Sunflowers, Sablay and the ultimate rites of passage in UP

Sunflowers and sablay – two icons that flooded social media accounts  of graduates of  University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman.

These icons  have become the symbol of the ultimate rites of passage in the university, as graduates hurdled every academic requirement through sleepless and restless days and nights.

It is said that the blossoming of sunflowers were already a tradition since the 1970s. However, I do not have any recollection of sunflowers during my two graduation ceremonies, B.S. Economics in 1991 and Bachelor of Laws in 1998.

I also did not wear a sablay as the university amphitheater was just a sea of traditional black togas.

Sablay, translated from tagumpay, or “triumph”, is just a fitting sash for the students that have completed their studies, which became the official academic costume of UP officially adopted in 2000.

The sablay gets its inspiration from the Muslim malong, a loose garment made from a seamless bolt of cloth. It incorporates various traditional elements found in other Philippine cultures.  Running through the sablay are geometric motifs of indigenous Philippine tribes.  

The university colors of maroon and green frame the initials of the University rendered in yellow gold alibata characters, the ancient Philippine alphabet,  

The sablay is worn initially over the right shoulder.  After the President has conferred the degree, it is moved from the right to the left shoulder without being taken off.

Giving   graduation a new and colorful twist in tradition,  the bright yellow sunflowers lead the way for graduates towards the iconic Oblation statue and behind it the Amphitheater where the commencement exercise is held.

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an annual, erect, broadleaf plant with a strong taproot and prolific lateral spread of surface roots.

Sunflowers bloom around the same time the students graduate — formerly, around April. When UP shifted their academic calendar, the people in charge of the sunflowers found a way for these flowers to bloom even during the rainy season around June.

As a parting gift for graduating students, sunflowers become reminders of the various cycles of life and death. As one blossoms inside the campus, there will come a time that one will have to leave.

The growth of Sunflowers is dependent on full sun , just as every Isko cherish  challenges  inside the university as necessary for their personal development.

Sunflowers also always follow the direction of the sunlight, the same  light that calls graduates  to serve the country. 

The tradition for lighting rallies was also expected – a long red banner unfurled with the message “Atin Ang Pinas” during last Sunday’s university graduation.

Towards the end of the program, some graduates also raised placards with messages on various issues, including China, press freedom, political prisoners and LGBT rights.

Speaking at the UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio earlier said Filipinos have the constitutional and civic duty to protect the nation’s territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea He added that the Constitution mandates that the use and enjoyment of the country’s marine wealth in its exclusive economic zone shall be reserved exclusively for the Filipino people. Carpio pointed out that “only a fool will go to war with China. It is clear that the specter of war is being raised only to intimidate the Filipino people into submitting to China’s encroachment of our EEZ.”

Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, on the other hand, urged the graduates of UP School of Economics to help defend Philippine sovereignty as they continue their quest for excellence in their field and contribute to the betterment of the Filipino people.

A total number of 55 Summa Cum Laude graduates led this year’s Diliman graduates, three of which came from my college School of Economics. This is the highest recorded number of Summa graduates not only in the history of the Diliman campus but also of the entire UP System.

To the new UP graduates, savor the brightness of the sunflowers and be true to the lyrics “Humayo’t itanghal, giting at tapang. Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!”

 ***

 Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).

LESSONS IN HISTORY: THE GREAT LEAN RUN

        

  

“The next best thing to being free is the struggle to be free”. A memorable quote from Lean Alejandro, one of the icons of UP Activism.

 

I was born two years before President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law on September 21, 1972, . The declaration issued under Proclamation 1081 suspended the civil rights and imposed military authority in the country. It became unpopular as excesses and human rights abuses by the military emerged. Torture was used in extracting information from their enemies. Martial law was lifted by President Marcos on January 17, 1981. In the following years there was the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983, the Snap Elections of 1986 and the People Power Revolution or EDSA Revolution in 1986 which led to Marcos, with the advice from the U.S. government, left the country and Cory Aquino becoming president.

A notable intellectual and activist who openly criticized the Marcos administration,  Lean was killed Sept. 19, 1987. After the failed coup attempt led by Col. Gregorio Honasan, Lean  announced plans for a major demonstration against the return to fascism. Returning by car to the headquarters of BAYAN, he was fired upon by a gunman, instantly killing Lean.

Lean  died during my freshman year in UP Diliman. Sad to say, I never realized his importance that time perhaps due to my personal struggle  or preoccupation to adjust myself with the UP culture. Apolitical perhaps was the right word that time. Years later, i became part of SAMASA, a political alliance which in a way became my justification for using "sandals" or tsinelas during my UP days. 

