Orihinal na Oblation statue, sino ang tunay na modelo at ano ang sinisimbulo nito?

Bukod sa de-kalidad na edukasyon, kilala ang University of the Philippines dahil sa iconic na estatuwa nito ng isang lalaking nakahubad at nakadipa na tinatawag na Oblation. Totoo nga kaya na si Fernando Poe Sr. ang modelo nito, at nasaan na ang orihinal na rebulto? Alamin.

Sa dokumentaryo ni Howie Severino sa I-Witness na “Oble: Ang Hubad Na Katotohanan,” sinabing ang Oblation ay likha sa kongkreto ng tanyag na eskultor na si Guillermo Tolentino noong 1935.

“Guillermo Telentino had this idea to come up with a naked figure of a male to represent one's offering to the nation. Alam naman natin that during that particular period, slowly, we were finding our place as a democracy within the Asia-Pacific region,” sabi ni Toym Imao, Dean ng UP College of Fine Arts,

“And for someone who was educated in the United States and in Europe, he experienced this idea of parang mas universal, global sense of what it is to be a democracy. And he wanted to somehow encapsulate that within a figure. And the naked figure somehow embodies an acceptance of this challenge and role, but at the same time, it also acknowledges fragility kasi naked nga siya. So the original figure was actually completely nude,” dagdag ni Imao.

Laman ng mga usapan noon si Fernando Poe Sr., isang sikat na artista noon at ama ni “Da King” FPJ, dahil siya umano ang modelo ni Tolentino para sa Oblation.

Ngunit ayon kay Imao, sabi-sabi lamang ito, dahil ang kaniyang assistant at pinsan nito ang tunay na modelo ni Tolentino.

“Myth lang talaga ‘yon. Pero ang totoong [modelo] niya was his assistant, which was Anastacio Caedo. Anastacio Caedo was a swimmer. He had the physique. He's a very good artist. And ginawa rin basis ni Guillermo Tolentino eh isang pinsan rin ni Anastacio Caedo,” sabi ni Imao.

Kung mapapansin, Pinoy na Pinoy ang anyo ng Oblation.

Samantala, ginawa ni Tolentino sa bronze o tanso noong dekada 50s ang mas kilalang Oblation o “Oble,” na matatagpuan ngayon sa harapan ng Quezon Hall sa UP Diliman.

Ayon kay Imao, orihinal na nasa Maynila ang pinakaunang Oblation bago pa sumiklab ang Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig.

“Then the war happened, it was damaged, one of the arms was blown away. Tapos, noong nagkaroon na ng purchase ng land dito sa Diliman for the 490-hectare campus ng UP, trinansfer ito. ‘Yung transfer period niya was from 1947 to 1949,” sabi ni Imao.

Marami ring pinagdaanan ang pinakaunang Oblation bago makaligtas.

Napuruhan noon ang Maynila matapos ang giyera, kaya inabot ng mga taon para muling mapaayos ang UP sa lungsod.

Idinaan sa parada ang paglilipat ng orihinal na Oblation mula Maynila papunta ng Diliman sa Quezon City.

“Then nagkaroon ng isang parada na 'yung pagta-transfer from UP Manila which was heavily devastated during the war at dinala dito sa campus na ginagawa ngayon ng UP. Much of the buildings were still unfinished,” patuloy niya.

Ayon kay Imao, nangangahulugan ito ng tila “ikalawang buhay” ng Oblation.

“It was a big deal. I think it was also the time na sinasabi nga natin na parang rebirth. It was the second life of the Oblation. It was the second life of the university,” sabi niya.

“And I think the symbolic transfer of that Oblation from Manila to Diliman was 'yung pinaka sinasabi nating ‘Christening’ ng lugar. It was the sort of blessing. Parang ugali ng mga Pilipino na nagdadala ng something into a new house. The Oblation has somehow functioned like that,” dagdag ni Imao.

Sa ngayon, nasa ilalim ng renovation ang UP Main Library, na sinimulan noon pang 2023. Dito rin nakalagak ang orihinal na Oblation.

Ayon kay Eimee Rhea Lagrama, Deputy University Librarian ng University of the Philippines, isinasailalim pa sa retrofitting ang gusali dahil higit sa 60 anyos na ito.

“Ito, the mismong Oblation, the original. We cannot take it out. In-advised po kami na huwag nang galawin. Iwanan na lang po siya diyan. Risk assessment, mas safe siya dito kesa po 'yung tatanggalin siya diyan, ibaba-baba. Tsaka po, I think it was already permanently installed there. So, mas malaking damage ang mangyayari kung babakbakin, ibababa,” sabi ni Lagrama.

Tunghayan sa I-Witness ang pagsilay sa pinakaunang Oblation na likha ni Guillermo Tolentino. – FRJ GMA Integrated News