SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
MANILA, Philippines – A school-themed satire page called the “International State College of the Philippines” or “ISCP” has caught the attention of Filipinos with memes that humorously mimic college and university pages.
Acting like a real university, the ISCP started to trend after posting the results of its “entrance exam” for aspiring “Blue Aspins,” August 5.
The post blew up, garnering an initial 215,000 reactions. The Facebook page has since garnered more than 500,000 followers as of Wednesday, August 10.
The page was quick to clarify that its purpose was to post satire.
The page’s idea has since taken on a life of its own, with Filipinos participating to create their own memes, going so far as to launch its own website. And it got a certain “Taylor Mae S. Batumbakal” onboard – the page’s take on popstar and supposed student Taylor Swift – even if she seems a bit disappointed.
Most of ISCP’s content is created by members of the Facebook group “International State College of the Philippines (E-Youth Council).” As of writing, the public group has more than 600,000 members.
The satirical university also made noise on Twitter, landing on top Philippines trends with thousands of tweets.
Where did ISCP come from?
Niño Ged, the creator of the page, the “founder” of the “university,” and an incoming college student, shared that ISCP was born from the idea of satirizing college life.
“It’s like the idea was born out of my mind, and was nurtured by the community of the ISCP,” he told Rappler.
Niño Ged added that the published materials on ISCP’s main page were of his own creation using available apps on the internet.
The page has come across some controversy, with its association with a group called “QuickWRITE” that writes academic papers for students. The link was brought up by Facebook user Toni Panagu, who also cited his professor who had told him that such services promote academic dishonesty.
In a response to Panagu, the group said on Facebook that they are changing their services. The group said they are no longer affiliated with ISCP.
Niño Ged told Rappler in an email that ISCP is no longer affiliated with the group.
“We’ve already cut our connections and associations to QuickWRITE Writing Services,” he said.
School ‘offerings’
Some netizens created programs under ISCP, such as a “Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Vocalizationism” and a “BA in Psychology Major in Gaslighting.”
Facebook user Richard Christian Uaje took ISCP a notch higher by creating a working website that compiles the “offered programs” of the school. It also includes the school’s mission and vision.
One user even made a school hymn based on “Sun and Moon” by American singer-songwriter, Anees, a song made famous on TikTok.
Users’ reaction
Social media users applauded the creatives and social media team behind the group. Twitter user Peej Pangilinan said that the satirical university is “doing better jobs than most universities’ social media managers.”
Meanwhile, Twitter user @Mustylone did a comparison between the satirical university’s website with the website of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Others also appreciated how ISCP was able to reflect Filipino humor and reference iconic pop culture elements in the country.
Following the ISCP trend
Other personalities have also jumped into the ISCP trend.
Social media personality and content creator Macoy Dubs changed his profile photo with an ISCP display picture frame.
Recently, TV host Kim Atienza fell victim to a Facebook post by the group saying he’s the satirical university’s “Dean in College of Education.” In a now-deleted post, he said the announcement was a scam and that he is not affiliated with the “university.”
He eventually recognized the humor, saying “If you can’t beat them, join them” in another Facebook post.
What are some of the most amusing ISCP posts you’ve seen? Share them with us on social media at @rapplerdotcom. – with reports from Kyla Cariño and Alyssa Tiangsing/Rappler.com
Kyla Cariño is a Rappler intern. She is a Journalism major from the University of Santo Tomas.
Alyssa Tiangsing is a Rappler intern. She is currently taking BA Communication at the University of Santo Tomas.
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.