From 1987 to 1991, i became one of the so-called "Iskolar ng Bayan" as  part of the UP Diliman studentry when i took BS. Economics.  Basically, I became attached to  my organizations  Philippine Collegian or KULE, and SAMASA Alliance .My relatives and friends usually asked me "bakit ka ba naging aktibista". Perhaps my answer will be because UP is the perfect place to grow in all aspects, whether it be politically, socially, etc. Yes, I myself became part of UP Activisim movement. And i am proud that it made me a better person.

 The Great LEAN Run is an experiential run using a historical approach to teach the new generation lessons on martial law. The Run is scheduled on  November 12, 2016  (Saturday) at the UP Diliman Sunken Garden and Academic Oval. 

 “The 3.7-kilometer run is a special distance experiential run that includes a especially-designed obstacle course, race, and chase production. It is an innovative approach to teach lessons to the new generation who has never experienced martial law. Each participant will experience life under martial law and step into Lean's slippers,” Atty. Susan Villanueva, Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan (Samasa) Alumni Association chairperson, said.

“It is a celebration of the life of Leandro L. Alejandro, one-time UP student council chairman, and the most popular youth leader during the turbulent martial law years,” Villanueva said.

The 3.7-kilometer run starts at the UP Sunken Garden and covers the entire UP Diliman Academic Oval and a portion of the University Avenue. Opening ceremonies will begin at 4:30 pm at the Sunken Garden . The first wave of runners will begin at 5 pm.

   

 The event hashtag is “BeLean,” making the “Great Lean Run” also a call to healthy living

Lean  was instrumental in setting up the UP Samasa student political party, which was active and a key political force in UP campus politics during the martial law years and beyond.  UP Samasa aims to “re-introduce” Alejandro, his ideals, and his works to the current generation of student activists through the fun run.  It is  hoped that  Lean will become an inspiration to the younger generation

Here are some of the famous quotes of Lean: 

 - “The line of fire is a place of honor”

- "It is in the struggle that we fully realize what it means to be alive, and the more we struggle, the more we see the beauty and profundity of life."

-  “I am sure you will agree with me when I say that the greatest adventure on earth today is our struggle for freedom. The pain and the sacrifice are staggering. The battles are historical. And the victory shall be truly glorious indeed.”

Fellow Kule Boying Pimentel said in his article "Lean’s was a short, eventful life, full of meaning and passion. He was the young firebrand who led to us on those many marches on Mendiola toward Malacanang, who led us in defying the brutal dictator. He was the young idealist who risked his life in the quest for meaningful social change and freedom from oppression. He didn’t die.Lean Alejandro lives on.

Participants will “experience running in Lean’s shoes during the 3.7-kilometer trail, from the UP Sunken Garden to the UP Academic Oval and back,” Villanueva said.  “Lean continues to be a prime example of how the youth can effect change through critical thought and social involvement."

 Each runner will have to wear a belt with three ribbons: life, liberty, and property. During the run, elements of an authoritarian regime will try to grab the ribbons from the participants, as was the practice during Martial Law. Participants are being challenged to complete the run with at least one ribbon, an indication that he or she survived the martial law years. 

 With a registration fee of P350 for students and P800 for non-students, The Great Lean Run is jointly organized by the Samasa Alumni Association and the UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (UP OVCSA).

 For details, please visit the Great LEAN Run Facebook page.

