The University of the Philippines Diliman’s annual “pag-iilaw” event this year serves as a heartfelt homage to the faculty, staff, and researchers who lost their lives during the pandemic. Taking inspiration from the ancient role of “babaylan” as healers and intermediaries connecting the community and the universe, numerous lanterns were incorporated into the current installation artwork located in and around Quezon Hall.

Babaylan figures in various stages of the “pagdidiwata” ritual dance, practiced by the Palawanon or Tagbanua people in seeking the assistance of spirits during moments of crisis, are positioned on streetlamp posts along University Avenue. These figures are interspersed with lanterns that represent the essence of life and the astral soul. Moreover, above the Oblation, there is a lantern resembling a shooting star known as a “heavenly gift,” symbolizing the link between the earthly realm and the heavens.

Bird-shaped lanterns adorned the streetlamp posts lining the Academic Oval, while prominent vehicular entrances and institutions involved in UPD’s efforts against COVID-19 were marked by sizable babaylan-shaped lanterns. These institutions include the UP Health Service (UPHS), the Kamia Residence Hall (KRH) and Molave Residence Hall (MRH) isolation facilities, the UP Genome Center (UPGC), and the College of Human Kinetics Gymnasium (CHK), which houses the UP CHK-QC vaccination site.