More From Los Baños
When you visit Los Baños and UPLB in
the next weeks, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see things that appear to be
new.
On Lopez Avenue, as well as along the
National Highway, cutting through Los Baños Crossing, are fences as shown in
the picture. These fences, erected all
the way to Grove, keep pedestrians on the sidewalk rather than on the streets. To some degree, these fences are helping
control traffic on these very busy streets.
***
As we reported
last time, the Los Baños Centtro is now open, but with one occupant, a branch
of the Savemore Supermarket. The
building is still incomplete, and one wonders if the completion might not be
delayed since it was soft-launched a month ago.
The two wings on both sides of the main building – the main business
wing – are said to be residential wings, perhaps condos. I haven’t bothered finding out how much the
units cost.
***
As you enter the UPLB Main Gate,
like we reported last time, the street to the direction of the east, formerly
called Silangan, is now renamed Victoria M. Ella Avenue, and the one to the
direction of the west, formerly called Kanluran, is now called Jose R. Velasco
Avenue. If you continue your drive to
the UPLB Auditorium, and facing the hill beside the International House
building, you’ll see a new white arch, like a Shinto Temple marker, behind the
Thai Kiosk. Could this be a marker for
the site where Gen. Yamashita was reportedly hanged after WWII?
***
The streets intersecting each other where
the UPLB Auditorium stands today are the Harold Cuzner Street (formerly called
the Royal Palm Avenue, stretching all the way from the Main Gate), and the Jose
B. Juliano Street (all the way from the CVM compound to intersect with Domingo
M. Lantican Avenue towards the College of Forestry campus.
***
Moving on to the College of Forestry
and Natural Resources Campus, you pass by the UPLB Alumni Center, home for the
alumni while in Los Baños.
***
Close by, beside the College country
Club tennis court near the UPLB Health Services Center, is a marker for the
original site of the UP School of Forestry which was established on April 19,
1910.
***
Driving back down to the Lower Campus
through the SEARCA Dormitory complex, you proceed to the Animal Science and
Veterinary Medicine Complex. Of course, as every body knows, one of the
attractants at UPLB is the Carillon Tower, with all its 16 floors. Unfortunately, its bells are no longer
functioning. In any case, even when the
bells were still functioning, they could only be heard within the CVM compound,
which led a former CVM Dean to remark, “that’s the Carillon Tower of the
College of Veterinary Medicine.”
***
Beginning at DTRI, do you recognize
what’s new and what’s old with the Dairy Husbandry building? This building was constructed from 1937 –
1952, and hasn’t gotten any facelift since.
The DTRI bridge is still hanging on tough in spite of over use all these
years.
***
Remember this building? This was the former Pig Pen building of the
Swine Husbandry. It has a rust-colored
roof. Well, that’s real rust. The color of roofs of nearby buildings is
green.
***
At the Alumni Park, near the Carillon
Tower, is a new/y constructed fountain called Marya Fountain. The marker says, “Marya Fountain is our
tribute to women who exemplify commitment to honor, excellence and
service. Hereon, let generations of
women who come to UPLB derive inspiration from Marya. The Sigma Delta Phi (∑∆Φ) Sorority, 31 March
2012.”
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