09 February 2026 — Participants gathered on campus today for the first schedule of the ‘ABUEVA IKOTOUR: Whom Art Should Serve,’ a guided walking and riding tour showcasing the public artworks of National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva, whose sculptures have become enduring landmarks across the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Organized by the Bulwagan ng Dangal University Heritage Museum, the tour forms part of the UP Diliman Arts and Culture Festival 2026 and commemorates the 50th anniversary of Abueva’s National Artist conferment. Using the iconic UP Ikot jeepney, participants moved between major sites while reflecting on how public art shapes memory, identity, and civic space.
Stops included some of Abueva’s most recognizable works, such as “Tribute to Higher Education” at the University Avenue — monumental twin sculptures symbolizing the disciplines taught in UP — and other campus icons like “Three Women Sewing a Flag,” “Magdangal,” and “Siyam na Diwata ng Sining,” each tied to themes of nationalism, creativity, and institutional pride.
A notable portion of the tour brought participants to the UP Law Center (Bocobo Hall), where a concrete sculpture of a woman is situated at the center of a water fountain. Known as ‘Cristy’ to the UP Law community, Abueva created it in 1954 and gave it to the College. It exemplifies Abueva’s more figurative style in contrast to his later abstract modernist pieces. This public art is arguably the earliest work of Abueva located in UP Diliman.
Guides discussed how placing major artworks near academic buildings — including law, humanities, and the arts — reinforces Abueva’s belief that sculpture should serve both education and the public sphere. “Abueva’s works are not confined to museums; they live among us,” one facilitator noted. “His sculptures invite reflection on who art is for — and how it should engage the community.”
Beyond celebrating artistic excellence, organizers said the tour aimed to encourage heritage awareness, public engagement, and renewed discussion on preserving outdoor artworks amid campus development.
As participants went on this tour around the campus, many remarked that encountering Abueva’s sculptures in their original urban and academic contexts offered a deeper appreciation of his legacy — not just as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture, but as an artist whose work continues to shape the everyday experience of UP Diliman.
The next schedule of the tour will be on February 16 and 23, 2026. To sign up, please call the University Heritage Museum at (02) 8981-8500 loc. 2874 or write to bulwaganngdangal.upd@up.edu.ph.
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