PEÑARANDA, Nueva Ecija – A new campus with an environment like that of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman or Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Science City of Muñoz.
This was what the municipal officials led by Mayor Ferdinande Abesamis envisioned of the new Peñaranda Academic Extension Campus (PAEC) of the state-run Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) that will be constructed at a two-hectare area here soon.
“There will be more shade trees to be planted here,” said Abesamis who, along with NEUST President Hilario Ortiz, led hundreds of students in planting caballero trees in the area recently.
The campus, according to Abesamis, will serve youths from this municipality as well as from the adjoining towns of San Leonardo and Gen. Tinio, whose parents may not be able to send them to Cabanatuan City.
“Our vision to provide a campus for NEUST in Peñaranda starts. Ito po yung ating vision na matagal na panahon na naming pinag-iisipan kung paano mabibigyan ng isang kaaya-aya, masaya at maaliwalas na campus ang NEUST -PAEC,” he said.
“Where the air is fresh, the grass is green – we will maintain these grasses, where people and students can co-mingle with each other and are not restricted to the four walls of their classrooms,” Abesamis said.
“What we envisioned is that students can come together under a tree, sit on the grasses and study there and to have a breath of fresh air,” he explained.
Ortiz, on the other hand, said that the municipal government assured him of putting up enough facilities in the campus.
“Totohanan na ito. The mayor assures us of a chair for every student, a room for every class, a building for every department,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz said it was a rare opportunity that a local government, even with a big budget, would provide for a campus to help youths reach their dreams of attaining quality education.
