A Visit to Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Last Sunday, I accompanied my sister to the Santa Mesa (Manila) Campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) for her entrance examination or PUPCET. The grounds of PUP were flooded with people: examinees and their parents. This is no surprise since the University of the Philippines ceased to be an affordable state university. So the high school students flocked to PUP to avail the low tuition fee and study in a well-known university.
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Hopeful students and their parents going to PUP.

 It is my third visit to PUP-Sta. Mesa. The first time is when I submitted my PUPCET application and the second visit is when I took the entrance exams many years ago. Good thing that I still recall the way to PUP-Sta. Mesa. What I remember is that I had to cross a railroad before I reach PUP-Sta. Mesa's main gate.

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Welcome to PUP!

 I saw some familiar sights like the PUP Pylon:

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The three columns of the PUP Pylon symbolize Truth, Excellence and Wisdom. Another familiar sight is the relief mural on the wall beside the main gate:

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I walked around the campus while waiting for my sister. I saw that PUP-Sta. Mesa has a small chapel.

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If the University of the Philippines has the Oblation, PUP has the Obelisk. This structure is located at the center of the grounds of PUP-Sta. Mesa Campus.

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The Obelisk of PUP.

Located in front of the Obelisk is the bust statue of Apolinario Mabini. PUP-Sta. Mesa Campus was officially named after Mabini, that's why his bust is present in the center of the campus grounds.

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It's not only Apolinario Mabini's bust that is present inside the campus. I discovered that the Mabini Shrine is located on the campus grounds as well.
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The Mabini Shrine.

According to the caretaker, the house was originally located in Nagtahan, Manila and came to PUP after being moved for four times in different places. Seems like no one wants to take care of Apolinario Mabini's house. This only shows that heritage conservation is not a priority of the government nor of the Filipino people.

This Shrine is the house where the hero took his last breath when he died of cholera. The caretaker allowed me to go inside Apolinario Mabini's house.
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Apolinario Mabini's house is simple. The furniture was removed and anyone can mistake it for a regular nipa house if the memorial plaque and Mabini's portrait are absent.

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There is nothing much to see inside the Mabini Shrine. I left the house and went out of PUP-Sta. Mesa Campus to wait for my sister to finish her exam.