U.P. Los Baños: Places and Places II

[The second installment to my UPLB series here.]

* early morning at Freedom Park; photo: a shot by a classmate
from Baker Hall during our P.I. (Philippine Institutions) 100 class day trip

* sunset at Freedom Park

UPLB Freedom Park 
  
I have mentioned Freedom Park in passing in an earlier entry. But the place is not just a wide expanse of grass area chosen to be the venue for sport and exhibition events.

It must be recalled that what is now UPLB used to be a vast farmland at the foot of Mount Maquiling. I have read somewhere about the formation of the UP College of Agriculture but I do not exactly remember the context in choosing the farmland. The point to be remembered here is that it was all with the support of the Americans. The first few staff were foreigners, as well as the first dean of the college.
  
Second World War came and Baker Hall became a prison camp of the captured American and Filipino soldiers. Parts of Freedom Park were used to install some of the barracks of those prisoners.
  
As of this writing, I have just realized that the arc beyond the Animal Husbandry arc was the place where most of the barracks and some important installations of the Japanese were located. This is the direction towards DTRI. (Got to explore these places before activities and commitments bury me this year.)
  

* Mulawin Creek

Mulawin Creek 
   
Yes, I think Mulawin Creek extends to this place. The picture here was taken from the bridge they call the Never-Ending Bridge. I once heard a short horror-comedy tale about a certain woman-ghost who appears in the place at night time and a certain driver (which I tirelessly recounted in my numerous sleepovers in many apartments and boarding houses in Los Baños).
  

* shot of the bridge, although not quite discernible; just behind the second car
is the building of the Chemical Engineering Department of the College
of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

  By The Seniors’ Social Garden
   




The place is particularly interesting. Besides being an annual venue for certain flower festivals (or fairs?), somewhere near the place was a bamboo bridge that led to the back of Baker Hall. The existence of this particular bridge was noted during the Second World War and it was probably used by the Japanese and/or the Americans and Filipinos during those times.
  

* silhouette of the College of Human Ecology Entrance (CHE);
I was more interested in the moon when this was taken

Entomology

  
Department or College? I do not know. But what is certain is that it has been standing since the formative years of the UPCA. I saw a photograph of what looked like an American family with this building in the background. The present building of the College of Human Ecology has an unusual design in front, an image of a grasshopper and it has been known that it used to house Entomology (College or Department? Let’s see.)

  

* Trailer Pransis, posing as in pseudo-meditation inside the Thai Temple

Thai Temple

  
The Thai Temple is found near the D.L. Umali Hall and a frequent venue for org orientations and semi-finals, meetings, among others. I do not know if one has to go and inform the CBS-UPLB or the infamous tsaleko boys and/or the UPF if people shall be using it.
 

* the resurrecting Math Building

Math Building 
  
This old building, which fortunately has been undergoing gradual refurnishing and renovations, has always been a topic of a joke of an org-mate: a single matchstick could burn the place.
  
Yes, it used to be rickety but I believe that it could still withstand weather changes and mutilations. The place used to be the UP Rural High School until it was transferred to Barangay Paciano Rizal, Bay, Laguna.
 

* the road that connects Math Building to the Physical Science Building

Dirt Road

  
Thinking about it now, I am not so sure if what is called ‘dirt road’ extends up to the rugged path in front of the Nutrition Department, just behind the Chemistry Wing. I used to look at the place as a mere short cut, but it seems now that it is already major thoroughfare for both vehicles and students.
 

* the Student Union Building in the afternoon

 Student Union Building Canteen
  Food there used to be very expensive during my high school days and the place then was somewhat desolate. We used to go there as it was the venue of the UPLB DeMolay Club’s poster making contest. Now it has many stalls catering to many different foods. And a 7-11 Store is about to open here in the coming months.
 

* Pili Drive; Mount Maquiling can be seen in the background

Pili Drive
  
Pili Drive stretches from UPLB to IRRI. It was the scene of an isolated car accident before and home to many stories of horror and ghosts.

I remember walking through it one night after our OJT Night in IRRI. It was creepy of course for the shadows and the leaves moved with the night wind which certainly played to my imagination. But I braved all of it, for I was with two lady co-trainees in the Institute. I can still recall that I was scaring them until one of them finally got pissed off with me. I did not know that she has a mortal fear of the dark! We three had an awkward farewell but it was nevertheless a nice experience, walking in the dark. For reasons I cannot explain, I really like walking in the night with the night lights from the skies as the only illuminations. (See my other blog ricochetbullets.blogspot.com for some of my musings about it.)
  

* a mask for sale at Galleria Etnika

  Galleria Etnika 
  
Once found near Agapita Plaza, Galleria Etnika is now near BPI Family Savings Bank in Lopez Avenue. There are many things to be seen and bought here, ranging from costumes to ethnic music. I always remember the shop for its witty shirts they put in their display window.