Thursday, August 30, 2007 UC builds P80M dormitory in Banilad
THE University of Cebu (UC) has invested P80 million to build a dormitory in Banilad, Cebu City for its students.
UC president Augusto Go said the Alicia Tower aims to cut off travel time and cost for UC Banilad students.
“They would spend about a hundred pesos or more for fares everyday,” Go told Sun.Star Cebu during the inauguration of the dormitory last Tuesday.
He also said the dormitory will minimize vehicle traffic in the Banilad area because students will just walk from the dorm to school.
Despite the high value of land in the area and the investment cost, Go said the rental rates for rooms in Alicia are affordable.
While dormitory rooms in Cebu City and Mandaue are “very expensive,” he said the rental rate for an airconditioned room at Alicia is P3,500 a month per student while a non-airconditioned room is only P1,500 for each student.
He said rental rate per student in dormitories and boarding houses in the area is about P1,200 per student, “and the places are dangerous and not heal-thy” for the students.
Peaceful, clean
Go said the building is conducive to learning because it is “well-ventilated, peaceful and clean.”
He said the building was built specifically to house nursing students preparing for their board exams but professionals and non-UC students may rent rooms.
He said, though, that UC students will be given priority.
Architect Omar Maxwell Espina said the rates that Go is offering are much too low and it would take several years before he (Go) would realize the return of his investment.
But Go said, even if it would take 10 years to recover his investment, he does not mind.
Maxwell said the affordability of rooms at Alicia may be because of the energy efficiency of the building.
He said the rooms and the entire building have open spaces that allows good ventilation. (TEP)
