“Keep thinking out of the box.” This was the message of UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan to the students and faculty of the College of Architecture on May 7, during the opening ceremony of Haraya 2019, the College’s five-day commemoration of its 63rd founding anniversary.
Haraya used to be an annual event but beginning this year, has become biennial. According to Dean Armin Sarthou, this allows for better preparation and consequently, a bigger celebration.
Haraya 2019 had a grand kick-off with the inauguration of two new structures in the College of Architecture complex: the seven-level Building 3 and the Benito Sy Pow Auditorium.
Currently, only the first four floors of Building 3 are being utilized as the top three levels are still undergoing completion. The College expects full use of the structure next year.
Meanwhile, the Benito Sy Pow Auditorium, donated by New Golden City Builders through its president, Manny Sy, still has a few more finishing touches to go. It was named in honor of the donor’s father.
Other activities in Haraya 2019 included an exhibit, the awarding of the best thesis, student recognition program, night of music, career talks, workshops, film showings, research colloquia, lectures, and a culminating event on the evening of May 11.
The College of Architecture recognizes 1956 as its foundation year, when the Architecture program was first offered in the University during the first semester of Academic Year 1956-1957. The program was still under the College of Engineering then. In the timeline of the College’s history, it notes that the first day of classes was on June 1, 1956, with 36 initial enrollees and its lone faculty member, Prof. Aurelio Juguilon.