Rejected UPCAT Essay Questions

1. Hanggang saan aabot ang bente pesos mo?
2. If 5x +2y = 20, hanggan saan aabot ang 20 pesos mo?
3. Have you read the terms and conditions?
4. Why are the birds angry? Explain your answer briefly.
5. Anong meron sa eggs ng Angry Birds at ninakaw ito ng mga baboy?
6. Is it more fun in the Philippines? If yes, explain in 10 sentences. If no, mag-migrate ka na.
7. Ano ang mas malaki bagpack ni Dora? O bulsa ni Doraemon? Justify your answer.
8. Para kanino ka bumabangon?
9. Kung si Squirtle ay isang basic water pokemon. Si Myrtle ba ang evolution neto? Ipakita ang evolution tree.
10. Kung si Squirtle ay isang water pokemon, anong klaseng pokemon si Myrtle? Ipaliwanag.
11. Pang-ilang evolution ni Jynx si Nicki Minaj?
12. Why will Rick Astley never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down?
13. What is Victoria’s Secret? Enumerate.
14. NOSI, NOSI BALASI, Sino ba sila?
15. Saan si Waldo? Justify.
16. Bakit ba laging nagpapahanap si Waldo? Tanga ba siya’t laging nawawala?
17. Kung bilog ang mundo, bakit meron silang tinatawag na apat na sulok nito?
18. Why does it melt in your mouth and not in your hand?
19. Kung si Venus Raj ay magdo-double degree, ano kaya ang kanyang major major? Explain explain!
20. Sa pagpasok mo sa UP, ano ang Major Major course mo?
21. Is this the real life or is this just fantasy?
22. Kung nag evolve tayo from unggoy to tao, at what point ka nagpaiwan?
23. Naniniwala ka bang hindi natutulog si Kuya Germs? Show evidence.
24. Kicking in the frontseat or sitting in the backseat? Explain which seat you would take.
25. How will you help Rihanna know her name? In essay form.
26. Choco na gatas or gatas na choco?
27. Nakakabusog o Nakakalusog?
28. Bakit walang side mirror ang eroplano?
29. Who’s your daddy now?
30. Who run the world?
31. Ano ang trabaho ni Mister Bean? Saan siya kumukuha ng salapi para sa kanyang pang araw-araw na gastusin?
32. Please explain the word “sulit” to a three-year-old who has enough money to pay his own education.
33. Kung walang kamay ang mga ibon, then why do birds suddenly APIR? Ipaliwanag.
34. Kaano-ano ni Dora the Explorer si Internet Explorer?
35. What is the world’s Number 2 shampoo?
36. Saan napupunta ang tinatapon mong computer files sa recycle bin?
37. Who wants to be a millionaire?
38. Kapag ang ipis nahulog sa tubig na may sabon, dudumi ba ang tubig o lilinis ang ipis?
39. Kapatid ba ni Swiper the Fox si Megan Fox? Give a list of your sources.
40. Pinsan ba ni Megan Fox si Mozilla Firefox?
41. Ano’ng mas malaki, panga ni Charice o pwet ni Nicki Minaj? Illustrate then explain
42. Kung ikaw si Batman, sinong bahala sa’yo?
43. Ano ang boiling point ni Agua ng Agua Bendita?
44. Ano ang circumference ng mukha ni Charice?
45. Bakit pababa nang pababa ang ispaghetti? Explicate using Newton’s Law of Gravitation.
46. Explain the attraction between two PBB teens housemates using Newton’s Law of Gravitation.
47. Using a vernier caliper to a meter stick, gaano kakapal ang mukha mo?
48. In case “it’s not nosebleed in UP, it’s bloodshed”, what is your blood type? And medical history?
49. Bakit sa kahit anong angle, ang gwapo mo? Use the SAS ASA SSS Postulates in Geometry to answer this question.
50. Ano ang meron kay Brand X at galit na galit ang ibang brand sakanya? Defend your answer.
51. Kung totoong may alien, bakit palaging galing sa Earth ang nananalo sa Miss Universe?
52. Magkano ang binayad ni Adam Levine para makatawag sa payphone? Cite statistics.
53. Jumbo Hotdog: Kaya mo ba to?
54. Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?
55. Using the Mohs Scale of Hardness, gaano katigas si Bash?
56. Who do you think you are, running ‘round leaving scars?
57. Does the moonlight shine on Paris after the sun goes down?
58. Only Belo touches my skin, who touches yours?
59. If you are daring, how dare you?
60. Kung bukas luluhod ang mga tala, bakit hindi pa ngayon?
61. Pag na-ban ang plastic sa Pilipinas, kelangan mo na ba matakot at magtago?
62. Bakit wala paring tatalo sa Alaska? Explain briefly, No Erasure!
63. Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
64. Paano mo tuturuan si Sadakong mag-whip ng hair back and forth? Show illustration.
65. Kung ang nakatusok na baboy ay barbeque, ang nakatusok na saging ay bananacue, bakit ang kabayo, carousel?
66. Deal or No Deal? Explain through an essay not less than 20 sentences.
67. Gamit ang inyong Monggol 2 pencil, iguhit ang 50 shades of grey. No erasures.
68. Sa kantang Tantaran-Chuchurut-Churut, pang-ilang nota humihinga si Willie? Kumonsulta kay Jobert Sucaldito.
69. Ano ang cultural explanation ng pagkembot ng reyna habang pumapasok ito sa bulaklak?
