[EXPLAINER] All you need to know about the 2025 UP Cebu Oblation Run
![[EXPLAINER] All you need to know about the 2025 UP Cebu Oblation Run](https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/files/2025/12/5e06fa54-299e-4052-ae73-2a58ff831fd5-1024x534.jpeg)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Oblation Run, a long-running tradition of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity, will return to the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu on December 16, 2025, as part of the fraternity’s centennial observance.
Known for combining theatrical nudity with civic advocacy, the run calls attention to issues of governance, environmental accountability, and the protection of academic freedoms.
Details about the event, including its advocacies and logistics, were provided by APO, with support from the UP Cebu University Student Council.
A Tradition Steeped in History
The Oblation Run began in 1977 during Martial Law imposed by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., when APO members at UP Diliman staged the first run to protest the banning of the film Hubad na Bayani (Naked Hero), which portrayed human rights abuses under the Marcos regime.
The film, directed by Robert Arevalo, explores peasant revolts, cult organizations, talismans, and struggles for socio-economic reform.
It follows the story of Ruben, a peasant who hopes to save enough money to support his sick mother’s treatment, his sister Pilar’s education, and his planned marriage to Luisa.
Landowners and loan sharks exploit and victimize Ruben and his family, crushing their aspirations.
In response to the ban, APO members ran unclothed along a designated campus route, carrying placards and handing out red roses.
APO said the nudity symbolizes the ‘naked truth’ that students must expose and represents their selfless offering to the nation, reflecting the ideals of the university’s Oblation statue.
The red roses came to symbolize bravery, activism, and love of country.
Over the years, the tradition spread across UP campuses nationwide, including UP Cebu, and evolved into a “non-partisan platform” for student-led advocacy.
It has since served as a highly visual form of protest intended to spark discussion on social and political issues within and beyond university spaces.
READ: ‘No to Cha Cha’ in UP Fair and Oblation Run
The Hiatus and Continued Service
APO confirmed that it held the last Oblation Run at UP Cebu in March 2019 and did not stage the event in the years that followed due to a combination of factors.
Changes to the academic calendar brought by the K–12 transition affected campus activities, while the COVID-19 pandemic suspended large in-person gatherings.
In December 2021, Typhoon Odette further shifted the fraternity’s focus toward disaster response and recovery efforts.
According to APO, fraternity activities during this period centered on relief operations rather than campus-based demonstrations.
Through APO Central Visayas Administrative Region, APO Philippines Incorporated, and the APO Global Foundation, members provided assistance to affected communities in Cebu and other parts of the country.
The fraternity said it did not retreat from advocacy during the absence of the Oblation Run, but shifted how it carried out service and engagement.
READ: UP Cebu condemns vandalism on campus facade
Advocacy at the Forefront
The return of the Oblation Run in 2025 coincides with APO’s centennial and highlights the advocacies that APO chapters across the UP System are emphasizing.
As confirmed on their Facebook page, other chapters have already staged their runs this month and in recent weeks, including the following:
- UP Los Baños (Theta Chapter) on Nov. 28;
- UP Clark (Omicron Chapter) on Dec. 2;
- UP Mindanao (Lambda Nu Chapter) on Dec. 5;
- UP Tacloban (Theta Zeta Chapter) on Dec. 10;
- UP Baguio (Gamma Pi Chapter) on Dec. 12; and
- UP Manila (Iota Eta Chapter) on Dec. 12.
Upcoming runs will be held at UP Cebu (Zeta Omega Chapter) and UP Iloilo (Kappa Gamma Chapter) on Dec. 16, and at UP Diliman (Eta Chapter) on Dec. 17.
The fraternity said the Oblation Run in UP Cebu will focus on environmental accountability, transparency in governance, and the protection of academic spaces.
Environmental accountability highlights concerns over ecological degradation, land use, and coastal development.
Transparency in governance centers on calls for openness in public transactions and stronger anti-corruption mechanisms.
The protection of academic spaces underscores the importance of academic freedom and safe environments for student expression, campus journalism, and research.
APO reiterated that participants should not treat the run as a spectacle.
Moreover, the fraternity limited participation to full-fledged members, and pledges and neophytes are not required to take part.
How APO and UP Cebu Will Stage the Oblation Run
The Oblation Run is scheduled to take place between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. on December 16 inside the UP Cebu grounds.
According to the student council, they will support the APO-led event through information dissemination and by providing marshals during the Oblation Run.
Media and spectators should observe designated viewing areas and respect student spaces and privacy.
Coverage will stay within designated areas such as the Oblation Square, and organizers will restrict access to the roads used by runners for safety.
APO also asked media organizations to exercise caution in publishing photographs, including blurring faces or avoiding the use of full names.
The fraternity said the Oblation Run event is fully compliant with campus regulations.
READ: UP oblation run resumes after a 3-year hiatus
The Significance of the Oblation Run
UP Cebu University Student Council said the issues raised by the Oblation Run remain relevant to the current campus and local conditions.
Councilor John Thaddeus Rapisora of the student council said the run comes amid continuing concerns over corruption, disaster response, and academic freedom.
Rapisora cited what he described as state neglect in the aftermath of recent earthquakes and typhoons affecting Cebu, as well as threats to student expression linked to police presence and red-tagging near the campus.
While the Oblation Run itself is brief, organizers intend it to prompt sustained public discussion and engagement beyond the event.
The fraternity has described the Oblation Run as “rooted in the spirit of civic participation and accountability associated with the UP Oblation statue” and “a non-partisan advocacy focused on promoting discussion of social issues through peaceful expression within UP campuses nationwide.”
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