UP President Alfredo E. Pascual, UPLB Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. and Rodolfo V. Tolentino, president of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Los Baños, Inc. (YMCA-LB), signed an agreement to join forces in pursuing the common goal of youth development.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP. UP President Alfredo Pascual holds the signed MOA with YMCA-LB President Rodolfo Tolentino, both pose with the UPLB and YMCA-LB negotiating team.
The signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which took place on Jan. 30 at Quezon Hall in UP Diliman, Quezon City, signals 20 years of unity and cooperation between the University and YMCA-LB. The MOA had earlier been approved by the UP Board of Regents at its 1324th meeting on Jan. 26.
According to Chancellor Sanchez, YMCA-LB owns a piece of land inside the UPLB campus, and thus, can build anything in this property. He explained that the MOA will ensure that the academic integrity of the UPLB campus, as stipulated in Sec. 13 of RA 9500, is maintained, despite this.
Dr. Serlie Barroga-Jamias, vice chancellor for community affairs and the lead negotiator for UPLB for this MOA, said that it provides the ‘rules of engagement’ among the partners in pursuing programs for UPLB students and constituents, i.e. construction of student dormitories.
Dr. Jamias further explained that the MOA provides for the formation of a joint oversight committee among the parties in overseeing dorm construction in campus, implementing construction protocols, minimizing environmental impacts, ensuring safety and security of the dorms, and managing the University’s resources such as power, water, and spaces.
YMCA-LB President Rodolfo V. Tolentino expressed his optimism that the MOA will further strengthen the longstanding relationship between UPLB and YMCA-LB. “UPLB and YMCA-LB have been partners for 93 years now. In fact, YMCA-LB was the first YMCA branch established outside Manila in 1923,” he said.
BEHIND THE SCENES. The UPLB and YMCA-LB negotiating team crafting the MOA at the OVCCA Conference Room in one of its meetings.
Witnesses to the signing were UP Vice President for Development Elvira V. Zamora and VC Jamias, while witnesses from YMCA-LB were Corporate Secretary Sally Tumambing and General Secretary Rolito H. Bacalangco.
Also present at the occasion were Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development Marish S. Madlangbayan and Atty. Florinida A. Blanca, both members of the UPLB negotiating team; Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Rex Demafelis; and OVCCA technical staff Miguel Victor T. Durian.
Members of the YMCA-LB Board of Trustees (BOT) who were in attendance were Assistant Treasurer Sofia G. Tidon, Auditor Lolita L. Vega, PRO Fredelino E. Fajardo, Assistant PRO Fredita Q. Villamayor, Ms. Jasmin J. Acain, and Mr. Magtanggol B. Hernandez. (Miguel Victor T. Durian)
