“PUPUWEDE naman palang di mangutang para makapagpatayo ng isang mataas na paaralang gusali. Pupuwede palang lumapit lang sa isang kaibigan at manghingi, isang kaibigan na nagmamalasakit di lang sa kanyang distrito kundi sa buong Maynila.”
Thus said Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna as she announced that the Universidad de Manila (UdM) which is being run by the city government and headed by President Dr. Felma Carlos-Tria, will soon be able to accept more students specially from Tondo, noting the number of students who want to avail of the city’s free college education complete with monthly allowance.
Vice Mayor Yul Servo, Congressman Rolan ‘CRV’ Valeriano with daughter Christine and Dr. Tria led the groundbreaking on a new, ten-storey annex building for the UdM, which will be built in Vitas, Tondo. Also present were second district Councilors ‘Dr. J’ Buenaventura, Macky Lacson, Uno Lim, Rod Lacsamana, Roma Robles and David Chua.
In their message, Lacuna and Servo noted how Valeriano showed his genuine concern for Manila by allotting funds for the building of the UdM annex building in the first district, even if he is a Congressman representing the second district of Manila.
“Pupuwede rin pala. Kaya ako, di ako nahihiyang manghingi o lumapit sa mga taong alam kong makakatulong sa ating lungsod. Di ko na pinabibigat pa ang obligasyon ng ng ating lungsod dahil alam ko meron pang ibang mapupuntahan ang mga pondong nasisinop natin, napupunta sa allowance ng mga mag-aaral pero ang gusali, puwedeng-pwede naman palang ipanghingi. Maraming-maraming salamat, Congressman Valeriano,” the mayor said.
Lacuna, citing statistics provided for by Tria, noted that most of the students from the UdM are Tondo residents and thus stated that with the new annex building, more youngsters from Tondo will be able to pursue free college education and enjoy the monthly allowance being given by the local government on top of the quality education from UdM.
For his part, Valeriano thanked Speaker Martin Romualdez whom he said helped him get funding for the project, which was requested by Lacuna, who said that her heart bleeds for those who do not make it to the cut off, since there is a limit to the number of students that can be accommodated at the UdM, owing to its capacity limit too.
“Ito ay isang pakiusap at utos ng isang kaibigan at isang mayora. Pareho ko na produkto ng isang public school, pangarap ng mga batang Tondo na makapag-kolehiyo. Ang sabi niya (Lacuna), sana makapagpatayo tayo ng gusali pero sana walang utang,” Valeriano said.
“Hindi po imposible dahil madaling nagawan ng paraan sa pakikipagtulungan sa Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, ako po ay nakakuha ng pondo. Maraming salamat kay Speaker Romualdez at gayundin kina Mayor Honey at Vice Mayor Yul, dahil ipinagkatiwala ninyo ang lupang ito, kaya matutupad na di lang ang pangarap ko at nina Mayor Honey at Vice Mayor Yul, kundi maging ang pangarap ng mga taga-Tondo na makatapos ng kolehiyo,” Valeriano added, stressing that the building would be his legacy.
He added: “Iba talaga si mayora. Di magaling sa salita pero madaming ginagawa…iba pa ‘yung magaling lang magsalita, maraming wento walang wenta. Sa pamamagitan ng annex na ito ay madami pang kabataan ang makapagpapatuloy ng pag-aaral sa kolehiyo nang libre. ‘Wag ho kayong mag-alala, ang laway ko ay naisasanla, hindi ako kakalaban sa inyo kahit kailan.”
Tria meanwhile expressed gratitude to Lacuna, Servo and Valeriano for supporting the UdM, as she bared that the university currently has a student population of over 10,000, so that in order to accommodate more than its actual capacity, classes are held at night and even on weekends.
She said that the success of the UdM in now being at par with private universities is largely due to the backing that her administration gets from Lacuna herself.
