President Benigno Aquino III during his last State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday mentioned a big university in Metro Manila which refused to cooperate with the government in building a flood control project.
The university turned out to be the University of Santo Tomas (UST) whom Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said refused to give way to a flood control project that involves the construction of a catchment area at its soccer field. The DPWH plans to dig out a retarding tank beneath the soccer field which will serve as storage for water during heavy rains, to be pumped out to waterways after a downpour. The open ground including the UST Main Building, Central Seminary and Arch of the Centuries has been declared by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Museum of the Philippines as National Cultural Treasures.
The UST administration opposed the project due to safety concerns and disturbance of normal operations in the university.
