Members of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman held their first-ever Oblation Run after a 2-year halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic on Friday, Feb. 17 at the UP Diliman campus, Quezon City.
This year's protest is focused on the group's opposition to the Marcoses' return to Malacañang, academic freedom, inflation, labor, and wage issues.
Oblation Run participants came out of Palma Hall around noon where a crowd of spectators was waiting.
Some UP student organizations also expressed their resistance against the proposed mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps and the Anti-Terrorism Act during the event, said DZUP Balita in a post.
Oblation Run, typically held in December, is an annual protest where APO members from UP campuses present their stances on different social issues such as climate change, poverty, corruption, disaster preparedness, and others.
Last 2020, its focus was on the abolition of the Kaliwa Dam project and the youth's call to the government for stronger climate problem solutions.
This popular tradition started in 1977 and was initially intended to object the banning of the movie "Hubad na Bayani" which depicts human rights abuses during the martial law era.
Its name was derived from the naked Oblation statue in UPD, which symbolizes "a selfless offering of one's self to the country."
Runners conduct the protest completely unclothed but with face masks on to hide their identities and usually hand out roses to female watchers.