JanFebMar08 UPdate

Fireworks, festivities and a symbolic flame. The University of the Philippines celebrated its centennial with a spectacle worthy of the 100-year wait.

Eight days into 2008, the University opened its centennial year celebrations with UP officials, faculty members, students and alumni flocking to witness a mammoth motorcade to UP Diliman (UPD), the administrative seat of the UP System.

The motorcade started at 10 a.m. at the UP Manila campus in Padre Faura. It was joined by contingents from other constituent universities of the UP System (UPS) and arrived at the University Avenue at around 4 p.m.

As early as 2 p.m. the Oblation Plaza infront of Quezon Hall was already abuzz with voices from exhilarated alumni, many of whom came home from abroad to witness the year-long celebrations. Traffic at UPD had to be rerouted to accommodate the huge crowds.

As soon as the contingents (with the UP Baguio contingent dressed in their traditional Igorot regalia) finally gathered infront of the Oblation Plaza, helicopters courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) hovered down and scattered confetti, flower petals and even balloons, garnering thunderous applause with every swoop.

By far, the highlight of the event was the sky-diving exhibition from the AFP’s Special Action Force and the Philippine National Police. The sky-divers leapt out bearing banners emblazoned with the names and seals of the different UP constituent units (CUs), glided down with precision and landed on the open field beside Plaridel Hall.

Throughout the day, the pop song “UP Ang Galing Mo,” especially composed for the centennial, blared from speakers while projectors flashed the activities live on four giant screens placed at the Oblation Plaza and the University Avenue.

Under the expert hands of Prof. Jerry Dadap, one of the first carilloneurs of the University, the newly-restored Carillon rang across the air throughout the celebrations.

Rolling thunder. The low but undeniable rumble of the army helicopter’s engines was
a sign of things to come later in the year, holding the UP crowd in thrall as it prepared
to scatter confetti during the formal centennial launch on January 8 infront of the
Oblation Plaza. Later, a team of sky-divers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines
and the Philippine National Police flew down, bearing banners of the seven constituent
universities of the UP System (inset).

As the parade ended, 100 kwitis rocketed to the sky to signal the start of the program infront of the Oblation Plaza. Torches were then carried around the 22-kilometer Academic Oval by 100 alumni, officials and students, accompanied by a 100-gun salute from the UP Rifle Team. The torch relay ended in the lighting of the centennial cauldron in front of the Oblation Plaza.

The first torch-bearer was Civil Engineer Fernando Javier from Baguio, an alumnus (Batch 1933) who turned 100 years old on December 22, 2007. The 100th torch-bearer was President Emerlinda R. Román, who ignited the centennial cauldron with the centennial torch.

Without the aid of a cane, Javier walked the entire length of the Academic Oval together with other torch-bearers.

“I am really glad that I’m still alive to witness this. I’m proud and elated that I will join UP again,” Javier said in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer before the kick-off ceremonies. He had been a civil servant, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, an engineering professor in Afghanistan and Korea and an environment worker in Guam.

Among the prominent alumni who enthusiastically participated in the event were broadcast journalist Che-Che Lazaro, music master Ryan Cayabyab, senators Franklin Drilon and Richard Gordon and Commission on Higher Education chairman Romulo Neri.

Joel Ajero, a 1969 Chemical Engineering graduate, designed the cauldron that holds the centennial flame. It stands on three legs representing the three core values of the University: excellence, service and leadership. Adorning the base is a vine that bears seven flowers representing the seven CUs. After lighting the centennial flame, Román declared the UP centennial year open.

The crowd then sang UP Naming Mahal and was afterwards invited to the Amphitheater for a concert organized by UPD. It featured the UP Madrigal Singers, UP Pep Squad, UP Jazz Orchestra, UP Concert Chorus, UP Symphonic Orchestra, UP Symphonic Band, Ryan Cayabyab and Nanette Inventor. A grand fireworks display, sponsored by the Beta Epsilon fraternity, capped the night.

Lighting the way