A sawali house to rekindle memories of a bygone era.
What better time to come home than to celebrate a milestone. This early, UP Diliman is already preparing for the influx of alumni who are sure to pay a visit to the campus to help celebrate the University’s centennial starting January 2008.
In addition to the undertakings being planned by the various academic units, the UPD administration has lined up projects that will not only highlight UP’s cultural and academic legacy but are also geared toward effecting a sense of nostalgia.
Well underway is Kampus Suburbia, a walking tour that will showcase representative types of housing units on campus such as the pioneer house, the Dutch House, the UNESCO House and the sawali house, among others. The tour seeks to relive the flavor of campus life in the 1950s, when the University moved from Padre Faura to Diliman. A joint project of the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA) and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA), Kampus Suburbia will allow the public a rare glimpse into the lifestyle of some of the most esteemed members of the faculty who have influenced Philippine culture and society.
Area 1 has been chosen for the tour mainly because many of the representative housing units that first dotted the campus are located in the area. Through time, many university officials, academic leaders and visionaries lived there, including three national artists and two national scientists, namely: National Artists Dr. José Maceda, Jovita Fuentes and NVM Gonzalez and National Scientists José Encarnación and José Velasco.
To complete the building typography in the area, a sawali house will be reconstructed along F. Agoncillo St. as a museum of mementos and artifacts related to mid-century lifestyle. Dr. Gerard Lico, principal designer of the sawali house, stressed that in the construction of the museum, they will try to faithfully recreate the structure using similar materials as the original, particularly those that were salvaged from the Supply and Property Management Office like doors and fixtures. And owing to the nature of the material, sawali will be treated with a fire retardant solution to ensure safety against fire and other hazards.
Without any existing building plan to base their work on, Lico and his team made a survey of existing and intact sawali houses on campus to enable them to come up with the detailed architectural drawings and site development plan. Some sections of the original structure, on the other hand, were modified to make the building suitable to the need of a sawali house cum museum. The dirty kitchen, for example, will be converted into the Centennial Gift Shop, while one of the bedrooms will be used as an exhibition gallery.
To depict the lifestyle of the 1950s and furnish the interior, the project proponents are soliciting accoutrements of the decade such as furniture, fashion, music and décor. The drive is open to all interested parties and will run until January 2008. Those who wish to donate may get in touch with OICA at 928-1928. Donations in any form will be appreciated and all donors will be properly acknowledged.
Lico is glad to say that Kampus Suburbia is turning out to be a real community effort. The residents in Area 1 are very enthusiastic about the project, and on their own, had started to face-lift the façade of their structures. Many former residents had also signified their intentions to help, pledging their cooperation though they are now living in different parts of the globe.
The forthcoming centennial will be a perfect opportunity to come back to the campus alumni called home for several years and to relive the university experience. Whether they lived on campus most of their lives or spent their college years within its grounds, UP alumni will always have a cherished memory of UP in their hearts.
—Shirley S. Arandia