NIH Deputy Director for Research Operations Dr. Carmela Lapitan, VC Michael Tee, NIH PERI Director and NIH Building Committee Chair Leo Cubillan, BF Corporation Chairman Maria Lourdes Fernando, Chancellor Padilla, NIH Exec Director Eva Cutiongco Dela Paz, NIH Deputy Director for Admin and Finance Dr. Jose Tecson at the 19th floor of the new NIH building during the topping off ceremony on 9 December 2021.
December 13, 2021 — The remaining portion of the 19th floor of the new National Institutes of Health building was topped off with cement to celebrate the construction milestone of the first high-rise laboratory in the country. Two 20-peso coins and one peso coin were placed inside the hole to signify the year 2021. The 19-storey 35,800-square meter infrastructure is the first big-budgeted project of the UP System designed to be an iconic structure that will house 14 research institutes and four upcoming centers and facilities.
NIH Building Committee Chair Dr. Leo Cubillan mentioned that the 19-floor facility is actually a 25- to 30-storey building in height. “This is because the 8th to 17th floors are 5.3 meters high to accommodate the necessary laboratory mechanical, electrical, and ventilation systems.”
The small portion of the 19th floor to be cemented.
According to NIH Executive Director Dr. Eva Cutiongco-Dela Paz, the act of shoveling the last cement on the 19th floor is a symbol of galvanizing the intellectual might of this institution around a truly global ambition. “This new building will continue to remind us of our commitment to respond to the healthcare challenges of our country through research; and prepare researchers who will eventually have this as their new home.”
In his message read by Chancellor Carmencita Padilla, UP President Danilo Concepcion said that as a result of over a decade of planning, the first high-rise laboratory in the country is nearing its completion which will be utilized to benefit the Filipino people.
With the groundbreaking and time capsule laying done in 2016, Chancellor Padilla recounted the history of the project that was started by then Chancellor Perla Santos Ocampo. “We need the NIH family to continue the dream. Hindi pa po tapos ang pangarap, we are in the middle of the dream and we hope to make sure that this becomes the hub of health research in the country,” she said.
The sunrise view of the NIH building.
In a video message, UP Vice President for Development Elvira Zamora shared how handling a project as big and ambitious as NIH “gives me a keen sense of pride seeing the realization that both ambitions [are] slowly unfolding before my eyes. It is truly blood, sweat, and tears that we have finally reached this stage of this project.”
“When we started discussing this building in 2015, it took us about three years to finalize the design-build plan. When we are constructing our building, every milestone we overcome, we celebrate,” Chairman of BF Corporation Ms. Maria Lourdes Carlos Fernando said.
Moving forward, the timeline for the completion of Phase 1 or the structure and facade will be on March 2022; with the parking floors turned over early on February 2022. Phase II or the mechanical and electrical works shall be completed by the third quarter of 2022, and Phase III or the laboratory and offices fit-out in 2022-2023. The building turnover is expected by February 2023.
Anne Marie Alto
Published in the UP Manila Healthscape (Special COVID-19 Issue No. 34, December 2021)