70. Kung kulay pula si Jollibee, ano ba talaga siya? Bubuyog o langgam? Ipaliwanag.
71. Masaya lang ba ang pwedeng umorder ng Happy Meal? Why?
72. Kung ikaw ay chemist, sino ang lab mo?
73. Why did it have to end so soon? When you said that you would never leave me?
74. Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?
75. Kung hindi ngayon, kailan? Kung hindi tayo, sino?
76. Papasa ka ba……. Sa hair test ni Yuko Yamashita?
77. How is Mr. Krabs the biological father of Pearl? Provide a Punett Square.
78. Bakit lubog ang Sunken Garden? Ipaliwanag.
79. Where is the love?
80. Bakit ka nagmo-move on kung hindi naman kayo? Ilarawan.
81. Tell me when will you be mine. Quando? Quando? Quando?
82. Sinong kumagat sa Apple logo? Iexplain bakit hindi niya inubos.
83. If Ben has five apples and Lisa ate three, why did Adele set fire to the rain?
84. Saang direksyon papunta ang One Direction? Expound.
85. Ilan ang butas sa isang cracker ng skyflakes? Illustrate.
86. Bakit sa mukha ni Charice naghain ng handa yung caterer?
87. Ilan ang circumference ng pwet ni Nicki Minaj?
88. Gamit ang Mongol 2, sumaksak ng anim na katabi. May the odds be ever in your favor.
89. Kung ang tao nagmula sa unggoy, bakit may mukhang kabayo? Explain.
90. How much is that doggie in the window? Ipaliwanag kung bakit ganyan ang presyo nito.
91. How much is that doggie in the window? Ipaliwanag gamit ang theory of supply and demand.
92. Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements?
93. Saan gawa ang Soylent Green?
94. If tonight, we are young. What about tomorrow?
95. Ayon sa commercial ad ng BDO nq “we find ways”, ipakita kung saan ang mga daan na nahanap nito. Create a map.
96. Nauuhaw din ba ang mga isda? Ipaliwanag.
97. Kung si Corazon ang unang aswang, pang-ilan ka?
98. Gaano kalakas ang .1 na germ at hindi ito mamatay-matay? Draw and illustrate.
99. Give at least 10 Reasons kung bakit kailangang i-ban sa buong mundo ang “Call Me Maybe.”
100. If I were Carly Rae Jepsen. Would you call me?
101. Pag ang bakla nagka amnesia, Bakla parin kaya?
102. Teach Me How To Dougie in 10 paragraphs.
103. Bukod sa mukha mo, ano pa ang joke mo?
104. Ano ang English ng “Pang-ilang presidente si Gloria?” Give the correct answer. Right Minus Wrong.
105. Sino ang mananalo sa Claudine vs. Manny?
106. We found love in a hopeless place, where is the hopeless place?
107. Anong kinuhang course ni Marian Rivera at naging Psychology siya?
108. Gaano kadalas ang minsan? Give an exact figure.
109. Sino si Kikay? Bakit nila pinapasayaw ito?
110. Paano mangulangot si Wolverine? Explain and illustrate.
111. Hot pa din ba ang hot sauce ‘pag nilagay mo sa loob ng ref? Paste the original copy of your birth certificate.
112. Bakit hindi namamatay ang bida? Cite statistics.
113. Gaano kataas ang lipad ng Whisper with Wings? Demonstrate.
114. Ang Maroon 5 ba ay galing UP? Patunayan ang sagot gamit ang kanilang mga kanta.
115. Nasaan ang corn, sa corned beef?
116. Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?
117. Maliban sa pag-ibig, ano pa ang ipinapangako mong ipaglalaban mo?
118. Bakit pinya ang tahanan ni Spongebob? Ikumpara ito sa tahanan ni Patrick gamit ang Venn Diagram.
119. Bakit ka pinanganak sa mundong ibabaw?
120. Pare-pareho ba ang napangasawa nina Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, at Snow White? babaero ba si PRINCE CHARMING?
121. Will you still love me in the morning?
122. Explain the phenomenon that is the “Party Rock Anthem”. Provide a timeline.
123. Bakit kulay green ang blackboard?
124. Bakit pag rush hour tsaka mabagal ang daloy ng traffic? Explain your answer using sign language.
125. Who let the dogs out?
126. Kung walang nilikha ang Diyos na panget, sinung lumikha sayo? Defend yourself.
127. Sa mga nangyayaring crisis sa ating mundo ngayon, ano masasabi mo sa pag bagsak ng presyo ng talong sa palengke?
128. Nasaan ang Edge of Glory?
129. Anong letter ang ELEMENO? Defend your answer. Transcribe.
130. Ano ang actual na word na narinig mo sa kantang “Mmmbop?” isulat ito sa talampakan at putulin ang paa.
131. Bakit sawing palad si Magdalena?
132. Kung ang vegetarian ay kumakain lamang ng gulay, ano naman ang humanitarian? Show your solution.
133. What are your Five Problems, One Solution?
134. Choose two-with whom is Lady Gaga: a) caught in a bad romance, b) on the edge of glory, or c) on the telephone?
135. How can you face your problem if your problem is your face? Justify please.
136. Bakit kahit matindi na ang global warming, ay hindi ka pa rin nagiging hot? Please explain yourself.
137. Gaano ka tuwid ang One Direction compared sa ‘Tuwid na Daan’ ni PNoy?
