A new, verdant and peaceful haven is soon to rise in the Diliman campus—a place where, as UP President Angelo A. Jimenez put it, UP students and members of the UP community can reconnect and interact with Nature, with one another, and with themselves.
In the afternoon of October 4, in a portion of the Lagoon in front of the Faculty Center, the UP Portia Sanctuary was launched in a simple ceremony attended by UP System and UP Diliman officials headed by UP President Jimenez, UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan, UP Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Office of Student Development Services Director Ma. Shari Niña Oliquino, UP System Procurement Office Director Flor L. Ofilada; and members of the UP College of Law-based Portia Sorority and Portia Sorority Alumnae Association.
The UP Portia Sanctuary is a project by the UP Office of the President and the UP Office of the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs – Office Student Development Services (OSDS), in partnership with the UP Portia Sorority and its alumnae association. The UP Sanctuary is designed as a dedicated space where one can find solace and tranquility during periods of heightened psychological stress, providing a safe refuge for all members of the UP community, especially the students, faculty, and staff. The idea of the UP Sanctuary was originally conceptualized by the members of the UP Portia Sorority. Arch. Micaela Benedicto, an alumna of the UP College of Architecture, contributed her expertise by crafting the initial architectural designs.