The UPLB Housing Office (UHO) of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA awarded newly refurbished housing units to 17 qualified and deserving UPLB personnel.

In an awarding ceremony held at the Obdulia F. Sison Hall on March 26, 2024, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Roberto P. Cereno, together with Assistant to the Vice Chancellor and UHO Chief Benevieve D. Villanueva, formally turned over the signed contracts and keys of the housing units to the new beneficiaries.

Cereno congratulated the awardees and acknowledged UHO’s relentless efforts to enhance the staff housing units to provide an enabling community for university constituents. 

Villanueva referred to the university’s subsidized staff housing program as a reward and privilege for outstanding UPLB staff members who have contributed to the university and the broader community. 

She stressed that UPLB’s housing units must meet high safety and habitability standards while fostering a welcoming environment for its residents. Hence, UHO strived to comprehensively repair and restore all its available housing units before being awarded to the new occupants. 

In 2020, UHO set aside its original “as is where is” policy as part of its commitment to ensure that UPLB personnel have access to secure and well-maintained accommodations.

Before awarding, the applicants underwent a thorough and competitive evaluation process firmly based on the 2008 UPLB Housing Policies, Rules, and Regulations (UHPRR) merit selection guidelines. They were assessed for their length of service, educational attainment, income, dependents, merit awards, and additional assignments.

A seminar briefly followed the awarding ceremony to familiarize the new housing beneficiaries with the 2008 UHPRR.

UHO’s staff housing program is part of the UPLB Housing Opportunities for University Stakeholders and Employees (HOUSE). As one of OVCCA’s flagship programs, UPLB HOUSE aims to provide a dynamic on-campus living experience by providing exceptional service and prioritizing the safety and comfort of housing beneficiaries and university guests. (Angeli Louise T. Cando and Roi Mojado)