August 9, 2011, 3:59am [ mb.com.ph ]
MANILA, Philippines — Officials from UP and Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) signed a contract recently to develop UPD’s East Campus Property where the UP Integrated School (UPIS) high school campus is currently located.
UP President Alfredo Pascual, ALI President Antonino Aquino and ALI VP Maria Corazon Dizon were the signatories to the contract.
Attending the contract signing were UP VP for Legal Affairs Danilo Concepcion, VP for Public Affairs J. Prospero de Vera, VP for Development Elvira Zamora, UPD College of Education Dean Dina Ocampo, UPIS Principal Ronaldo M. San Jose, Dr. Carol Sarthou of the UPIS Alumni Association, Pristine Cammayo of the UPIS Student Council and Architect Christopher Espina.
UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma and Atty. Ma. Carmela Ignacio of Ayala Land were official witnesses to the signing.
“This will be an added project to a partnership that began a few years back,” Pascual said. “I hope this partnership will flourish to the mutual benefit of both organizations.”
Aquino, for his part, called the partnership “another milestone.” He said that ALI hopes to “learn from the insights that we managed to attain with the previous development [of the UP-Ayala Technohub] and come up with another world-class facility that will complement the great minds that the university has.”
The agreement allows for the reintegration of the UPIS high school within the UPD campus core.
The new UPIS high school campus, to be created at minimal cost to the university and designed by UP architects, will be located at the site of the decommissioned Narra Dormitory.
Its relocation near other units of the UPIS and its parent unit, the UP College of Education, will enable the creation of an Education Complex which aims to improve the coordination among the units involved. The new UPIS campus will be designed to be both technologically-advanced and energy-efficient, while at the same time adhering to acceptable environmental guidelines.
The vacated property will be developed into a mixed-use establishment.
The proposed University Town shall be consistent with the UPD Land Use Plan and academic development goals, converting the area into a significant resource generator for the university to support its academic research and extension functions while providing students, staff and faculty convenient access to a variety of products and services.
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