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CONSTRUCTION OF the University of the Philippines Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment (UP PSAE) at the Agriya complex in Panabo City is targeted to start this year alongside preparations for manpower recruitment. “In terms of the actual physical construction, I think hopefully by the end of this year or early next year it will be started. They’re ready to go and they want to begin the project as well,” said Ricardo F. Lagdameo, vice-president of Damosa Land, Inc. (DLI), which owns the 88-hectare mixed-use Agriya complex. The UP PSAE, under the wing of UP Los Baños (UPLB), is intended to strengthen the agriculture sector as well as help UP Mindanao, located in Davao City, and other state universities and colleges in Davao Region through the development of research and academic programs. “I think starting this year, they’re going to bring in already their staff members or the ones in charge because they have to start the application process and recruiting people,” Mr. Lagdameo said in an interview last week. DLI is donating the area for the UP PSAE campus. UP PSAE is already offering graduate programs such as MS in Plant Pathology through an off-campus scheme with classes held at the Anflocor complex in Davao City. Other planned programs are MS and PhD in Environmental Science. As for Agriya, which was launched last year, Mr. Lagdameo said: “There’s a lot of movement already on the site since it was launched last year. We already cleared the initial areas and works on land development is ongoing.” — Maya M. Padillo

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