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RSSWhat I Learned About The UP Sablay
27 Apr 2012 11 Comments
in UP Stuff Tags: academic costume, graduation, graduation attire, Sablay, University of the Philippines, UP Diliman
I never really thought much about the UP Sablay until recently, when a Facebook friend posted a photo of someone lamenting the fact that the Sablay is no longer exclusive to UP, as other universities have started using a similar one in their graduation ceremonies.
Is the sablay really exclusive to U.P.? Yes, it is. The UP Sablay is copyrighted.
The UP Sablay is the official academic costume of the University of the Philippines. The official colors of the University, maroon and green, were used in the sablay. Yellow gold, which stands for the high standards of values and excellence, was also used. The colors, based on the Pantone ProSim color chart, are Pantone 195 CVP (maroon), Pantone 349 CVP (green), and Pantone 138 CVP (yellow gold).The indigenous letters ? and ? , originating from the indigenous alphabet called baybayin or katitikan, are equivalent to the Roman letters “U” and “P”, respectively. The curvilinear design called ukkil or ukit, which resembles a sprouting plant, signifies life. The geometric designs (in zigzag and diamond patterns) are common design elements gracing the attires and functional objects of indigenous peoples from Batanes to Tawi-tawi. Arranged continuously and rhythmically, these geometric designs highlight the diverse cultural communities in the Philippines and the University’s pursuit of knowledge, cultural enrichment, and scientific advancement.
Date of Registration: 13 September 2002
Date of Issuance of Certificate of Copyright Registration and Deposit: 23 September 2002
But that doesn’t mean that other universities cannot use a similar sash. The University of Rizal System uses a similar sash, which they call “sakbay.” I do not know what the students of Lyceum University of the Philippines call theirs, but they certainly cannot call it sablay, as UP has copyrighted that.
I myself did not know a lot about the Sablay. My batch from the College of Science graduated in 2003 without using the sablay; and so did H’s batch from the College of Engineering. My sister though graduated from the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy in 2005 and she used the Sablay. That is why there is a Sablay lying somewhere right now in our condo.
Because of the many questions associated with the Sablay, I had to do a little research on the net and my social networks and found out the following:
From the University of the Philippines entry on Wikipedia:
The University uses unique academic regalia. Instead of the traditional academic dress composed of a cap, hood and gown, some constituent units prescribe the Sablay. The Sablay is a sash joined in front by an ornament and embroidered or printed with the University’s initials in Baybayin script and running geometric motifs of indigenous Philippine ethnic groups. It is traditionally worn over a white or ecru dress for females or an ecru barong Tagalog and black pants for males, although there has been instances wherein the Sablay is worn over other indigenous clothing.
Candidates for graduation wear the sablay at the right shoulder, and is then moved to the left shoulder after the President of the University confers their degree, similar to the moving of the tassel of the academic cap.
Not all units [constituent university] have adopted the Sablay; the Manila and Los Baños campuses still prescribe the usual cap and gown.
At present, the University of the Philippines system consists of seven (7) constituent universities located in 12 campuses around the country – and since each constituent university has its own manual, the use of the Sablay is not prescribed in all campuses.
That is why the U.P. Los Banos had the Sablay for Graduation Movement that called for the use of the UP Sablay as Academic Regalia for the yearly Graduation and Commencement Exercises in UPLB.
MANIFESTO OF THE SABLAY FOR GRADUATION MOVEMENT
The Sablay for Graduation movement calls for the use of the UP Sablay as Academic Regalia for the yearly Graduation and Commencement Exercises in UPLBWe are,
Graduating students and non-graduating students of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.We believe,
That the Sablay, as a loose sash containing geometric motifs of Philippine indigenous tribes and the Baybayin figures for the letters ‘U’ and ‘P’, is uniquely Filipino and the use of which a proper symbol of the academic consummation of an individual.That the University of the Philippines, as the country’s premier institution of higher learning, true to its mandate of delivering education that is for and by the Filipino, is wholly committed to empowering the ethnic identity of its students and the diverse cultural communities of the Philippines.
Therefore,
We call on the Administration; particularly the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Instruction, to standardize the use of the UP Sablay as the official Academic and Graduation attire of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, beginning this Graduation and Commencement Exercises 2012, andTo allow graduating students who are members of indigenous peoples/ethnic groups the option to wear their respective cultural outfits underneath the Sablay during the Graduation ceremonies.
Iskolars,
Don the UP Sablay!
Uphold the UP Spirit!
The movement was able to gather more than 5,800 signatures from students.
Use of Sablay is ‘good to go’
By Maricar Cinco
Inquirer Southern Luzon
9:49 pm | Tuesday, February 28th, 2012LOS BAÑOS—Students of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) have gathered the number of signatures required for the state campus to adopt the Sablay as official attire on graduation day.
The use of UP Sablay as graduation attire was “good to go,” said Tres Panganiban, of the UPLB Student Council.
Panganiban said the use of Sablay as official graduation attire has been proposed since 2009.
In UP Diliman, students have been wearing the Sablay for graduation rites since the 1990s. Except for those in medical courses, graduates in UP Manila also wear Sablay.
A graduate can own the Sablay as souvenir for P700-P800, which is slightly more expensive than renting a toga for P400-P500, Panganiban said.
Students, however, could also rent Sablay for a lower price, said Panganiban.