138. Ano ang paboritong season mo ng Daisy Siete at bakit? Ibigay ang buod.
139. How does one love like a love song?
140. Bakit ang hilig lumabas ni Sadako sa TV? Commercial model ba siya? Explain your answer.
141. Bakit mo titignan yung kamay mo kung mabaho?
142. If God had a name, what would it be and would you call it to His face? Sagutin sa perspektibo ng mga hunyango.
143. Bakit square ang box ng pizza samantalang circle naman ang pizza? Please explain
144. Rated K. Handa na ba kayo? Kumatok sa kapitbahay at batiin sya ng happy birthday habang nagpapaliwanag.
145. Illustrate Cow and Chicken’s parents’ faces. Additional points for drawing Miss Bellum’s as well.
146. Kung love is blind, anong kagaguhan ang love at first sight? Ipaliwanag.
147. Kung mamatay ka na bukas, bakit hindi pa ngayon? Defend your answer.
148. If jokes are half-meant, ilang jokes ang kelangan para hindi makaoffend ng kaibigan? Ipaliwanag.
149. Saan ba talaga pinaglihi si Charice? Sa pinggan o Nagaraya?
150. Bakit pumasok ang reyna sa bulaklak? Ipaliwanag ng hindi hihigit sa limang pangungusap.
151. Bakit may taong bato?
152. How many strands of hair does Noynoy have? (Calculator is optional)
153. Kung ikaw ang nasasakdal sa impeachment trial, ano ang gusto mong sumakit sa iyo at bakit?
154. Where do broken hearts go? (Follow-up question: Can they find their way home?)
155. Kung ang “one night stand” ay sa gabi. Ano naman ang sa umaga?
156. Bakit pag usapang hotdog, “Kids can tell?” Ipaliwanag ang kaso ng hotdog ni Aljur.
157. Paano nagiging extra virgin ang olive oil? Pwede din ba maging extra virgin ang tao? Explain.
158. Kanino mo gusto makipag-make out; sa taong walang ngipin or sa taong walang dila? Explain briefly.
159. Anong meron siya na wala ako? Cite examples.
160. How are starships maneuvered?
161. Sa cartoon series na Huck Finn, ginagawa pa rin ba ang BAHAY NI HUCK? Sa anong puno at bakit?
162. Why is Chris Brown and Redford White?
163. How much is Chris Black better than Chris Brown? Provide a frequency distribution table.
164. Bakit si Greyson may Chance, si Bieber may Baby at may Boyfriend? Explain your answer briefly.
165. Is Hash Brown the lost brother of Chris Brown? Explain briefly and concisely.
166. Tama ba si Willie Revillame na ikaw na nga ang hinahanap ng puso?
167. Spaggeti pababa, o spaggeti pataas?
168. Sa kantang Leron-leron sinta, Bakit may buko ang papaya? Expound.
169. Do you believe in life (after love, after love…?)
170. Ano ang nasa dako pa roon?
171. In 140 characters, ibuod ang talambuhay ni Jose Rizal.
172. Bakit nagso-Sorry ang Super Junior? Ano ginawa nila?
173. Bakit bawal sa animals ang Samsung? Defend yourself.
174. Kung ang ingles ng bulak ay cotton, at ang ingles ng bulaklak ay flower, bakit hindi cottontton? Ipaliwanag.
175. If men are from mars women are from venus, bakit sila nagpunta sa earth?
176. Magkano ang pamasahe ng limang bakla?
177. Kung sa Jollibee, ‘Bida ang Saya’, sino ang kontrabida?
178. Bakit tinatawag na brownout kung black naman ang nakikita pag walang kuryente?
179. If you were given a chance to be a ghost for one day, would you stalk your crush or scare your enemy?
180. Bakit hindi mapatay ni Ne-Yo ang kaniyang radyo? Ipakita ang sagot gamit ng isang circuit illustration.
181. Bakit kaylangan i-Instagram yang Milk Tea na iniinom mo?
182. Tatay nga ba ni Patrick Star si Majinbu? Iguhit ang family tree.
183. Anong mas masarap, Coco Jam o Coco Martin? Ipaliwanag.
184. May kinalaman ba si Coco martin sa pagdiskubre ng Coco Crunch?
185. Ang breakfast ba at dinner, pwedeng ilagay sa lunchbox?
186. Bakit kailangan mong mag check-in sa Foursquare pag nasa sosyal kang lugar? Explain briefly.
187. Pano naging cellphone ang Blackberry? Explain.
188. Kung ang lens ng camera ay BILOG? Bakit ang litrato ay RECTANGLE? Explain.
189. Using existentialist theories, answer the following question using 5000 words: ANSABE?
190. Kung ikaw magjojoke, sa bagong gising o sa taong aral na aral pero di nagising? Propose methodology.
191. Hindi tayo tao, hindi rin tayo hayop. Ano tayo?
192. Illustrate the Steric Inhibition that happened to Charice’s Zygomaticus.
193. Isalin ang mga titik ng awiting ‘UP Naming Mahal’ sa Ingles.
194. Saan? Saan ako nagkamali?
195. SINONG NAGPAUSO NITO AT SINO ANG NAUNANG MAGTWEET? Mananaliksik gamit ang history ng Pilipinas.
196. Paano mo nabilang ang tawa mo? Explain briefly.
197. I-summarize ang lahat ng sagot mo sa multiple choice.
198. May UPCAT ka mamaya? Nababasa mo to? Ba’t hanggang ngayon gising ka pa? JUSTIFY.
199. Sa tingin mo papasa ka ba?
200. Sa huling pagkakataon, tatanungin ulit kita. Showtime or Goodtime? Tandaan mo meron ka ng X.

