The Glory that was the UP Diliman Faculty Center

It was around 9:30 AM today when I first came across the news about the fire that razed the UP Diliman Faculty Center early this morning. Got the news via a former professor of mine who happens to be one of the affected faculty members.

My heart sank as I looked at pictures of the raging blaze eating through the iconic FC.

From Facebook user, Ken Wu

From Rappler

My former Anthropology professor, Felipe Jocano Jr., who is among the faculty members affected by the FC fire, made this statement on Facebook while the fire was still raging:

"This morning at around 1:40, I received two text messages from my students, telling me that the Faculty Center, our office building, and my other home for thirty years, was on fire. I dressed and went over to check on what was happening. By the time I arrived, the firetrucks were surrounding the building, and all their crews were busy fighting the fire.

Our Department offices are gone, and so are books, manuscripts, papers, records, certificates, computers and all other material markers of our lives as academics.

But even if these are gone, we will carry on. We will continue. We will serve our community and the people."

He later shared pictures of what remains of the FC after it was officially declared fire out:

A firefighter walks away from the charred facade of the
FC.

A clearer view of the soot covering the second and
third floor outer walls of the FC.

This area -- the main entrance to the FC -- used to be bustling
with activity. Now, it lies desolate.

Forgive me, I don't remember the name of this sculpture
in front of the FC. The charred walls behind it provide a
stark reminder of fiery events several hours earlier.

The UP Diliman Faculty Center was a central hub of activity for everyone who passed the hallowed halls of the said university unit. Almost all professors teaching GE subjects were housed here, and the walls of this great building were witness to the triumphs, tears, happiness, and anger of both UP faculty and students.

On a more personal note, the FC is where I was forced to take my removal exams in Communication 1. This is where I whooped for joy when I saw that I was exempted from taking exams in several other GE subjects. This is where we would visit our respective profs' rooms for consultation and for our final grades. This is where I literally grovelled in front of Sir Jocano just so he would accept me as his student in his higher Anthro classes. (I was desperate -- I was about to graduate, and I needed one last elective to complete all the requirements in my TOR.)

Almost every UP Diliman student and alumni has a story to tell about the FC.

And now, the edifice of our college memories is a charred shell of what it used to be.

Moreover, we now see many professors displaced by the incident. While temporary quarters have already been identified for them (The new Chemistry pavilions in nearby Palma Hall), what can no longer be replaced are their records, research materials, and archives of collections and art that were destroyed in the fire.

Now is probably the time for us UP Diliman alumni to give back to our roots and find out how we can help our former professors, as well as the new ones who are just as affected by this unforeseen circumstance. They have helped us in becoming the professionals we are today, now it's our turn to help them in any way we can.

We can probably start by sending our former professors our copies of theses and research articles that we made from our college days so we can help in rebuilding their repository of data.

For the artists among us, we can give them new artworks; for the writers, approved essays, journals, published articles, etc.

Let us unite in creating a newer and better FC.

The Bulwagang Rizal (FC) shall rise again. (From Inquirer.net)

(#)