The Oblation comes to Clark

Look how far P10,000 can go. Pledged by 150 alumni of the University of the Philippines, the amount has grown to P1.5 million in a year. And as planned, it is going to be used to sculpt the Oblation, the iconic symbol of the state university, for its campus at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga.

The timeline for the project spans 33 years, said Pio Manuelito Muego, chair of the UP Iskolar ng Bayan chapter in Pampanga, during Saturday’s launch of the “150 Pillars of the Oblation.”

The dream to put up the statue, he said, is linked to the search for a permanent campus.

This started in 1979 when UP, at the request of Gov. Juanita Nepomuceno and later Gov. Estelito Mendoza, established the UP extension program at the old Pampanga High School (PHS) campus in the capital, San Fernando. UP had maintained a cultural exchange program with the US Air Force in 1953.

Mt. Pinatubo’s lahar flows in 1995 swamped the PHS campus, setting off the quest for a safe campus for UP.

From the bleachers of the covered stadium of the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex, also in San Fernando, the campus was moved to the barracks of the Philippine Air Force in Clark. In 1999, it was transferred to a warehouse refitted with walls and ceilings.

In 2007, the national government, through Clark Development Corp., assigned 3.2 hectares to what is now the UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga (UPDEPP).

“The Oblation is a symbol of our struggle for a UP in Pampanga,” he said.

The original concrete statue, which symbolizes the selfless offering to one’s country, was made by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. Its replica stands prominently in front of Quezon Hall, welcoming students and visitors to the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City.

Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso has been commissioned to do the Oblation for the Clark campus. Alfonso, chancellor of the UP Open University, also designed and executed the UPOU Oblation and the UPOU Centennial Park, according to the UPOU website (www2.upou.edu.ph).