Standing tall and proud with arms open wide, chest raised outward, arms outstretched at the sides, his palms open to the heavens. The sculpture’s head is thrown back, his eyes shut, in a posture symbolizing the offering of oneself to all possibilities.

Created by Guillermo Tolentino, the Oblation is an artistic manifestation of the second stanza of Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios, in response to President Rafael Palma’s request. Inaugurated on National Heroes’ Day in 1935, the Oblation evokes the heroism of Filipinos who offered their lives for the nation. The call for sacrifice for the sake of the country is further deepened when Rizal’s dalit, a kind of poem dedicated to the youth taken from his novel El Filibusterismo was read in front of the Oblation during a ceremony in 1939.

On February 11, 1949, during the university’s 40th anniversary, the original Oblation was transferred from Padre Faura to the Oblation Plaza in Diliman, where it stayed until it was replaced by its bronze version in 1958.

At the end of 1957, the students conducted protest activities against the perceived flaws of the administration. For the first time, a black cloth was wrapped around the Oblation and placards were hung on his hands. Despite the administration’s condemnation of this act, the event contributed to a change of meaning for the Oblation—as a symbol of activism in the fight against exploitation and injustices in society.

At present, the Oblation is considered as a valuable symbol of the University. With its broadened symbolic interpretations, the Oblation’s core meaning as the offering of oneself for the country remains, now infused with the spirit of progressive thinking and call for social action.