Sundial

University of the Philippines Sundial

The Sundial of the University of the Philippines Diliman is presently located along G. Apacible Street between the College of Engineering and the National Engineering Center. It serves as the testament of loyalty of the alumni engineers to their Alma Mater.

A. Background

I. First

The first sundial ever made by the alumni engineers of the University of the Philippines stood in the middle of the Manila campus on Taft Avenue in the 1920s. This was considered as the largest sundial built in the world at that time. It had steel arches and a gnomon 60 feet long. Unfortunately, to make way for the ROTC parade grounds, the first sundial in UP was torn down in the 1930s.

II. Second

In the span of almost two decades, engineers of the university built another sundial that was placed on the west lawn of Melchor Hall--College of Engineering. Although the second one was smaller, it was still as impressive as the first structure. It was also made of steel standing on a concrete area. Its gnomon is shaped like a slide rule, making it as the symbol of mathematics. Sadly, a strong typhoon destructed it in 1968.

III. Present

After the two destructions, the UP Alumni Engineers built another sturdier concrete sundial in 1972. It is installed and is presently between the Melchor Hall and the National Engineering Center Building. At the base of its gnomon is the year 1947 representing the foundation year of the Alumni Engineers.