President Dean Sinco Signs Contract for the Acquisition of Larena Drive Lot

Foundation University President Victor Vicente “Dean” Sinco recently signed the contract for the acquisition of two parcels of land, Lot No. 2523-A, a 4,341-square-meter lot, and Lot No. 2622, a 1,128-square-meter lot, along Larena Drive, Barangay Taclobo. The signing was witnessed by key university officials, including University Chancellor Dr. Charlotte Cariño, Vice Chancellor for Administration, Dr. Lucelle Saguban, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Support, Glene May Lusares, Vice Chancellor for Finance, Darlene Mae Mamhot, and the University’s Liaison Officer for External Affairs, Maria Corazon Bernardez.

The newly acquired properties are positioned between the national highway and Purok Santan, a brief distance from the perimeter of the Main Campus and about five-minutes of walk from the College of Nursing. Though not contiguous to the rest of the university’s holdings, its strategic location and spacious grounds provide convenient access to academic facilities and possibilities of potential use for development.

President Sinco noted that the acquisition opens opportunities not only for expanding and developing academic programs but also for strengthening the university’s capacity for research and community engagement. The increased space and accessibility will support and sustain the groundwork for the university’s long-term plans. President Sinco welcomed the development and emphasized that the institution’s growth is deliberate, and will continue to align with the university’s mission of delivering quality and accessible education.

Although no definite development plan has been laid out, President Sinco challenged the College of Nursing and the College of Business Administration to meet ambitious enrollment goals of about 3,000 and 1,000 students respectively. Should they reach these targets, they may be given portions of the lot to establish as their own dedicated campuses.

Enrollment figures have continued to climb this year, with 1,575 new college students and 370 Foundation Preparatory Academy (FPA) students admitted in total. This brought the new and transferee enrollment to around 1,900 students and raised the overall population to 4,583 in the college and 411 in the FPA, for a total of 4,994 active students. If the trend continues, projections indicate that the student population could grow to more than 7,000 in the coming years.

In the near term, the lots may serve as a temporary parking facility, with space for up to 200 motorcycles and 100 cars. The timeline for the development is still unsure and the options for utilization are open, but President Sinco assured that the project will progress and take shape in the coming phases of the university’s development.

At present, Foundation University is pouring its resources into many ongoing projects. One of these projects is the Paws Place Coworking Space that was officially opened on Friday, September 5. The completion of the new College of Nursing building is also expected to become operational in November. This multi-storey building will add 1,994.133 square meters of additional space, which will greatly increase the capacity and the reach of the program in the health sciences, having recorded a surge of admissions in the wake of the post-pandemic shift towards healthcare professions.