Mariano Marcos
State University

COE Academic Building Phase III breaks ground

By Ian Paul Villanueva

Construction for Phase III of the MMSU College of Engineering (COE) Academic Building, including site development and furnishing, has officially started following a groundbreaking ceremony on August 11.

Consisting of one building that would connect the Civil Engineering Building (Phase I) and the Coastal Engineering and Management Research and Development Center (COASTER) Building (Phase II), the new academic building is slated to be completed in May 2027.

With a budget of over ₱33 million, the facility will contain classrooms, faculty rooms, and the college’s administration office, marking what would be among the most significant infrastructure improvements in the college in recent years.

Describing the project as a way to invest in the students for them to get the best learning experiences possible, MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr., vowed to “endeavor to refurbish and retrofit our facilities.”

Noting how important learning experience can be to ensure effective instruction and good performance in the licensure examinations eventually, Dr. Manzano said, “We can start by providing comfortable facilities for our students. We have been looking for the right formula to improve our performance in engineering licensure examinations, but in my mind, we can start with comfort.”

The facility will also provide a needed expansion in capacity for COE’s growing student population. Currently, the college has over 2700 enrolled students in its eight program offerings.

The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Rev. Wilfredo Solmerin, who led the blessing of the building, MMSU Vice Presidents Dr. Aris Reynold Cajigal (Academic Affairs), Dr. Fides Bernardo Bitanga (Administration and Finance), and Dr. Mee Jay Domingo (Planning and Strategic Foresight), as well as representatives from VVH Construction Corporation, PPDO Personnel, and the faculty and staff of COE.