“Writing about the heritage of UP Diliman (UPD) is to bring out those things that have made and continue to make the UP soul, which gave the nation so much, in terms of knowledge and its applications to society,” said Dr. Ferdinand Llanes, chair of UPD’s Department of History. He was referring to the department’s book project on the Diliman campus, papers from which were presented in a forum titled, “UP Diliman as Heritage to the Nation,” at the Faculty Center (FC) on August 28. The presentation was part of the History Week celebration and, according to Llanes, would help polish the publication.
An aerial image of the UP Diliman campus taken from Google Earth
Prof. Digna Apilado (History) talked about the lay of the land; Prof. Rene Mata (Architecture), foundations and structures; Prof. Paulo Alcazaren (Architecture), the campus plan; Dr. Ricardo Jose (History), monuments/memorials to people and historic events; Dr. Ma. Luisa Camagay (History), everyday life in UP; Dr. Jose Magpantay (Physics), science and technology; Prof. Gerardo Lucena (Art Studies), symbolic expressions and the times; and Prof. Herman Joseph Kraft (Political Science), leadership in the service of the nation.
Apilado narrated how the campus site went from an agricultural area that was part of Marikina during the Spanish period to its present state. President Manuel L. Quezon wanted to create a new capitol city and decided that UP be integrated into the plan. The academic oval and the main streets were the first to be constructed. Students planted acacia trees around the oval. When World War II broke out, the Japanese and American soldiers used the campus as a base. Plans for the capitol site changed and was moved farther northwest. Because of this, the construction of Commonwealth Avenue bisected the campus.
Dr. Meliton Juanico of the Department of Geography, the reactor to Apilado’s paper, asked: Does the green environment in UP also nourish intellectual curiosity? Has the physical lay-out made us more united, socially cohesive, and intellectually interactive? Has it made Thoreaus or Emersons out of us?
Mata explored the idea of UPD as a cultural landscape, where “culture is the agent and natural area is the medium.” As an example, he cited the vernacular houses in the campus. Dr. Jaime Veneracion, in his reaction, concurred with Mata’s proposal to emphasize the importance of the UPD landscape and its structures to the history of the University and the country.
Adding to what was presented by Apilado, Alcazaren said that American universities were the model for the planning of UPD. He pointed out that there were around six plans for the campus—none which were fully implemented. UPD Campus Architect Gerard Lico, Alcazaren’s reactor, said that UPD was a “test lab for architectural experimentations—the hyperbolic paraboloid [Church of the Risen Lord], the first thin-shell construction in the form of the saucer-shaped [Church of the Holy Sacrifice], the folded plate International Center, etc.”
Jose discussed the naming of buildings and streets to keep certain events and persons in the collective memory of people and instill “a sense of historical memory and national consciousness.” He lamented that the UP community has taken these memorials for granted. Prof. Ma. Mercedes Planta of the Department of History said this reflected “how we see ourselves as an institution and a community of scholars.”
Camagay spoke of how UPD was lush, serene, and in the middle of nowhere during the early years. The norm inside the campus was walking. UPD had monthly socials and the cadena de amor. Her reactor, Dr. Evelyn Miranda of the Department of History, recalled that monthly socials were a requirement to pass Euthenics 1 under Prof. Ursula Clemente. Couples were not allowed to dance too close, much less “cheek to cheek.”
Magpantay briefly talked about the various UPD units involved in science and technology. He said that in the 1960s and 1970s, research took a back seat to nationalism. Had UP developed its culture of research early, its nationalism would have been a more potent force in the development of industries. Magpantay’s reactor, Prof. Agerico de Villa of the Department of Philosophy, talked about control over one’s destiny as the foundation of scholarship.
“UPD is a repository of diverse artistic forms and expressions,” said Lucena. Prof. Clod Marlan Krister Yambao of the Department of Arts Studies added that UPD is a living museum, where students, scholars, and art interact.
The eighth and last presentation was given by Kraft, who admitted difficulty in determining how the University has led the country’s development, given that the UP Charter specified that the University’s role lies in the development of future leaders and in leadership in higher education development. Kraft’s reactor, Dr. Jorge Tigno of the Department of Political Science, noticed that there was rarely an academic who “felt at home in politics and in political leadership.”
The book on UPD’s heritage is set to be released later this year or early next year, according to Llanes.
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