Paving the way for the UP Centennial:
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In 2008, the University of the Philippines turns 100.

At the flagship campus that is UP Diliman (UPD), eight major activities are underway to guarantee that the campus marks UP’s centenary with utmost excitement. These projects not only underscore the UPD’s cultural and academic legacy but also highlight its natural and physical resources.

These undertakings are achievable in partnership with UPD stakeholders—the alumni, faculty, students, staff and friends of UPD that include government, religious and corporate leaders.

Luntiang Lagusan: To generate a welcoming UP spirit, promote campus civility and showcase UPD as an environmentally friendly and ecologically sound campus, the University Avenue will be part of the “pedestrianization” plan of UP, giving emphasis to well lighted and well defined sidewalks that would encourage walking and interaction among individuals.

Landscaping projects will be in place along the stretch of the 8-lane boulevard, the main campus gateway. Included in the plan are the rejuvenation of the University Flower Seal, and the planting of flora to transform the triangular area at the junction of Commonwealth and University Avenues into an ecological park on campus.

Tuloy Po Kayo: Portals in five key access points to the campus will be constructed to provide constituents and guests a welcoming atmosphere as they enter university grounds. The gateways will be equipped with speed tables—slightly elevated pavements with embedded designs to define pedestrian lanes and crossings. Along with these gates, security outpost will be constructed to ensure safety and security of the university.

Hagdanang Hardin: To complement the prevailing green at the Academic Oval, particularly in the Sunken Garden Area, colorful ornamental plants will be placed on three specific points of the Sunken Garden i.e., fronting Benitez Hall, Malcolm Hall and the Grandstand area. Concrete steps will also be constructed to accentuate the Sunken Garden as a well thought out recreational area and park. To be known as Hagdanang Hardin, the Sunken Garden Steps seek to bolster the prominence of UPD as a heritage site, enhance the importance of the Sunken Garden as an ecological site and foreground the rich cultural resources of the University.

The Steps will add to the growing venues to serve for cultural happenings on campus. The Steps will have seven levels that can seat a total of 200 people.

Gabay sa Gabi: UP Diliman’s six pioneer buildings:
Benitez Hall, Gonzalez Hall, Palma Hall, Malcolm Hall, Melchor Hall and Quezon Hall will be illuminated as major commemorative structures in the University’s centenary. By accenting the pioneer buildings, these heritage structures are reclaimed from obscurity— highlighting their architectural forms thereby pleasantly transforming the campus core at night.

The buildings are actually of great import to the University’s early and continuing legacy, and as heralds of Philippine modern architecture.


Patalastas, Atbp. : To provide an aesthetic and technical solution to accommodate a number of large promotional streamers and still achieve a unified, orderly and pleasing visual presentation of UP events, billboards along the University Avenue and Vinzons Hall will be rehabilitated, including the implementation of new regulations governing their use for campus event promotion.

Policies will be adopted and enforced by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs and the UPDIO to regulate the use of the billboards.

Plaza Diliman: The area fronting the University Library, including the existing road, the covered walkways and the slopes now planted to bamboo and trees will be reinvented to give way to the University Piazza, an area ideal for promenade and people convergence, both informal and formal.

The steep slope fronting the building will allow for a structure extending the Library’s frontage through an open lounge area suitable for outdoor performances. Underneath will be a restaurant and an internet café.

The plaza is conceptualized as a locus for study, learning, reflection and intellectual exchange as well as a sanctuary of culture and urban rejuvenation. It will have minimal site intervention with special lighting facilities for use at night.

Kampus Suburbia: A campus tour on foot showcasing representative types of housing units is intended to relive the 950s vintage flavor of the University, the time when it moved from Manila to Diliman.

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. The tour will also accentuate the people that continue to reside in the area and who have earned recognition in their respective fields. Through time, many university officials, academic leaders and visionaries, including three national artists and two national scientists, lived in the area.

A sawali type housing will be faithfully reconstructed along F. Agoncillo St. in Area as a museum of mementos and artifacts related to housing. In the construction of the museum, suitable materials will be used to simulate the texture of a sawali house to ensure safety against fire and other hazards.

Bulwagan ng Dangal: The project aims to capture in audio-visual form the history of UP Diliman as a repository of natural and cultural treasures. Composed of six components, this project will convert the basement of the Gonzalez Hall into an exhibition hall that will showcase the University’s history in a combined diorama and multimedia forms, paintings and sculptures, memorabilia, video and film clips and audio-visual presentations.

Isang Siglo, Isang Sigla—the centerpiece of the Centennial Exhibitions, featuring dioramas of landmark events, places and traditions in the history of the University, some of which are the Exodus from Padre Faura to Diliman, the First Quarter Storm, the Lantern Parade, Cadena de Amor and the first commencement exercises at the Lagoon.

Kasaysayan at Kaugalian—a multimedia exhibit of lights and sound, tracing the University’s history and traditions in a montage of stills, newspaper clippings, news reels, film, video and audio clips in a soundproof room to accommodate at most 50 people.

Talino at Talento—the University Walls of Fame, located at the right wing of the Heritage Hall, will feature a portrait gallery in honor of the National Artists and National Scientists with UP affiliation, either as alumni, faculty, or having accomplished projects for the university. It is a testimony to UP’s excellence that 9 out of the 57 National Artists, and 8 out of the 9 National Scientists are associated with the University of the Philippines.

The Wall of Fame is envisioned to be a dark room exhibit. Undulating walls surrounding a central control room will render visual pleasure, creating the atmosphere of a modern museum at par with leading galleries around the world. Installed on the walls are the lighted portraits in Dura Trans film. Several units of touch screen LCD will allow viewers to access video and audio files highlighting the artists and scientists work. The files will be ready for viewing upon the dropping of tokens that can be obtained from the gates or the souvenir shops.

Aklatan at Alaala—the Storage Room found in the basement and adjacent to the Filipiniana Serial Room will be transformed into a showcase of the binding process used by the University Library through the years. It will exhibit vintage tools and machines and a host of library memorabilia, card catalog boxes, wooden shelves with stacks of old books and periodicals. A library walking tour showcasing this part of academia will be designed.

Hagod at Hubog—the Filipiniana Serial Room found in the right wing of the basement will be converted into a full-blown gallery featuring the works of the deans of the College of Fine Arts, the oldest academic unit in UPD. All CFA deans are prominent names in Philippine Art, four of whom are National Artists.

Sulyap—there will be a series of small exhibits all year round to be installed at the central foyer following selected themes and concerns relevant to the centennial celebration, e.g., Portrait Gallery of UPD Chancellors, the University Student Council, the Philippine Collegian through the years.

Samu’t Sari—to generate income to help maintain the exhibitions, a souvenir shop will be installed at the central foyer of the basement of the University Library. Two satellite shops will also be set up, one at the entrance, the other at the exit of the exhibition hall.

Handog sa Alma Mater—alumni support will be harnessed to improve campus pavements around the Academic Oval. The project will also support UPD’s intention to keep a sylvan campus with limited access to motorists.

The pavements will be improved using the modular concept where an alumni can buy a unit measuring x feet at a minimal cost. The modules will be designed in such a manner that the donors’ names are inscribed alongside with leaf motif in the pavement. The random placement ensures that the names will not be stepped on, that they will be read by those walking along the Academic Oval. The leaf motif signifies that the alumni remain rooted in their alma mater.

(Career Campus Asia Edition)