Wednesday, February 20, 2008


It was in 1973 when I entered the University of the Philippines. It was Martial Law. Makibaka, huwag matakot was the chant of many students, UP included. Me? Oh, I was happy enough playing billiards and duckpins at the then new Alumni Center. In my first year, I lived at Ilang-Ilang Hall. All freshmen girls were jailed, i mean, put up there.

In 1974, a new dorm was constructed. This dorm was supposed to have two wings: boys' wing and girls' wing with a common reception hall and mess hall. I never got to live in that dorm for it was and still is reserved for freshmen. Yes. It is the Kalayaan Hall. For those who were once installed there, hey! it has been renovated in time for the UP Centennial Celebration.

I was invited by my son to visit Kalay's (that's the way they call it now) open house. Oh I was pleasantly surprised: gone are the dark, gloomy, narra panels. I think even the Kalay resident white lady is gone.The reception hall now has a wide flat TV and linear sofas for comfort. The Hall has now a happy, bright, clean, modern, and upbeat impression.


Left side lobby going to girls' dorm

The Mural was done by nobody famous. hahaha. I saw it being done by a "manong" and I even commented that his perspective was grossly distorted. Little did I know that "distortion" was the "essence".


Right side lobby going to the boys' dorm






UP Site Map Mural






The revamp reception hall. Note the new sofas and window shades.


After 35 years upon completion, Kalayaan Hall's lobby, reception area and offices were renovated. It is so sad that the bedrooms were not. My son's room is so small, airless, dark and gloomy. It terribly depressed me that I wanted to cry out of pity for my son. But hey! He is enjoying his new found freedom and responsibility. Every night, I pray real hard for my baby boy who is a baby no more. Note Ethan, checking out uncle's bed.


Posted by desperateblogger On 2/20/2008 03:59:00 PM 8 comments

8 comments:

  1. Isang mapagpalayang sentenaryo sa ating lahat, mga iskolar para sa bayan :) Itaguyod ang edukasyon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. hahaha... mabuhay!!! UP Naming Mahal!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Natuwa na sana ako dahil ang ganda (in fairness:) ng ginawang renovation sa Kalay kaso bakit hindi na dinamay yung rooms? Parang it's one big front to seduce people into thinking that the place is a sanctuary for freshmen students when in fact it's not. But hey, it doesn't look as dismal as it used to be from the reception area. And at least they enforce curfew so your son is in good hands:)Walang lakwatcha, walang bisyo, and he gets to bond with other freshies diba:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. sa totoo lang pipitblog, nakakaiyak ang mga rooms. my son had to fix his flooring because the tiles were either broken or have come loose.
    the curfew is 9Pm but you can ask permission from the dorm mgr to come home late as long as the parent has a previous understanding with the dorm ngr. re that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ganyan talaga ang U.P. They'd rather waste money on pedestrian signs and waiting sheds na hindi naman talaga kailangan sa ibang lugar sa U.P. kung tutuusin.

    ReplyDelete
  6. hi Lena! Thanks for visiting my mommastuff blog. It took me a while to return the visit...busy kasi. I'm all for exchange links. I've added you in my blog roll already.

    Btw, batang peyups din po ako. I entered UP at year 1996. Hindi pa rin pala nagbago ang kalagayan ng mga dorms.

    N!cE
    http://www.mommastuff.com
    http://www.nicemorning.net

    ReplyDelete
  7. :) Wow! grabe, hindi ko na narecognize ang kalayaan lobby ..that was my 'home' way back 1993..kaya lang sad to say , the rooms are still the same..it has the same pale green wall paint, super liit na table at rusty bed..tsk..tsk..tsk..it's all for a show lng pala ang 'renovation'.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I Googled Kalayaan because it's been almost 20 years since I moved in there. (Nag-uumpisa with 88 ang student number ko, pero parang kailan lang.) Thank you so much for posting these pictures! It's been over 15 years since I last went home. Na-overwhelm ako sa memories.

    ReplyDelete

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