NEWS l 7th Finance Week : Adventure Recap

The Finance Week is an annual event conducted by the Department of Financial Management (DFM), organized from all year levels, by the Junior Financial Executives (JFINEX) - PUP Manila for its founding anniversary. The theme of this year, "Pixel Blast: Power-Up Your Financial Game," made this year a celebration pressed with a lot of noise and full of activities.

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The PUP Oval was straight out of an arcade game in high spirits with the 7th Finance Week full of stimulating performances, live team cheers, a busy atmosphere electrified like a real video game. From March 10 to 15, 2025, the event transformed the campus into a thrilling stage of competition, and celebration. This was all about excitement fused with honored speeches and vibrant functions that left the students, the players—in anticipation of the next act in this multi-episode adventure.

            The Finance Week is an annual event conducted by the Department of Financial Management (DFM), organized from all year levels, by the Junior Financial Executives (JFINEX) - PUP Manila for its founding anniversary. The celebration gathered finance students alumni, faculty members, and industry specialists to promote financial literacy, teamwork, and some fun. Apart from the competitions, the event once again showcased finance students to be more than just calculative figures but strategists, and innovative analysts. The theme of this year, "Pixel Blast: Power-Up Your Financial Game," made this year a celebration pressed with a lot of noise and full of activities just like an arcade filled with competitions, backed by live cheering crowds, and interactive booths from sponsors jam-packed with mini-games that blended learning and fun.

For the entire week, the executives were not merely competing but also leveling up on skills that went far beyond that of the event. Quick decision-making in bidding wars, teamwork in playcourts, and strategies in academics with adaptability at each moment was what Finance Week was all about. The energy peaked in Bulwagang Balagtas at the Ninoy Aquino Building, with walls echoing to the vigorous cheers that marked the awarding ceremony, —the Final Stage.

The ultimate showdown had Team Street Fighter flexing their charming moves, bagging the Best Team award in the Academic category, while Team Pac-Man took home the Best Team award in the Non-Academic category, along with several MVP titles. Team Pac-Man also gobbled up competitors with lightning speed in Palaro ng Lahi: Igniting Filipino Festivities and showed their quickness in Hoops and High Scores: Basketball Playoffs.

Meanwhile, Super Sonic sprinted ahead with speed straight out of timezones, winning big in Finance Quizcade: Race to The End, while acting as a crowd energizer during the cheer competitions. Then there was Super Mario, who played the long game, and whose strategy and patience really paid off in Ready, Set, Auction: The Ultimate Bidding Battle, ultimately winning Palaro ng Lahi.

The event, going over the competition, thus reminded that finance is not confined to theories and formulas alone but is, at its core, critical thinking, risk-taking, and seizing opportunities. The winners made it to the top, but every participant gained lessons, insights, and friendships that were worth celebrating.

With participants fully immersed in the heat of competition, the games kick-started, teams strategized, and pushed on extra miles. Excitement built up on the streets with every round as Pac-Man maneuvered through ghosts and defenders alike to earn Mythical Five honors, while Super Sonic and Street Fighter had players advancing into Mythical Sixes. With 13 wins evenly between Street Fighter and Pac-Man, in these sports, finance students do not just play the game—they own it as powerfully as any arcade move.

Just like in the gaming world, adaptability is the name of the game in finance. Street Fighter cracked the fuss in Money, Mystery, and Mischief: The Hidden Case of the Lost Island, while Pac-Man and Super Sonic proved they were more than just pixels, racking up MVP titles across various competitions.

Leaders were, above all, recognized for their commitment, with awards for Most Active Student in the Academic Competition going to Jio Antonio R. Lazaro from 2-5 and for the Non-Academic Competition to Arnulfo M. Abarca Jr. from 2-1. Most Active Presidents also shined with the following winners: 1st Year: Marro Daniel C. Alcantara, 2nd Year: Cheriza Marie I. Mandreza, 3rd Year: Rachelyn B. Petallo, and 4th Year: Allaine Dialino. Most Active Section honors went to 1st Year: 1-3, 2nd Year: 2-3, 3rd Year: 3-7s, and 4th Year: 4-3. Meanwhile, Most Active Team Leader was awarded to Marro Daniel C. Alcantara from 1-3, and Most Active Assistant Team Leader went to Kyle Metzger B. Genolaga from 3-4 — that was all a feature of the teamwork and leadership that made the event a success.

The suspense, the thrill and the buzz were all in one place. Street Fighter were shouting away shared victories, Pac-Man players reliving their speed racing, and the Super Sonic fans still buzzing with excitement after their quiz competition — Every participant had their own story of triumph. What very much came home with them may not just be trophies but an experience that would influence their future in finance and beyond, one way or another.

As the last pixel faded on this famed week, it was once again JFINEX-PUP President Mr. Sherwin Paul R. Padillon who took the stage one last time to deliver heartfelt closing remarks. He honored all the guest speakers, sponsors, faculty, alumni, participants, and student leaders for making Finance Week a truly remarkable one. More than that, he reminded all that finance is not just about numbers. It's about strategy, collaboration, and the courage to always level up.

Kudos to the JFINEX-PUP of the Department of Financial Management whose Executive Heads, Human Resources, Finance and Audit, Publicity, Marketing, Year Level Representatives, and Committee Departments worked extensively behind the scenes to successfully deliver this event.

With the credits rolling for this year's Finance Week, students did not just revel in their victory but celebrated growth, camaraderie, and exhilaration of the week-long fun. Be it in the class, on the court, or in the competition hall, the real win lies in learning, adapting, and moving forward together—as One Finance Family.

As Super Sonic once said, ‘To live a life of power, you must have faith in what you believe.’ Until next year, Finance Warriors—keep leveling up!