Not A UP Student? Here Are 7 Spots Open To The Public For Your Next Hangout

One of the things that makes the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) stand out among the country's top universities is that it's the only one that's open to the public.

This means that anyone—even if you're not a student at UPD—can stroll onto campus to hang out, grab a meal, and meet up with friends.

But if it's your first time going inside the university, it can feel a bit overwhelming—after all, it is one of the biggest campuses in the country. And even though UPD's open to the public, that doesn't mean all the spots are, so here's your guide to the best places to go to as non-students!

A recent favorite of mine is the newly constructed Dilimall. It's a large, open-air, mall-like structure that boasts multiple floors. On the ground floor are mainstream spots like Zus Coffee and Shakey's, but the main attraction is the food court on the second.

There's an assortment of benches, tables, and chairs for guests to sit at, grab a snack, and chat. The best part? I’ve never seen the place full, meaning it's relatively easy to find a spot for you and your friends. 

It's also the best place to hang out if you have a big friend group, since you can easily push together the tables to form your own The Last Supper setting. 🤭

Of course, this can't be an article about UPD spots without mentioning the famous Area 2. It's a street filled with local food sellers, a wide variety of karinderya-style home-cooked meals, coffee shops, and little stalls selling quick snacks. Whatever you want, Area 2's got it!

And my favorite part about Area 2—so much so that it's my go-to place to take non-UP friends—is that everything is so affordable. (I often joke that UPD's ruined me for other food places because now my expected price for a meal is 100 pesos or less.)

Here's a pro-tip for you: The food in Area 2 is cheaper than the ones in Dilimall (there's this one place that has a stall both in Area 2 and Dilimall, but the one in the latter is priced higher!), and I often find that the food from Area 2 tastes better. For seating options, Area 2 can get packed pretty quickly, so I like to take my food to-go and bring it to Dilimall to eat.

The Sunken Garden is a huge open field in the middle of UPD, and it's a personal favorite of outsiders, mainly because of the sheer potential of the space. 

You can bring your own badminton rackets and play a few rounds, or if you're not the sporty type, you can lie down a blanket and have a little picnic. It's essentially a free space for you and your friends to do whatever you please. Binge your new hyperfixation show? Do your hobby-of-the-month together? People-watch? Anything to your heart's content!

Gyud Food is another open-air structure lined with food stalls. Its central area is dotted with chairs and tables for you to enjoy your meal at, and it even has an outdoor area which is quite atmospheric at night. It also holds art markets relatively often.

The main difference between Gyud and Area 2 is that the former is more on the pricier end (similar to Dilimall), so if you're on a budget, Area 2 might be the better pick for you. But if you're just looking to explore, Gyud is a nice and peaceful place to settle down with your laptop and get some work done.

For art lovers (or people who like to take aesthetic museum pictures for Instagram, we don't judge), good news: The Vargas Museum is open to non-students! It features the collections of Jorge Vargas, which include stamps, coins, art, books, and different memorabilia. 

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (not including holidays). There is an admission fee, though. For students, It's P20, and for non-UP guests, it's P50. For UP staff, faculty, and alumni, the entrance fee is P40. They do offer discounts for senior citizens and PWD.

Another pro-tip: If you are a UP student, alumni, staff, or faculty, entrance is free every Wednesday!

The Academic Oval is, as its namesake hints at, an oval-shaped road and the favorite spot for joggers. (Trust me, if you're driving to UP for early morning classes, you'll be battling the joggers for parking spaces.)

But it's pretty easy to see why. Though the Oval is technically a street, a third of it is sectioned off just for joggers and walkers. There's even a bike section for those who opt for that kind of exercise!

After my 7 a.m. class, I like to walk—and I mean walk because there's no way you’re getting me to jog, or worse, run 😵‍💫—a lap around the Oval. I find that 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. is the best time to get your steps in, as it's still pretty chilly and the sun isn't too "I-feel-like-I’m-being-fried-alive" levels yet.

Not only that, but the walk around the Oval is a scenic one. Just picture it: streets lined with trees stretching to the sky, cats milling around, frogs hiding among taller blades of grass but jumping out and making an appearance every now and then to greet you.

There are also a lot of kiosks around if you ever want to stop for a refreshing drink or a quick snack.

With UPD's sheer size, it shouldn't come as any surprise that it has its own cinema.

It's not like your ordinary mall cinema, though. It doesn't really screen current releases, but instead, it offers non-mainstream features (and even student films sometimes!).

The showings do require an admission ticket, but they also do free screenings every now and then! You can see the schedules—and whether it's free—on signposts outside the building.

And there you have it! The next time someone shoots the "Saan tayo?" text in your friend group chat, you have seven perfectly good answers ready in your arsenal. 😉