A dormitory’s story

The Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity and the Phi Lambda Delta Sorority of the UP (University of the Philippines) College of Medicine through the efforts of Dr. Emmanuel A. Lat, president and founder of the Phi House Foundation Inc. (PHFI), have made the first known donation of a dormitory by a fraternity or sorority to their alma mater in the country. The dormitory is right beside the College of Pharmacy inside the UP Manila campus.

Back in 2005 and 2006, many Philippine government officials visited the United States asking the overseas Filipinos to invest in the Philippines. Feasibility studies started immediately and it was found that UP Manila was in need of a dormitory. A dormitory would be a good investment.

In January 2007, enough funds were pledged over a one-week period by Phi Kappa Mu fraternity members all over the world, communicating through the internet in order to build the first dormitory for UP Manila students and personnel. Phi House Corp. (PHC), an investing company, was registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The PHC worked hard for five long years to come up with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with UP with no success. The donors wanted a say in the running of the dormitory since the UP dormitories in Diliman and Cebu were going into disrepair. When UP president Alfredo E. Pascual assumed the presidency years later, he suggested that the investment be turned into a donation. He also suggested looking into the MOA of the Concordia Albarracin Residence Hall which provided for the running of the dormitory by a third party property manager. Thus, another corporation was registered with the SEC, the non-profit Phi House Foundation Inc. A law firm was hired to continue to come up with a MOA that will not violate any laws.

Page 2 of the Phi House MOA states: “Due to high cost of repairs and maintenance as well as age, the University, with its limited resources, finds the cost of operating and maintaining the existing residence halls, which are falling into disrepair, challenging.”

Page 5 Article III Section 3.1 of the MOA states that the Phi House will be run by a third party property manager and not by the University.

On Dec. 12, 2012, a few months after UP president Pascual started his term, he signed the Memorandum of Agreement with Dr. Lat and the presidents of the other Phi organizations.

Article IV Section 4.1 of the MOA of the Phi House dormitory stipulates that net proceeds, if any, will be donated back for projects of the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital. Project selection will be made by the donors based on their amount donated.

UP president Pascual, in his speech during the signing of the Deed of Donation on Feb. 23, emphasized that the number one priority will be the maintenance of the Phi House.

The donation was made through a naming rights agreement. A touch screen computer on the “Phi Wall of Honor” in the lobby will forever mention past, present and future donors and will be maintained by the Phi House Foundation Inc. The Phi House Wall of Honor lists the donors who come from all walks of life— Filipinos, Americans, UP graduates and non-UP graduates, even from competing organizations. This touch screen computer was manufactured and flown in from New Jersey.

Construction started in May 2014 and was finished by December 2014, ahead of schedule and within budget. A biometric entrance, fire sprinkler, closed-circuit television security and wifi systems were then added for a total donation of P32 million.

The Phi House is a four storey walkup building with about 30 units. Each unit can accommodate two or four people. Each unit has its own bathroom with a separate shower stall, toilet and sink so as to accommodate three people at the same time with privacy. There is a kitchenette with another sink and enough space for a small refrigerator and microwave oven. Each unit has an opening for an air-conditioner to be provided by the tenants if they so desire.

The Phi House had a forced soft opening in August 2015, when even prior to the signing of the Deed of Donation, first year UP Manila students, with no other place to stay, insisted on staying at the Phi House. The Phi House Foundation Inc. had to hire a live-in Phi House landlady to assure security for these brave pioneers. There are designated areas for the ladies and the gentlemen with strict enforcement of this rule, as requested by the parents of the students.

Service so far has been very satisfactory based on the feedback from the Phi House residents. The best practices from all over the world and the latest technology was being used in running the dormitory.

The Phi House now has about 70 tenants and can accommodate only a few more tenants. At the rate of P5,000 a month plus utilities, all tenants who used to stay in neighboring dormitories or boarding houses are now paying less than what they used to pay.

There is a Phi House housing scholarship program with one deserving scholar at present. The annual rent of P60,000 for the school year 2016-2017 has been paid for in advance. More deserving “poorest of the poor” scholars are being sought. The Phi House has also already provided housing for foreign exchange students and others with UP Manilarelated business, based on a different pricing rate, again with happy tenants.

On Oct. 4, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and former senator now Rep. Pia Cayetano thanked the Phi House Foundation Inc. and all the Phi House donors. The Phi House Foundation Inc. is now working so that the Phi House concept may be adapted again and again for the sake of the Filipino people.

The Phi House Foundation Inc. would like to offer assistance to any other foundation or organization that would like to use the Phi House concept and put up similar buildings in a short time to help the Filipino people with a gift that will keep on giving and forever recognize its donors. More donors are also welcome. The Phi House Foundation Inc. can be reached at PHFoundationInc@aol.com.