The Campus Maintenance Office (CMO) held a capsule-laying ceremony on the morning of March 3 at the site of its new complex at the corner of Jacinto St. and C.P. Garcia Avenue with the help of the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC).

Inside the capsule are the March 3 editions of a local broadsheet, copies of the latest UP publications, and personal letters from the current CMO staff.

Located beside and behind the UP Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the new complex consists of five structures that roughly correspond to the CMO’s four major divisions: a workshop and storage for the building maintenance division, a greenhouse/storage area for the grounds services and arboretum division, a building for the dormitories and housing maintenance team, a five-story administration building, and a separate garage for the motorpool section to store the CMO’s various heavy vehicles. In the middle connecting the various buildings is a large open yard.

The complex is being built with funds from the HRVVMC. On the land where the CMO is currently situated, the HRVVMC is also set to construct the Freedom Memorial Museum, a memorial and museum dedicated to honoring the memory of the victims of the state violence and oppression during the Martial Law.

According to UP President Danilo L. Concepcion, when the HRVVMC approached the University about situating the museum on UP Diliman (UPD) land along C.P. Garcia Avenue (which according to him would be beneficial to UP on several levels), he took the opportunity to propose that the commission build a new home for the CMO since part of the land they want to put the museum in includes the current CMO complex.

“Maski naman hindi dumating ang HRVVMC, talaga naman pong kasama ang CMO sa listahan ng mga opisinang bibigyan namin ng tamang lugar upang maging kaaya-aya ang kanilang paggawa. Mahirap po kasi na parang itinapon lang sila sa isang sulok at nandoon pa nga, nakatabi sila sa [College of] Fine Arts, at nakita ko ang kanilang opisina ay hindi naman masyadong akma at komportable para sa kanilang mga ginagawa,” he said.

CMO Director Perlita Raña is happy about the development. She said that the pandemic proved that the CMO is one of the most essential offices not just for the University but also for the UP community.

“Napapanahon nang magkaroon ng panibagong building talaga ang CMO kasi isa rin talaga ito sa mga gulugod ng kampus. Ang laki-laki nitong kampus natin. Kapag walang CMO, mahihirapan talaga tayong mag-maintain so importante iyon. Tapos, nitong nakaraang pandemya, nalaman nating na essential ang kaniyang mga gawain dahil hindi ito huminto sa pagseserbisyo kasama ng UP Health Service,” she said.

Aside from the building, Raña said the thing that would complete and bolster the CMO’s capability to serve the UPD community would be the purchasing of vehicles to complement and/or replace the old ones that they are currently making do with.

“Dump truck. Number one yan. Pangalawa yung boom truck, iyong man-lift, iyong para sa pruning ng mga puno, importante iyan sa amin. Payloader, kapag tag-bagyo, kailangan namin ng mabilisang paglilinis na katuwang ng dump truck. Sana mayroon din kaming mini dump truck at Elf [light duty trucks] para sa hauling na madalas na hinihingi sa amin,” she said.

At the capsule-laying ceremony were UPD Chancellor Fidel R. Nemenzo, Concepcion, Vice President for Development Elvira R. Zamora, Vice President for Public Affairs Elena C. Pernia, Vice Chancellor for Development Raquel B. Florendo, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Aleli B. Bawagan, and Raña.  Also present were Carmelo Victor Crisanto, HRVVMC executive director, and Rene Escalante, HRVVMC co-chairperson.