DELA CERNA
Last Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 was the last day of the Oblation fronting the administration building of the University of the Philippines Cebu which was declared a heritage building by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on Dec. 2, 2010 then headed by Ambeth Ocampo. It will be replaced with the “real” Oblation, meaning the same image as the rest of the Oblation statues in the other UP campuses. Diliman officials have been joking about how it looked different. Some UP alumni countered the joke with “Maybe the Oblation looks more Bisaya.” The old Oblation will be located in front of one of the academic buildings in the UP Cebu campus.
The replacement of Oblation is only one of the physical preparations for the centennial celebration of UP Cebu this year. UP Cebu was established on May 3, 1918 per resolution of the Provincial Board and was originally known as the Junior College and through the years the name changed nine times.
In the early 1970’s when I started teaching in UP Cebu specifically in the High School, classes were still held in the second floor of the administration building with the Undergraduate and High School students taking turns using the classrooms. The Oblation was the first to greet any new student and even children and grandchildren of teachers would ask about the naked man standing and stretching his arms in front of the school. This was how they got their first lessons on the icon of freedom in UP.
The Oblation stirred the high school students’ curiosity that one afternoon a group of first year students was called to the principal’s office to explain why they were late for their afternoon class. They explained that they were climbing the Oblation and tried to reach the Oblation and touch its groin to check if it’s alive.
A square was later built in front of the Oblation and it became the venue for protests ranging from candle lighting ceremony to cultural performances and draping the Oblation (to the horror of some alumni who believe that the Oblation should not be touched).
January 26 also was the induction of the new Board of Directors of the UP Alumni Association Cebu Chapter with Chancellor of UP Cebu Atty. Liza D. Corro. Chancellor presented to the new board the centennial activities of UP Cebu with Prof. Palmy Tudtud, the Centennial Committee Chairperson.
After the brief courtesy call with the Chancellor, the new board gathered at the LRC to map out plans that will complement with the UP Cebu’s activities.
Towards the end of 2017 when the previous board’s term was ending and it could not meet, as one of the mainstays of the alumni board, I took the liberty of inviting thirteen UP Cebu alumni of different fields to compose the next board in time for the centennial of UP Cebu this year and the centennial of the UP Alumni Association Cebu Chapter in 2020. I am very grateful to the thirteen who readily accepted the invitation to make both centennials significant.
The UP Alumni Association Cebu Chapter Board of Directors for 2018-2020 is composed of: Atty. Ria Lidia Espina (President), Barbette Barbon-Lominoque (Vice – Pres.), Monica Manluluyo (Secretary) with Jae Mari Magdadaro as Asst. Sec., Atty. Jay Pujanes (Treasurer), Jeruel Roa (Pro), and the other Members of the Board are: Mark Leo Chang, Magnolia Ariza-Laus, Annabelle Gilla-Maglasang, Randy Cabahug, Nasvin del Rosario, Roberto Amor Jr., Dr. Leodinito Cañete with the mainstays of the Chapter Jerah Gumalal, Dr. Lelani Echaves-Paredes, Dr. Madrileña de la Cerna.
A grand homecoming is slated on May 1, 2018 which will also launch the nominees for the 2018 “Tatak UP” whose recognition will take place in December. “Tatak UP” started in 2011 and handled by the “Tatak UP” Committee is a major program of the Alumni board and this is handled by the Tatak UP Committee.
Another major program of the UP alumni board is the continuing education of the alumni and the community through a series of lecture-fora with UP alumni experts as resource persons. One interesting activity of the board is the compilation of one hundred stories of the one hundred years of UP Cebu, stories ranging from love stories, horror stories, heroic stories, adventure stories, politically related stories, stories of trailblazers, etc. Please send any of the above stories either to the board or through the facebook page of the UP Cebu alumni.
The subsequent columns will be updates on the forthcoming centennial activities of UP Cebu.