THE establishment of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) professional schools in Davao Region are expected to boost the business sector, an executive said.
Sharlene Faye Lim, LTS Malls Incorporated president, said during the Urban Land Institute Philippines Forum at NCCC Mall Buhangin that the establishment of the schools will help train business leaders in Mindanao.
Lim said the entry of schools like UA&P will help promote Davao and attract more developments.
Lim said there are a lot of people in Davao who want to pursue a business education but could not go to Metro Manila.
“There are many things happening here in Davao and there are a lot of people who need that education,” Lim added.
UA&P Business Schools will become part of the eight-hectare NCCC mixed-use community in Panacan, Davao City.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines – Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment (UP-PSAE) of the UPLB will be located in the 88-hectare mixed-use Agriya complex in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
Agriya is an agricultural compound project of Damosa Land Incorporated, real estate arm of Anflo Investment and Management Corporation (Anflocor).
“Well you know in our case, one thing we always told ourselves is why would we send our best and brightest minds outside Mindanao if we can retain them here?” Damosa Land vice president Ricardo F. Lagdameo said during the forum.
Lagdameo added that it will only be fitting to have a premier agricultural academic institution like UPLB in Panabo City because the local economy is largely driven by agriculture.
Damosa Land donated a 32,000-square-meter property for the school while UPLB is spending about P271 million for the infrastructure.