The use of the toga has not been banned though so students and faculty have choices: a toga or Filipiniana, or a combination of both, as long as they use UP’s Sablay. (Source: a Pinoy Exchange user in: History of Sablay)
Aside from being Pinoy to the core, the sablay has practical advantages over the toga. Dr. Victor Paz, Director of UP’s Archaeological Studies Program, once mentioned in his Arkiyoloji 1 class that the sablay is more suited for the tropical climate, compared with the toga which was born in colder lands. This might seem like a minor issue, until you get to know that there have been cases of UPians fainting in the middle of academic ceremonies due to the choking heat of the toga. (Source: Sablay, the Filipino Graduation Garb)
Now that we have cleared the origin and the use of the Sablay as a graduation attire, we now come to the question as to whether we can use it at other events or ceremonies outside of UP, and the answer is YES.
For example, my cousin who holds undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of the Philippines Diliman and currently a faculty at the Ateneo de Naga University wore his Sablay during the graduation ceremonies at the AdNU.
Also, if one is to represent UP as an official or a faculty member, you are to wear the Academic Costume, in this case the Sablay, no matter where you are (or in the very own words of my friend and current faculty of the UPD College of Engineering Ms. Liberato, “kahit saang lupalop ka pa mapadpad”.) 
P.S.
Please comment if there are incorrect statements in this blog. Thanks!
11 Comments (+add yours?)
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Apr 28, 2012 @ 02:51:16
Thanks for this post and info about the sablay.
*erratum – PANTONE, not Panthone; can also be referred as PMS(pantone color system) then the corresponding number thereafter
Apr 28, 2012 @ 03:03:07
Thanks! I myself did not notice it to edit it as I just did a copy+paste into the /blockquote tags.
Someone should also edit the original at http://www.ovcrd.upd.edu.ph/blog/2010/03/09/up-sablay/ 
Aug 11, 2012 @ 22:39:31
If there is an event/celebration (not U.P.) that a U.P. alumnus is going to attend and he/she has her/his own Sablay, can she/he used it over a Filipiniana Muslim costume ?
Aug 11, 2012 @ 22:51:03
Yes, he/she can.
Mar 31, 2013 @ 23:57:40
oohhh i didn’t know the sablay was copyrighted hahahaha… i knew the symbols were baybayin, though.
i wonder if i could wear it at a UP classmates wedding? hahahaha, jk.
Apr 05, 2013 @ 02:12:02
You could, but why would you? When you could sashay into the wedding in a fantabulous outfit instead?
Apr 05, 2013 @ 01:51:27
I am interested with this idea you have presented. I am no lawyer but as far as I am aware of the law on intellectual property:
1. Copyrights need not be registered, unlike Trademarks/Tradenames and Patents
2. If the copyright owners consent to the use of their work (design of sablay) then their is no problem and the schools above may use the concept of the sablay.
I wonder where did you get the mentioned registration details? Would you know who are the creators of the Sablay design (actual people involved) because if the copyright owners are dead and 50 years has passed, then people can freely use creative work mentioned.
Would love if you could clarify.
Apr 05, 2013 @ 02:10:25
I am no lawyer either but as far as I know, copyrights are registered.
And to my understanding, the copyright applies to the term “Sablay” and not to the design on the sash or the sash itself. That is why other universities, or even organizations, can use a sash, worn in that way or for/in similar purposes.
The details quoted above WAS taken from here -> http://www.ovcrd.upd.edu.ph/blog/2010/03/09/up-sablay/. Also, as far as I know, Baybayin is free to be used by anyone as it is an ancient script/pre-Spanish Philippine writing system. See: http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/bayeng1.htm
Apr 08, 2013 @ 18:10:56
Nice article and informative
Apr 22, 2013 @ 18:31:31
There is no need to have copyrights registered. Under the Intellectual Property Code (R.A. No. 8293), copyright exists over a creative work from the moment of its creation. That being said, it doesn’t mean one cannot have his copyright over a creative work registered if he desires to.
Also, copyright is intended to protect the originality of expression. Thus, if other schools use the exact, same design of the UP Sablay (which constitutes UP’s original expression of its academic costume) for any purpose without securing the authorization of the UP, that is copyright infringement under the law. If other schools use their own sash with different colors or different dimensions, UP cannot use its copyright over the Sablay to prevent other schools from doing that. There is no copyright over colors, shapes or a design concept or idea alone, as it is to the entire physical creative work to which the protection of the law on copyright attaches. After all, the law on copyright cannot possibly protect an idea or a concept – something that dwells in the minds of persons – unless of course someone acts on that idea or concept and expresses it in some physical, tangible form.
So yes, the UP Sablay is for the exclusive use of the UP alone, but other designs or expressions of the same concept are deemed original under the law and are entitled to copyright protection in the same way that the Sablay enjoys such benefit of the law.
Apr 27, 2013 @ 23:16:51
I am from UPLB, yet I believe that only UP Sablay is a UP exclusive. I think UP owns the rights to Sablay but it should (and does) not monopolize it. It is envisioned to become a genuinely Filipino academic garb, and other schools have the freedom to have their own versions of it. UP may be the pioneer, but what is a pioneer for if no one will follow its footsteps? Sablay for all Filipino schools: That’s a good idea. Promotes nationalism and eradicates Western dominance over our educational system, little by little.