UP inked 10 memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday, September 6, to cement a partnership for the implementation of infrastructure projects across the UP System.
“I really believe that the relationship of UP and the Department of Public Works and Highways is reaching a golden age today—and we want to keep it that way,” UP President Angelo Jimenez declared during the “historic” ceremonial signing of 10 MOAs “in one fell swoop.”
The MOAs put into effect Section 5 of the 2024 General Appropriations Act’s (GAA) Special Provision Applicable to the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), which provides that DPWH “shall implement the project of SUCs” that exceed PhP5 million. Among the projects to be implemented by DPWH in partnership with the University are the development, construction, and completion of several infrastructure and facilities in UP Manila (UPM), UP Visayas (UPV), UP Mindanao, UP Cebu, and the UP Philippine General Hospital (PGH), with a combined allocation of more than PhP1.8 billion in UP’s budget under the 2024 GAA.
Key officials from UP’s constituent universities joined Jimenez in the signing of MOAs, including: UPM Chancellor Michael Tee and Vice Chancellor Jose Tecson III; UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano; UP Cebu Chancellor Leo Malagar and Vice Chancellor Hazel Trapero; and UP PGH Director Gerardo Legaspi.
The DPWH, meanwhile, was represented by Undersecretary Eric Ayapana, along with some of the Department’s regional directors.
Ayapana stated that the signing of these agreements “not only marks the beginning of a strengthened partnership” between UP and DPWH, but also the two institutions’ “commitment to serve the Filipino people, especially the Iskolar ng Bayan.”
“We are solidifying our shared vision of advancing education and infrastructure, ensuring that our students—the future leaders of our nation—have access to facilities that will foster learning and education,” he said.
New campus in Dasmariñas unveiled
Also among the projects to be jointly implemented by UP and DPWH is the construction of a new campus within the 3,500-hectare Villar City in Cavite, which is finally set to commence following the groundbreaking ceremony earlier that day.
The UP Dasmariñas (Technology Innovation Campus at Villar City) will rise on a five-hectare lot within Villar City’s University Town compound, which was officially donated by Fine Properties, Inc., represented by Manny Villar Jr. and Cynthia Villar through a Deed of Donation signed in 2022.
Former senator and Villar Group of Companies Chairman Manuel Villar Jr., shared that he and his wife, Senator Cynthia Villar, both BS Business Administration alumni of UP, agreed to donate part of their property for the development and construction of the new campus as a way of giving back to their alma mater.
“Napag-usapan namin na, at least, kailangan, may maibigay tayo sa University. Ano naman ang maiiwan mo sa University mo na nagbigay sa’yo talaga ng [edukasyon]?” Villar asked.
The campus, according to DPWH Region IV-A Director Jovel Mendoza, will be housed in a six-story building with a total floor area of 22,932 square meters. It is envisioned to be “a beacon of knowledge and learning, [and] a driving force for technological advancement in Cavite.” P300 million has been earmarked for the construction and development of the campus under the 2024 GAA.
Jimenez hoped that, in building the new campus, “UP would not only be bringing some of our brightest talents, but building some of our most iconic and forward-looking structures that can inspire the country to greater heights.”
Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer Barzaga also thanked UP for choosing the city to build “a place where students will be empowered to explore their passions, develop their skills, and prepare to make impactful contributions to our society.”
