UP wants more time to build bldg at SRP

CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Philippines asked the Cebu City Government for an extension to put up a graduate school facility at the city-donated lot in the South Road Properties.

UP needs more time to prepare for the implementation of the project, especially in three areas – the academic program, the physical structure and the funding.

UP Vice President for Development, Elvira A. Zamora, said they are asking for an extension ahead of time but clarified that they still have time to comply with the conditions of the deed of donation until next year.

The city government donated the lot to the school on the condition that it will put up its facilities within three years upon the execution of the contract.

The lot was donated in March 2009 and the three-year period will expire around the same time next year.

Zamora said among other things they are currently working on is determining the market so they can make proper projections of how many buildings and classrooms shall be constructed and other facilities that need to be put up like the library, among others.

On the physical structure aspect, they are working on certain requirements which include the detailed plan for the five-hectare donated property. She added they also have to consider the availability of funds needed for the project.

“You know that we are UP, so it is not quite easy to avail funds especially for a big project like this,” Zamora said.

In earlier reports, former UP President Emerlinda Roman said the project would need about P500 million.

Zamora said the five-hectare UP SRP Campus will not be purely for academic purposes but would include the academic support complex.

In the deed of donation, UP shall offer Masters of Business Administration Programs and continuing education in various fields.

UP shall also offer programs in the fields of computational science, product design and packaging, communications design, management sciences, mathematics and the arts and humanities in the Visayan and ASEAN regions.

“We no longer have to establish the MBA program because it is already there operating at the Lahug Campus,” Zamora said.

She said they would submit their formal letter of request to Mayor Michael Rama next week. — (FREEMAN)