Soccer field due for renovation

By Danya Villarosa 

As a part of Dean Liza Corro’s Campus Development Project to landscape and beautify the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, a plan was made to retieve the old field behind the Cebu Cultural Center (CCC) and renovate the  field near the Administration building.

According to Juanito Karl Roque, the Associate Dean for Administration, the plan is to excavate the excess soil from the old field and transfer it to the field near the Administration building. The plan was implemented March of this year.

The field near the Adminstration building is uneven and too low compared to the landscape which was finished last summer. Roque said that they are going to level it one step lower to the landscape.  "We are going to fill it up with the excavated soil and  put carabao grass on it," he added.

The allocated budget for the landscaping and renovation of the old soccer field behind the CCC was around Php300,000, including the materials, labor and plants.

The problem now is that the plan to renovate the old field behind the CCC has been in a stagnant state.  According to Engineer Albert Bascon, Officer-in-Charge of the Campus Development and Management Office, the Duros Development Corporation was responsible for the excess soil piled in the area and they do not transfer the soil as often as they have to.

"Dili sila consistent nga everyday magkuha sa yuta, so mao na among giproblema kay dili ta mangunhan tungod ana (They are not consistent in removing the soil every day, we can’t move forward because of that,"  said Engr. Bascon.

As to the razing of the ground Engr. Bascon said that UP Cebu had no budget allotted for it because the Duros Development Corporation should be the one responsible.

Furthermore, last January 24, 2011 former Dean Enrique Avila approved the request of Green Peaks’s Vice President for Operations to utilize a portion of the UP lot situated at the left side of the Padgett Place as a temporary facility for their on-going construction.

Green Peak is a hotel built behind the UP High Campus and is underconstruction until now.

Green Peaks’ Chairman, Rafaelito Barino further wrote on January 26, 2011 to Dean Avila confirming their commitments to: (1) fill the UP Cebu soccer field with soil to prevent the usual flooding, (2) compact and evenly spread the soil and (3) put up soccer goals on measurements to be supplied by UP Cebu.

On February 1, 2011, a Memorandum of Agreement was presented to the campus that Green Peaks has donated excavated soil to level the UP Cebu soccer field and that the materials shall be compacted at their expense, provide five trucks of garden soil and was asked to haul the filling material beyond 6 pm so as not to disturb on-going classes.