Feati transforms Quiapo district

A far cry from the old, dark and airless catacomb of structures constructed in 1946, a new FEATI University will soon rise with light, airy, see-through glass and chrome-steel from building to building to building.

The campus will consist of three six-story connected buildings. While the installation of academic facilities is expected to be completed in the next three years, executing the entire master plan will take about six to seven years as existing lease contracts expire, after which work can commence in those few remaining areas.

"We decided to embark on a massive reconstruction to address the crisis experienced by the university," FEATI CEO Francisco Araneta Segovia said. "A survey we conducted showed that the student population has dropped because of the perception that the school is no longer operational, and because of the physical environment and security problems. The respondents also commented that there is a need to update the university’s buildings and physical facilities, and modernize the faculty and administrative personnel and systems."

The report, he said, was a reality check which called for renewed focus on the school’s rehabilitation. After addressing the security problems, including the issue of unruly fraternities, the university officials turned to upgrading the school’s buildings and creating an environment conducive to learning, and creativity.

The exterior phase of the structures’ upper levels will be completed in June, followed by the entire ground and second floor, which will house university shops, internet cafes, service outlets and business establishments to complement the courses being offered in the university.

On the third floor of the refurbished buildings, classrooms and a Call Center training facility will be installed, among other features. The fourth floor will contain the Administration offices, computer laboratories and library. The Mechanical Engineering and Maritime departments also will be located on the fourth floor, furnished with cutting-edge laboratories and facilities, including a Navigational Simulator, which already is in-house.

Laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and various Engineering courses will be located on the fifth floor, which also will house the records office, the auditorium, the audio visual room, a music room, and a speech laboratory. The sixth floor will contain the Aeronautics and the Physical Education departments, and an assortment of facilities, including a chapel, a 300-seater cafeteria, the faculty center, the gymnasium, a music room, and a medical clinic.

A riverside promenade and a covered plaza at the ground level, and an electronic billboard displaying FEATI’s historic slogan, "Look up young man, look up," are added features.