A Mom and More

My daughter Aei just reminded me about a different U.P. Oblation affair which we must see at the crack of dawn on 13 December 2008.   She says it would be great to watch and see this once-in-a-lifetime photoshoot of 100 real life oblations minus the masks and the running. Would this weekend’s experience change my perception and frustration about oblation runs which I blogged about at around this same time last year?

“Just like thousands of UP Alumni, I still value the Oblation as the main symbol of what the University of the Philippines stands for, fights for and delivers to the nation; the chosen rallying point for protests and social action; the enduring model of academic freedom, an inspiration for service and nationalism; my lifetime link to UP.

However, the 2007 Oblation Run I witnessed was just a show of bold and daring, nude men with flowers, balloons and streamers – not far from commercial TV identification plugs or intermissions to a long play. I did not see their bravery in standing up for their causes; they were speed walking, almost running, ashamed of their nakedness.”

Here’s a repost from Aei’s blog on the details of this event.

A hundred male University of the Philippines alumni, students, faculty, and staff will pay tribute to the UP icon, the Oblation, via a unique photo shoot on December 13, 2008 at the crack of dawn. The “100 Oblations” event will be one of the closing activities of the UP Centennial celebrations.

Called “Hail! U.P. Oblation”, the historical and visual gathering is estimated to take place at 6 a.m. at the UP Diliman Amphitheater behind Quezon Hall where the original Oblation monument stands. The event will be covered by foreign and local media organizations and professional photographers. The best photographs from Hail UP Oblation are being planned to be featured in a future UP Centennial coffee table book.

All are invited to witness this once-in-a-lifetime human ensemble and photo expedition as one of the final events of UP’s one hundred years of service to the country. Unlike the men of the Oblation Run, the 100 Oblation models will be wearing specially designed trunks with stylized fig leaves.

After the photo shoot event, “UP Para sa Bayan”, a public service fair offering free medical, dental, legal, veterinary, health promotions. education workshops, as well as traditional and non-traditional amenities, will take place at 7 a.m. The entire University Avenue and the UP Academic Oval will be filled with 100 tents offering various services to the public for a day.

Both Hail UP Oblation and UP Para sa Bayan are organized by the UP Alumni Association special committees.

With 100 unmasked oblation models bravely posing for the world to see in print, this U. P. Centennial oblation affair would truly be a weekender to look forward to.  I hope that, this time, the chosen models can appropriately (artistically) depict the message of the oblation as it applies to the current times, that photographers find the best angles to preserve this centennial bash and that viewers may see beyond the nudity the very reason why the U. P. Oblation remains a unifying monument for a community in search for freedom.

Would you sacrifice waking up early on a weekend to witness this event?  Yes?  See you there.

Related blog posts:

Hail! U. P. Oblation

U.P. Oblation Run 2007 – from the eyes of a mom