave (I haven't either) or raving isn't your thing, you are still invited to come by and make some friendship bracelets! PLUR stands for peace, love, unity, and respect, which are the pillars of rave culture (shout out to my roommate for giving me a crash course about raves so I could write this LOL). So, spread some PLUR and make some kandi in preparation for Beyond this weekend! Come join us on Wednesday 3/26 at 5-7 pm to make bracelets! These office hours will be held at a different location than the normal room so make sure to come to Cargar courtyard. I hope to see you all there and see you next dev corner!!

-Cherise Ilagan :)