DPWH, UP ink pact for P100-M College of Law building

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the University of the Philippines (UP) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of a P100-million College of Law building at the UP Visayas (UPV) campus.

The MOA was signed on Sept. 6 by DPWH-6 Director Sanny Boy Oropel, DPWH Undersecretary Eric A. Ayapana, and top officials of the UP system.

UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano said the agreement is a significant development for the UP College of Law extension program, which primarily serves students from the southern Philippines.

Regarding the building’s location, Camposano said discussions are ongoing. “Our aim is to avoid overbuilding the city campus. We want to maintain it as a cultural heritage hub, as we have many campuses across the region,” he explained.

Camposano noted that most enrolled students are from Cebu, Palawan, and Mindanao, rather than Iloilo.

“The market for this UP-branded law program extends to the southern half of the country,” he added.

UPV Iloilo City Campus launched its law extension classes in September 2021. The pioneer batch includes graduates from UP Visayas, UP Cebu, UP Mindanao, Mindanao State University, and Central Mindanao University.

“The program is growing, with around 100 students. Next year, some will take the bar exam,” Camposano said.

In addition to the law building, the MOA includes the rehabilitation of the UP Visayas School Building in Iloilo, worth P10 million, and the expansion of the UP Extension Campus in Pandan, Antique, worth P30 million.

Camposano also shared plans to establish a resilience academy at the UP Campus in Pandan, which will provide training programs for local officials in climate change adaptation and coastal resource development.