PMO assures no neglect in completion of Student Center, reqs in PalSU buildings
By Lucky Arcenas, Ria Rodriguez, Rhey Flores | posted 08/07/24
The Project Management Office on Friday, June 28 has guaranteed accomplishments in the construction of the Student Center, as well as meeting other requirements needed in other buildings, such as the Academic Building B which was barred from use due to reasons of electrification and loss of occupancy permits.
PMO eyes completion of Student Center in 2025 amid yearslong wait
The completion of the much-anticipated Student Center at Palawan State University — Tiniguiban Campus has been rescheduled for next year, following a series of delays.
According to the Project Management Office (PMO), currently in Phase 3, the project has encountered various challenges, aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, that have impeded its progress.
The primary reasons for the delay, include budget constraints necessitating phased construction. The current phase, Phase 3, was originally planned to be completed by July 23–25 this year. However, the procurement process for the next phase is still ongoing, which will add more days before the project can be awarded to a winning bidder.
Additionally, design improvements have contributed to the setback. During the construction, the project’s designer noticed some needed improvements in the design, leading to variation orders. The process of amending the contract requires approval from the Board of Regents, which has contributed to the delay.
Despite these setbacks, the Board of Regents has approved an additional 15 million pesos for the completion of the project. The PMO is currently preparing the complete staff work, which is approximately 90% complete, and will soon forward it to the Bids and Awards Committee for the procurement process.
Once the project is awarded to the winning bidder, the construction is expected to take 180 calendar days. However, with the current procurement process still ongoing, the actual construction is not expected to begin until next year.
On-an-offs in the Stude Center construction create inconvenience among student-officers
The said project was conceptualized in 2016 by the preceding University student governments and would be used supposedly by multiple accredited student organizations. However, it met interruptions in the completion of the said establishment due to the negligence brought by the former contractor Kayano Trading and Construction, as well as poor funding.
In an interview with former student officers, the preceding Student Lead Judge Dave Escala said that there was poor fund allocation on the construction of the Student Center during his time as an acting secretary under former President Mac Kirby Lumakang, which led to its slowdown. “We have already finished our term and position, yet this building is still unfinished,” he said to the Publication on its Academic Year 2022–2023 release.
Completion of requirements in the other stude buildings underway
In a related development, the Academic Building B, used by the College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) and College of Sciences (CS) has already obtained an occupancy permit and is currently undergoing the energization process. The Architecture Building is also in the process of obtaining an occupancy permit.
It can be recollected in 2023 that many students, specifically those from CAH and CS, were prohibited from using Academic Building B due to the loss of electrification and an occupancy permit.
The university management assures furthermore that all ongoing projects are being closely monitored and that no project is being neglected.
