Text by Charmaine Lingdas
Photos by Joseph Bautista and Charmaine Lingdas
The University of the Philippines Manila (UP Manila) is more than just a beacon of academic excellence and a Health Science Center in the country; it is a treasure trove of history, heritage, culture, and tradition. Since its founding 116 years ago, the University stands proudly as a steward of heritage. Beyond preserving national heritage sites, UP Manila continues to pass on knowledge to the next generation, ensuring that the rich history and cultural legacy are maintained and celebrated.
This May, UP Manila held the 2024 Flores de Mayo International Festival and Conference, a university-wide event that combined the celebration of the rich history of our heritage and the beauty and diversity of Philippine flora. Flores de Mayo (Spanish for “flowers of May”) is a festival held in the Philippines during the namesake month.
“This Flores de Mayo Festival is not just about festivities; it’s about honoring our roots and preserving our cultural heritage,” said Dr. Honey Libertine Achanzar-Labor, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas (UPM-MHI). She added that “the festival is not just about flowers; it’s a celebration of our cultural identity and traditions.”
The festivities kicked off with the UP Manila Heritage Trail Walk on May 8, featuring a vibrant parade around the campus’s nine heritage buildings protected by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). From the UP College of Medicine Calderon Hall to the Old Dentistry Building, now home to the UP Manila Museum of History of Ideas, each structure tells a story of resilience and progress.
Following the Heritage Trail Walk, UP Manila hosted an international conference, bringing together scholars from around the globe to explore the intersection of flora, festivals, and intangible cultural heritage. On May 9, the first plenary session featured speakers Sita Kumari (Scotland), Aysegul Bilican (Turkey), Toumairangi Fowlie (New Zealand), and Dr. Carmita Eliza Icasiano (Philippines), who delved into topics ranging from native flora conservation to the significance of festivals in preserving cultural identity. The second plenary session, scheduled for a later date in May, see Professors Nick Deocampo and Lemnuel Aragones discussing the theme of biocultural heritage. The conference not only enriched participants’ understanding of heritage but also fostered cross-cultural exchange and collaboration.
From May 15 to 17, 2024, the Flores de Mayo Community Fair was held at the Museum parking lot. The Fair featured a vibrant array of artworks, crafts, food, and drinks that seemed to invite the community to celebrate and partake in the festivities. A community mural created by the different colleges of UP Manila symbolized unity and pride in heritage. A unique aspect of this year’s Flores de Mayo Fair was the inclusion of a “live museum” cosplay event: first-year students from the BA Philippine Arts program dressed as notable sculptures found around Ermita interacted with the audience, explaining the historical and cultural significance of these artworks.
Art lovers were treated to a painting exhibit featuring the vibrant hues of Philippine flora at the Manila Hotel Art Gallery from May 21 to 31, 2024.The exhibit, titled “Philippine Flora in Toponyms,” was painted by the Philippine Botanical Arts Society. It showcased the beauty of local flora while paying homage to places named after these botanical wonders. Philippine Flora in Toponyms featured 40 paintings on endemic and indigenous flora, aiming to educate fellow Filipinos about the country’s rich natural heritage and instill awareness about the importance of its conservation. The exhibit also featured Dr. Achanzar-Labor’s recently published manuscript “Heritage Negotiations in Manila and Pampanga: The Use of Toponyms in the Study of Two Biocultural Landscapes in the Philippines” (2023).
The grand finale of the Flores de Mayo Festival was a Santacruzan held at the UP Manila College of Arts and Sciences. Prof. Achanzar-Labor stated that the impact of this Flores de Mayo on students and the community is “to increase in knowledge and pride of place, to make them see that we do have heritage buildings in the area that they can be proud of.” She added that UP Manila’s heritage buildings, having stood the test of time and survived the war, remain relevant venues for instilling knowledge and shaping future generations.
The 2024 Flores de Mayo International Festival and Conference was presented by the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas, The Faura Project, Inc., and the UP Manila College of Arts and Sciences, in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Philippine Botanical Art Society, the UP Manila Department of Arts and Communication, the UP Manila Department of Biology, UP Manila Salinlahi, and the UP Manila College of Arts and Sciences Student Council.