MANILA, Philippines - Alumni and students of the University of Santo Tomas have criticized President Aquino for blaming UST for not allowing the government to construct a catch basin in its campus to solve the perennial flooding in Manila.
During his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, Aquino urged the public to contribute to the government’s efforts to address the country’s problems.
“Our strategy is clear: in constructing roads, bridges and other infrastructure, we reduce the suffering where we must, and we accelerate the delivery of benefits,” Aquino said.
“For example: to address flooding in Manila, we pushed for the construction of a catchment area, which was protested by a particular university. They said that some of their old buildings could be affected by the project,” he added.
While the President did not identify the university in his speech, UST students reacted to Aquino’s statement.
“UST refused to let the government touch its grounds not for nonsensical reasons,” alumnus Ailex Villamor said in a Facebook post.
“The UST open field was declared one of the five national cultural treasures inside the campus,” he added.
In a 2013 article by the Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, it was reported that the UST administration rejected the flood project, citing security concerns and the disturbance of its regular activities.”
The report said that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) proposed to dig a tank inside the university that would serve as a catchment basin.
“The flood water would be retained in the tank instead of being in the surface,” DPWH National Capital Region director Reynaldo Tagudando said.
Tagudando said the project would not change the field as the basin would be constructed underground.