Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building
| Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building | |
|---|---|
BGPOP in 2025 | |
Location within Philippines | |
| Alternative names | Thomasian Alumni Center |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type |
|
| Location | corner of Ceferino Gonzales and Tamayo Drives, UST, España, Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°36′30″N 120°59′10″E / 14.6083°N 120.9861°E |
| Current tenants | UST Office of Alumni Relations, UST Communications Bureau, Tiger Media Network, UST College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters |
| Groundbreaking | February 4, 2010 |
| Construction started | 2011 |
| Completed | 2014 |
| Opened | August 2014 |
| Owner | University of Santo Tomas |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Abelardo M. Tolentino, Jr. |
The Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building, colloquially known as BGPOP, is a 23-storey building in Sampaloc, Manila in the Philippines. It is one of the major facilities built in the Manila campus of the University of Santo Tomas. It serves as the meeting place of all members of the university's alumni in the Philippines and abroad.[1]
The structure honors the name of Blessed Buenaventura García de Paredes, who was a law professor of the University and a Master of the Order of Preachers martyred in 1936 during the religious persecution in Spain.
The site is the original location of UST's gym, which was the largest in the Philippines when it was built. Given its historic importance to UST, the gym's front and rear façade were kept.[2] The adjacent Olympic-sized swimming pool was retained, yet refurbished.[2]
History
In June 2010, UST Rector Rolando dela Rosa visited the Thomasian alumni based in the United States.[3] He addressed the members of the alumni in the U.S., particularly the Thomasian medical practitioners to invite them to come home and join the festivities for UST's quadricentennial anniversary. This happened during the 18th Annual Grand Reunion and Medical Convention of the UST Medical Alumni Association in America or USTMAAA. During the event, the UST Rector acknowledged the association's pledge of US$1 million for the construction of the Thomasian Alumni Center.
The demolition of the original UST gymnasium started on April 6, 2011, after which construction began.[4] The building was completed in 2014, and opened in August of the same year.
Facilities
The alumni center has twelve floors and a mezzanine. The ground floor features a grand lobby that serves as the center's main converging point. The center's grand ballroom, known as the Dr. Robert C. Sy Grand Ballroom, is on the second floor. The third floor is the location of the Office for Alumni Affairs and the offices of each faculty/college-based alumni association. The center has hostel facilities for accommodation services for traveling and returning alumni.
Occupants
The Faculty of Arts and Letters used to hold some classes in the building from its completion in 2014 until 2016.[5] In 2020, the faculty returned to the building with the Department of Communication and Media Studies, which handles the Communication and Journalism programs.[6] In 2024, Faculty of Arts and Letters dean Melanie Turingan stated that the faculty intends to expand its presence in the building.[7] At present, the faculty occupies the 10th and 11th floors of the building.
The College of Tourism and Hospitality Management also transferred to the building in 2020. The college was previously based at the Albertus Magnus building.[8] The college currently utilizes the building's 4th to 8th floors.
Since its inception in 2017, the Graduate School of Law occupies the building's 4th floor.
The UST Senior High School held classes in the building when it was established in 2016. The Senior High School transferred to the Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, O.P. Building in 2019.[9]
The UST Educational Technology (EdTech) Center formerly occupied the building until its transfer to the Frassati building in 2020. It shared the 12th floor with the university's Communications Bureau (which handles Tiger Media Network) when it was founded in 2018. The latter currently occupies the entire 12th floor. The Office of Alumni Relations and the individual alumni chapters of each faculty and college are located on the building's 3rd floor.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b Father Rector's Message to USTMAA's 16th Grand Reunion Archived August 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved February 10, 2011
- ^ a b Alumni Center, UST marker, 'Simbahayan' launched, Retrieved February 10, 2011
- ^ UST Rector visits Thomasian Alumni in the US Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved February 10, 2011
- ^ [1], Retrieved May 23, 2011
- ^ Dino, Maria Eden (August 2, 2017). "Artlets to share building with Grade 12 HUMSS students". Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Angco, Jamilah B. (December 19, 2020). "Communication, journalism, tourism set to transfer to BGPOP". Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Weng, Mei Lin (March 16, 2024). "AB eyeing to use more classrooms in BGPOP". Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Angco, Jamilah B. (December 19, 2020). "Communication, journalism, tourism set to transfer to BGPOP". Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ "New building welcomes 3,531 SHS students". September 7, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2024.