The University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City is one of the biggest educational facilities in the country. While not necessarily a tourist destination in the strictest terms, the campus is a beautiful place for travelers to visit if they ever want to experience college life in the country.
Aside from the beautifully landscaped campus, with decades-old trees lining up many of its roads and walkways, there are lots of architectural marvels and artwork crafted by some of the country’s most renowned National Artists.
As is to be expected in an area that has thousands of students, there are also tons of dining options (from street food to casual and high end dining) that can be found inside and within the vicinity of the campus.
UPD, as it is commonly referred to, has a total land area of 493 hectares, with much of the property utilized for educational infrastructure and research facilities. The remaining area is forested or is devoted for residential units for members of the academe.
The most famous landmark inside the university is The Oblation statue, an iconic figure created by National Artist Guillermo E. Tolentino in 1935. The Oblation was originally a naked sculpture figure, made of concrete, 3.5 meters in height. A fig leaf was later added to cover the genital area.
The main and largest road in the university is the Academic Oval or Acad Oval, composed of a total circumference of about 2.2 kilometers. Planted with over 500 beautiful acacia and fire trees, the oval connects the rest of the colleges of the university.
Quezon Hall, on the other hand, is the seat of administration of both the UP System and UPD. Designed by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil, it is the front-most building of the university.
There’s also the 130-feet UP Carillon Tower, the only one in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, that is manually played by a clavier or a wooden keyboard. The tower, which was renovated in 2007, now features 36 new bells.
Yet another famous landmark inside the university is the Sunken Garden, officially named the General Antonio Luna Parade Grounds. It is a 5-hectare natural depression, basin-shaped, low-level formation that students, teachers, and visitors go to, to relax, enjoy the greenery, and breathe fresh air.
Most area of the the campus is open to the public.