Taga- UP ako, Dugong Iskolar ng Bayan

Dateline : June 18, 1908 The University of the Philippines (UP)   was established  as an act of the First Philippine Legislature. Act No. 1870, otherwise known as the "University Act", specified the function of the University, which is to provide advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences, and arts, and to give professional and technical training.

 At present, the University of the Philippines System is composed of seven (7) constituent universities (CU) located in 12 campuses around the country.

Seven (7) of fifteen (15) Philippine Presidents have attended courses in the University either as undergraduates or as postgraduate students, while 12 Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, 36 out of the 57 National Artists and 34 out of the 35 National Scientists are affiliated with the University.

U.P. is partly subsidized by the Philippine government.Students of the university and its graduates are referred to as “[Mga] Iskolar ng Bayan” (“Scholars of the Nation”).This makes admission into the University extremely competitive.

The symbol of U.P. is the Oblation. This is a figure of a naked man, with arms outstretched and face pointed upwards. The Oblation is based on the second stanza of Jose Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios.

From 1987 to 1991, i became one of the so-called "Iskolar ng Bayan" as  part of the UP Diliman studentry when i took BS. Economics.  Basically, I became attached to three main organizations , Economics Society or ECOSOC, Philippine Collegian or KULE, and SAMASA Alliance .My relatives and friends usually asked me "bakit ka ba naging aktibista". Perhaps my answer will be because UP is the perfect place to grow in all aspects, whether it be politically, socially, etc. Yes, I myself became part of UP Activisim movement. And i am proud that it made me a better person. Perhaps, members of the various generation of activism has their own way of reminiscing such so era."Iba nung panahon namin"...My passion for photography likewise developed.

I entered UP College of Law in 1992 and earned  my law degree in 1998. I shifted from the day class to the  evening class to be part of the  "working student" species of lawyers. I write for TODAY as one of their regular reporter as well as international news agencies like Reuters, AFP, AP, UPI and others covering a wide range of topics such as environment, human rights, politics, peace process, agriculture, agrarian reform and many more . Take note: my daily schedule is writing in the morning and the afternoon before going to UP to attend my classes in the evening. Then I go home where I read the assignments for the following day during the almost two hours trip of the bus going to Las Pinas. In between my work and classes, I still go hiking with my friends called the Squakings or SKWAKSIn August23, 1997 i was kidnapped  which i wrote in my piece "Face to Face with Crime"  “SIGE, tumakbo ka na ng mabilis at huwag kang lilingon at baka barilin pa kita (Run, Run fast and don’t turn back or I’ll shoot you).” The words could be apart of a movie script, but these were in fact words of my abductors . To me, words of freedom.

In April 1999, i am officially Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho, the lawyer,  after the Supreme Court posted the successful passers. I chronicled my experience in taking the 1998 bar exams in "Notes in Bar Exams."

 

Presidents of the University of the Philippines

Murray S. Bartlett, 1911-1915

Ignacio B. Villamor, 1915-1921

Guy Potter Wharton Benton, 1921-1925

Rafael V. Palma, 1925-1933

Jorge Bocobo, 1934-1939

Bienvenido Ma. González, 1939–1943, 1945-1951

Antonio Sison, 1943-1945

Vidal A. Tan, 1951-1956

Enrique Virata, 1956-1958

Vicente G. Sinco, 1958-1962

Carlos P. Romulo, 1962-1968

Salvador P. Lopez, 1969-1975

Onofre D. Corpuz, 1975-1979

Emmanuel V. Soriano, 1979-1981

Edgardo J. Angara, 1981-1987

Jose V. Abueva, 1987-1993

Emil Q. Javier, 1993-1999

Francisco Nemenzo, Jr., 1999-2005

Emerlinda R. Roman, 2005–2011

Alfredo E. Pascual, 2011–present

Oblation's real model is not FPJ's father..

National Artist Guillermo Tolentino (center)  with Esteban Caedo (left) and Prof. Anastacio  Caedo (right). 

We have heard this  story before, and perhaps even helped spread them.  Upperclassmen have passed on these tales to gullible, innocent freshmen. A classmate heard it from another classmate, who then told you, and perhaps you told another. But is there any truth to these stories?

The model for the Oblation is the father of the late action star. 

