The Triumph Of Science Over Death
The statue depicts a young, nude woman with flowing hair, standing on a skull while bearing a torch. The woman symbolizes the ignorance of humankind during the Dark Ages of history, while the torch she bears symbolizes the enlightenment science brings to the world. The woman stands atop a skull, a symbol of death, to signify the victory that humankind aims to achieve by conquering the bane of death through scientific advancement.
The original sculpture is now displayed at the Rizal Shrine Museum at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila. A large replica, made of concrete, stands in front of the Fernando Calderón Hall, which houses the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, inside the University of the Philippines Manila campus in Ermita, Manila. Another replica is found outside the old Department of Health's Biological Production Service (BPS) research facility in Muntinlupa and is sculpted by Genaro Sy-Changco. The facility is now incorporated into the expanded Festival Alabang.
The motif of the statue is also used by various medical associations in the Philippines as their symbol, the most notable of which is the Philippine College of Surgeons.