A new seven-storey building that will house the University Library, the Interactive Learning Center, the Information Technology Center, and the executive offices will soon rise along the stretch of campus dormitories facing the Freedom Park.

The building, to be called the University Library and Knowledge Center (ULKC), had its groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 4.

ULKC is expected to be completed after two years. Its Phase 1, which entails the construction of the first four levels of the building, has a contract budget of PhP 187,148,145.96.

UP President Danilo L. Concepcion and Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. led the symbolic time capsule-laying that signaled the official construction of the edifice.

According to Chancellor Sanchez, the construction of ULKC is part of the on-going efforts to provide an enabling environment that will inspire creativity and innovation among UPLB constituents.

He said that once completed, the building will be a testament to UPLB’s resilience after all the challenges that it had weathered.

In his message at the groundbreaking ceremony, President Concepcion stressed the need to push through with the construction of ULKC in the midst of the pandemic so that it will be ready for use by the students when the country’s situation has normalized.

He also assured UPLB of the commitment of the UP System to complete the construction of the ULKC.

Also attending the event were Atty. Gaby Concepcion, lecturer at the UP College of Law and a public service advocate; Dr. Sue Liza Saguiguit, assistant to the chancellor; and the UPLB vice chancellors, namely: Dr. Marish Madlangbayan (planning and development); Dr. Portia Lapitan (academic affairs); Dr. Crisanto Dorado (administration); and Atty. Eleno Peralta (student affairs).

Also present were Jovel Mendoza, assistant regional director of DPWH-Calabarzon; Anna Mae Lamentillo, chairperson of the Build Build Build Committee-DPWH; Edison Ng and Mariano Arce, chairman and architect-designer, respectively, of DevEx Inc., the contractor of ULKC; and Alex Mejia, national president of the All-UP Workers Union. (Jessa Jael S. Arana)