The Oblation is a concrete statue by Filipino artist Guillermo E. Tolentino which serves as the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines. It depicts a man facing upward with arms outstretched, symbolizing selfless offering of oneself to his country. The concrete sculpture painted to look like bronze, measures 3.5 meters in height, symbolizing the 350 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines

If you are an Isko, perhaps the most common name a person hears when he or she is asked who modeled for the Oblation—Fernando Poe Sr. People faced with this question, reply in varying tones, ranging from the certain, “Yung tatay ni Fernando Poe Jr.” (the father of Fernando Poe Jr.) to the unsure, “Sabi si Fernando Poe Sr. daw” (people say it was allegedly Fernando Poe Sr.). Poe Sr. was a UP student around the time the Oblation was being created by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino who was then a professor at the UP School of Fine Arts. No one knows for sure how the rumor started, but speculation about his involvement in the creation of the prominent UP landmark remains to this day. 

 

His name may be the most popular answer but other names come up, too. And researches revealed that oblation's model was  Fine Arts Prof. Anastacio Caedo, who was Tolentino’s student assistant at the time. He has to share the credit, however, with Virgilio Raymundo, brother of Paz Raymundo Tolentino, the creator’s wife. Tolentino combined Caedo’s physique with Raymundo’s proportion and – voila! – The Oblation was born. This is according to the book written and designed by the late UP Diliman College of Fine Arts (UPD CFA) Prof. Rodolfo Paras-Perez titled Tolentino.

 

The idea for the Oblation was first conceived during the presidency of Rafael Palma, who was the one to commission Tolentino to make the sculpture. Palma requested that the statue would be based on the second verse of Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios;

“

In fields of battle, deliriously fighting, Others give you their lives, without doubt, without regret; Where there’s cypress, laurel or lily, On a plank or open field, in combat or cruel martyrdom, If the home or country asks, it's all the same--it matters not.

The sculpture is replete with references of selfless dedication and service to the nation, and as Tolentino himself describes it;

“

The completely nude figure of a young man with outstretched arms and open hands, with tilted head, closed eyes and parted lips murmuring a prayer, with breast forward in the act of offering himself, is my interpretation of that sublime stanza. It symbolizes all the unknown heroes who fell during the night. The statue stands on a rustic base, a stylized rugged shape of the Philippine archipelago, lined with big and small hard rocks, each of which represents an island. The “katakataka” (wonder plant) whose roots are tightly implanted on Philippine soil, is the link that binds the symbolized figure to the allegorical Philippine Group. “Katakataka” is really a wonder plant. It is called siempre vivo (always alive) in Spanish. A leaf or a piece of it thrown anywhere will sprout into a young plant. Hence, it symbolizes the deep-rooted patriotism in the heart of our heroes. Such patriotism continually and forever grows anywhere in the Philippines.

”

(Portion of the article lifted from The UP Newsletter - March 2012 - (Vol xxxiii Issue 3) Tales from UP Diliman: fact or fiction?)

Taking UP Oblation's picture a restricted/prohibited act?

I almost got into a heated argument  with the security-in-charge at the UP Admin bldg when they tried to stop us from taking this photo as he said that it is prohibited to take such photo. I answered back with an irritated voice "Graduate ako ng UP twice: School of Econ and College of Law. This is my university. You cannot stop me."

The security personnel sort of panicked when i begun raising my voice  and said that i am a lawyer  especialy when i asked the reason. His answer  "basta bawal" or it is just prohibited.  

After posting said picture in my facebook account. a discussion ensued and someone said there was indeed an order restricting/ prohibiting picture taking of oblation,  I  guess they will use the  "trademark" argument as their rationale for the prohibition  but that runs counter to the "academic freedom" that we are so proud of as UP graduates. In the first place,  i will use the photo for my personal use'

my  oble photo taken in early 90s during my collegian days

I found out in the internet that  On 4 August 2006. UP President  EMERLINDA R. ROMAN issued Administrative Order No. PERR-06-55:  "Trademark over the Name University of the Philippines, the Official UP Logo and the Oblation" which states:

      "The UP name and seal is now a registered trademark exclusively belonging to the University of the Philippines.The name “University of the Philippines”, the official logo of theUniversity of the Philippines, the Oblation or any derivative of these marks are registered trademarks of the University of the Philippines.
        To protect its goodwill, the UP shall actively prosecute any person or entity engaged in any commercial transaction involving any product containing these marks not covered by any licensing agreement dulyapproved by the University of the Philippines.
       No UP unit, academic or non-academic personnel shall be allowed to use or purchase any product bearing our registered trademarks from unauthorized sources. This includes “blue books”, examinationbooklets, t-shirts, wearing apparel, bags, hats, pens, pencils, stickers, et al.
       Duly recognized student, academic and administrative organizations may continue to use UP name and logo in accordance with existing guidelines. However, the commercialization of any product bearing these registered marks must be covered by the proper license agreements. Other organizations wishing to use the name and logo of the University of the Philippines shall apply for accreditation with the Vice President for Development.
       The Vice President for Legal Affairs by himself or, at his discretion, through any of the legal offices in any constituent university, is authorized to commence and prosecute the proper administrative, civil and criminal actions necessary to protect the goodwill of the University of the Philippines. Application for licenses shall be addressed to the Vice President for Development. The Office of the President shall approve all licensing agreements."

