After the ceremonies, these new graduates flock the iconic Oblation statue (also draped in the academic costume called sabláy) and the blooming sunflowers in the traffic island (a symbol for graduation in this university) for a photo op, summing up their memories in academe.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
What remains of an art installation by Sulong Likha is a mural of a student (pictured), a farmer, a worker, a mother and child, indigenous peoples, and a cultural worker. The art collective explains that these sectors “are holding it all up for us; standing in a circle, sturdy and strong together, silent witnesses to the vagaries of existence.”
Photo by I.R. Arenas
High school students frequent this local park and loiter the day away – with friends and cell phones. Maybe this is better than being cramped in an online dimension.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
A student-athlete trains in the derelict stadium of a sports complex. Sadly, sports development in most schools is not seen as something leading to a professional career but more likely as a medal generator during sports events. This may be a reflection of the country’s poor performance in regional and international competitions.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
A contiguous canopy of acacia shields many from the solar glare. This is the regular scene in this university campus – a blanket of foliage effectively illuminates this main thoroughfare with verdant hues.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Young and old: these boys peruse the works of Jose Maceda, National Artist for Music, that involve a wide-ranging research on Philippine and Southeast Asian ethnomusicology. Indigenous instruments become prominent in mainstream music because of Maceda, who is celebrated this year for his 100th birth anniversary.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Queueing is an indicator of civility and discipline. However, it is remarkable that people, in this case students, wait in queues for a public transport ride; but outside the confines of the university, commuters scurry for a jeepney space.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
You can see every kind of people inside UP, I was told. This one is taken outside the university’s Shopping Centre that is undergoing a refurbishment.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
People in oblivion: these lovers immerse themselves in deep fondness, while a passer-by is equally engrossed in his device.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Into the woods: a student saunters in the open woods inside the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Students may only think of this as a class project, but little do they perceive that such teaches them how to be really social, in a sense the opposite of creating online social networks.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
A couple enjoy their romantic moment at a university garden, which is frequented by people especially on weekends.
Photo by I.R. Arenas
Visual Tales 