THE REHABILITATION of the UST open field, which began at the start of the academic year, is expected to be completed in time for Paskuhan season, the Facilities and Management Office (FMO) said.
FMO Director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P. told the Varsitarian that the field has been undergoing soil augmentation, or the process of enriching ground soil by adding materials that will strengthen its composition, structure and permeability, since August.
“The continuous soil erosion due to rains and flooding caused the field to lose much of its soil,” Austria said. “Additionally, the soil quality has deteriorated over the years.”
When completed, the rehabilitation of the open field will make it more compact and better suited for grass.
Roughly one-third of the open field is undergoing soil improvement.
Austria said the FMO also worked on improving the drainage system around the field “for a more effective discharge of stormwater.”
“Our drainage system is badly damaged because of soil erosion and root heave,” he said. “We need to rehabilitate the drainage underneath the concrete pavement.”
The repair of the drainage system under the concrete walkways began in August and finished in September.
The new stormwater drainage system, which can take in 11.25 million liters of water, equivalent to four-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools, was completed in 2021.
Some areas of the campus, including the open field, still experience flooding during heavy rainfall.
There have been five instances of class suspensions due to inclement weather in UST since the academic year opened on Aug. 3.
The grand Paskuhan concert will be held on Dec. 21.