   

          When i researched further on this aspect, i looked into the website of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)  and found out that two registration certificates for  the "oblation" trademark were issued to UP. The first was issued on April 28, 2006 covering serviced under class 41 (EDUCATIONAL SERVICES) but was later cancelled by the IPO. Then UP refiled .it in July 1, 2009 now covering more classes, to wit, 41 ( EDUCATIONAL SERVICES) and 16 (BOOKS, BLUEBOOKS, PAMPHLET, JOURNALS, STICKERS).The registration certificate was issued on July 16, 2010.

      In the first cancelled  registration, the oblation was described as " A NUDE YOUNG MAN, HEAD GAZING UPWARD AND ARMS OUTSTRETCHED IN QUIET OFFERING." On the other hand, the new issued registration, oblation was more specifically described as " A COMPLETELY NUDE FIGURE OF A YOUNG MAN WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARMS AND OPEN HANDS, WITH TILTED HEAD, CLOSED EYES AND PARTED LIPS MURMURING A PRAYER, WITH BREAST FORWARD IN THE ACT OF OFFERING HIMSELF."


            Section 22 of the Trademark Law holds a person liable for infringement when, among others, he "uses without the consent of the registrant, any reproduction, counterfeit; copy or colorable imitation of any registered mark or tradename in connection with the sale, offering for sale, or advertising of any goods, business or services or in connection with which such use is likely to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive purchasers or others as to the source or origin of such goods or services, or identity of such business; or reproduce, counterfeit, copy or colorably imitate any such mark or tradename and apply such reproduction, counterfeit, copy or colorable imitation to labels, signs, prints, packages, wrappers, receptacles or advertisements intended to be used upon or in connection with such goods, business or services."

  
     Thus, i think the security personnel should be "debriefed" that picture taking of oble per se is not prohibited but the " commercial transaction involving any product containing the marks not covered by any licensing agreement duly
approved by the University of the Philippines."

After doing some more  research in the web, i also chanced upon this posting on legal issues of photography http://www.photosecrets.com/can-i-take-this-photo.html

"The are no general laws against taking photos. Photography is considered an artistic expression which, if anything, is protected not prohibited.

The laws that do affect photographers are mostly about the subject of the photo. The laws are there to defend the subject’s property and prevent you from “stealing” what is valuable to someone else.

The property in question can be: a person’s image and reputation (privacy); artwork (copyright); business reputation (trademark); land (trespassing). We know that you don’t intend to steal someone’s property, we just want to make sure that you do so inadvertently.

Private Property

You can photograph whatever you can freely see. If the public is allowed to enter, then you can take photographs. This includes shopping malls, the lobbies of office buildings, parks, and shops. If a place is open to the public then permission to enter (and thus photograph) is assumed. However, that permission can be revoked. If you are asked to leave and do not, you are then trespassing, which is a separate issue.

What if someone says not to shoot?

They don’t have a legal right to stop you from taking photographs, and they can’t threaten you or demand your camera. Only law enforcement officers (and officers of the court) can do that, and only with a court order or while making an arrest. Anyone else can be charged with a variety of things such as coercion, harassment, conversion, false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault, violation of constitutional rights, or theft. The only thing a private security person can do is ask you to leave the premises.

“In general, it is unlawful for anyone to instill a fear that they may injure you, damage or take your property, or falsely accuse you of a crime just becuase you are taking photographs.”
—The Photographer’s Right, by Bert P. Krages II

What if a mall security guard says to stop taking photos?

This comes down to photographing and trespassing being two different things. If a private security guard asks you to stop taking photos, you do not have to comply; you can still take photos. But if they ask you leave, then you have to leave, as your permission to enter has been revoked and you are now trespassing. However, you can take photos while walking out, and you can still publish those pictures. 

Perhaps a reaction on this issue, i recently saw a posting  dated  April 5, 2011 at the  UP website which says:

"Non-commercial picture-taking at UP Diliman allowed

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

You are free to have your picture or video taken at any landmark of UP Diliman (including the Oblation statue in front of Quezon Hall). The only time you will need a written permit from the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) is if your photograph or footage is for "commercial use." In this case, you have to write a letter to OVCCA at least two days before your photo or video"