Eastern Samar State University took center stage in the fulfillment of its mandate by presenting its Land Use Development and Infrastructure Plan (LUDIP) before all the stakeholders via an online conference on August 20, 2024.
The ESSU leadership was ably represented by the Vice President for Administrative Services, Dr. Rhodora C. Mendoza, who opened the session with a welcome message and rationale for the gathering. Members of the ESSU's Infrastructure Planning Development and Engineering Services (IPDES) and the rest of the LUDIP Technical Working Group (TWG), which includes teams from all seven (7) campuses of the University, provided an inclusive AVP presentation and addressed questions from the participating LGU representatives from the different municipalities and barangays of the province and from the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).
LUDIP implementation is in adherence to R.A. No. 11396, An Act Requiring State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to Prepare and Implement a Land Use Development and Infrastructure Plan that Shall Include the Construction of Dormitories for Students and Housing Sites for Employees. In the long term, this also assures that the University's physical assets are properly equipped, upgraded, and serve the interests of its students and employees.
With considerations of the various elements that affect implementation, the LUDIP provisions will be revisited every three (3) years to ensure that the entire program stays updated and relevant up to ten (10) years into the future. In the entire planning, compliance with other relevant legislation, such as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (R.A. 9513), the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (R.A. 10121), the Safe Spaces Act (R.A. 11313), and the Amended Magna Carta for Persons with Disability (R.A. 9442), was also carefully taken into account.
In the forging of its LUDIP, the Technical Working Group also recalled their "Dagway" journey. In the vernacular, dagway means external profile or appearance, referring to how ESSU sees itself ten (10) years into the future.
In his closing message, Institutional Planning & Development Office (IPDO) Director, Dr. Andy A. Lapada, of ESSU Main Campus, expressed that while LUDIP compliance is part of the University's mandate, more importantly, the framework formulated out of the TWG's hard work also serves as a blueprint for a future that is disaster proof and sustainable. ESSU's LUDIP also works as a model for other government organizations as a comprehensive guide in implementing their own properties and infrastructure projects.
