The University of the Philippines-Diliman launched a virtual campus map in line with its lantern parade festivities this Christmas season.
Due to the still-raging pandemic, the country’s premier university live-streamed the annual Lantern Parade via UPD’s Facebook and YouTube channels on Tuesday, December 21.
This would be the second year the parade was celebrated virtually.
The program could still be streamed online as of writing.
In line with this, UP’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs also launched an “Interactive Virtual Campus Map.”
It allows users to tour around the different areas of the campus through the ExSight 360 Virtual Tour, a 360-degree tour developer in the country.
Photos, videos and other Information about the lanterns of UPD offices and colleges could be found in the following locations on the website:
- The Quezon Hall
- The UPD Science Complex
- The Sunken Garden
- The UP CHK Vaccination Site
- The College of Fine Arts
To access a video lantern, the office or college that submitted an entry has its location pinned on the website’s interface.
The Lantern Parade is a Christmas tradition of the university that was institutionalized in 1934 by then UP President Jorge C. Bocobo.
According to UP’s website, this occasion started as a simple homage which was turned into an event that showcased the political and social landscape of the country.
“From its beginnings as a simple homage to an old Christmas tradition to the elegant, colorful, sometimes controversial creations that strut (or sometimes sputter) around the UPD academic oval each Yuletide, the Lantern Parade has evolved into an event that reflects both the people and milieu of its time, depicting the changing social and political landscape of the University and indeed, the country,” UP said.
Highlights of the Lantern Parade
The theme of the Lantern Parade 2021 is “Ugnayan at Pagpupugay: Birtuwal na Parada ng mga Parol.”
Under this theme, videos of lanterns were submitted as part of the virtual parade.
Participants came from the university’s 12 academic units, two administrative units, two student councils and 13 classes of the College of Fine Arts.
The first prize went to the College of Arts and Letters with their video lantern titled “Walang Hanggang Pag-alab or KALab (KAL Alab).”
In a Facebook post, CAL team leader John Carlo Pagunaling shared that their work symbolizes perseverance and ardor to overcome the hardships in life.
“Ang pagmamahal ng KAL komunidad ay katulad ng isang walang hanggang apoy na patuloy na nagniningas. Anumang delubyo o sakuna ang dumating nanatiling mainit pa rin ang alab ng apoy sa komunidad ng KAL,” Pagunaling said.
College of Home Economics placed second while the third place was Asian Center.
The video lantern from the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy was cited as an “honorable mention.”
In a speech during the live-stream, UPD Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo left a hopeful message to the UP community under these trying times.
“Alam ko pong mahirap magdiwang sa gitna ng pandemya, lalo pa sa gitna ng trahedya. Pero naisip pa rin naming ituloy ang Virtual Lantern Parade dahil nais nating maging simbolo ng pag-asa at pagkakaisa ang bawat parol na nagawa,” Nemenzo said.
“Mahirap ang pinagdaanan nating lahat sa taong ito. Nariyan ang pandemya at sunud-sunod na trahedya. Pero huwag nating kalilimutang may liwanag sa gitna ng dilim. Tulad ng mga parol na inyong nilikha, sana lahat tayo ay maging instrumento ng pagkakaisa. Sana lahat tayo ay maging tanglaw ng pag-asa. Maligayang Pasko sa lahat,” he added.