THE COLLEGE of Science is “not very keen” on transferring to the new Central Laboratories Building this term because of time constraints.
Science Dean John Donnie Ramos said the new building won’t be ready until September, after the accreditation visit of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa) that includes an inspection of facilities.
“To tell you honestly, we’re not very keen on moving also this semester, at least for the part of the College of Science. We will be undergoing Pacucoa accreditation come September. We don’t have enough time anymore to move,” Ramos said in an interview.
“After the accreditation na lang kami mag-ta-transfer, even if [the new laboratories] will be turned over to us [in the] middle of the semester,” he added.
Construction of the new building was proposed in 2014 after the UST administration’s assessment that chemicals in the Main Building laboratories have led to the deterioration of the heritage structure, Ramos explained.
“[The project is] a result of the decision of the University to move all laboratories in the Main Building, which is actually a heritage site. [T]he chemicals sitting within the drainage systems of the building [might] be the cause of its deterioration,” he said.
In a previous interview with the Varsitarian, Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy O.P. said chemicals in the laboratories were harming the Main Building.
“The reason is very simple: the [Main Building] is very old. [A] laboratory that uses chemicals can actually compromise the integrity of the building,” Fr. Dagohoy said.
The Main Building houses almost all the laboratory rooms of UST, specifically on the second, third and fourth floors.
The new Central Laboratories Building will house the laboratories of the College of Science, College of Rehabilitation Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy. It will also be shared with the Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences and the Laboratory Equipment and Supplies Office.
After the transfer of the laboratories, the vacated spaces in the Main Building will be converted into administrative offices, online resource units, faculty rooms and lecture halls, Ramos said.
According to a notice outside the new laboratory site, the project, which was handled by Malate-based construction company Ironcon Builders and Development Corp., began on Sept. 21, 2015 and would be completed on Sept. 14, 2016. Maria Crisanta M. Paloma and Alhex Adrea M. Peralta
