Oblation: Mi Ultimo Adios

The Oblation monument has always been the symbol associated with University of the Philippines system. Now, in my fourth and last year as an undergraduate student in the university I have never bothered to examine closely this iconic symbol and what it truly represents. As for this paper’s primary focus, Professor Fernandez asked the class to visit the Oblation and see for ourselves the inscriptions made on the monument. Only now that I’ve seen for my own eyes the inscriptions that I realize its utmost importance to last meeting’s discussion. Inscribed on the four sides of the Oblation is the second stanza of Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios.

The nature of history as being a continuum composed of events across time & space and the recording of these specific slices of time was first discussed. Conventional history typically concerned itself with the latter and, as such, it busied itself with what’s, who’s, where’s, and when’s of an event. This formal and rigid perspective of history limits the viewers with only the most pertinent details and does not necessarily show the interplay of the string of past events leading to a significant episode and all the other implications it may have in future periods. Questions on who makes history as well to whose perspective history is deemed important were also discussed. It turns out that recorded history always does follow a similar pattern that patronizes the victors as well as the elites. Vilfredo Pareto aptly compared the process wherein the elite class greatly influences history-making to a primeval scene of lions being surrounded by foxes. Only the strong & influential (at that time) gets to decide how history should be written and most often, it is often written in their favor. Indeed, relying on hard facts & dates of a particular event robs the viewer the insatiable pleasure of realizing the interplay of the past to the present and the repercussions of the present to the future. To “educate” and “awaken” the socially conscious Filipino, history should definitely be seen as a continuum of events that are interconnected and intertwined with each other. The importance of seeing history as a continuum of events rather than just snippets of separate occurrences with the particular focus on their details are appropriately captured with the old Tagalog saying: Ang hindi (marunong) lumingon sa pinanggalingan, di makararatíng sa paroroonan. By seeing the connections and interplay of all these events, should lead all socially conscious Filipinos to recognize their place and role in history.

Perhaps, the greatest realization I have made with all these discussions is that of the reason behind the inscription of Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios on the four bases of the Oblation. It all makes sense. The Oblation was made by Guillermo E. Tolentino to depict the ultimate gesture of sacrificial offering of service to the country and its people. Mi Ultimo Adios was written by Rizal before delivering his greatest service to the country. Together, they fit perfectly to represent what all Filipinos should aspire to become: socially conscious and responsible individuals that are ultimately geared toward the promulgation of nationalism, liberty, and democracy. (11/12/2010)