By: Zabrina Hong, Nicole Llanderal
Colegio de San Juan de Letran's Topping-Off Ceremony of its Quadricentennial Building. Photo Courtesy Maverick Rhoy De Vera.
On September 14, 2024, Colegio de San Juan de Letran marked a historic milestone with the Topping-Off Ceremony of its Quadricentennial Building. The event began at 8 A.M. mass at the chapel, proceeding with the Ceremony and continued at the Salon de Actos, celebrating not just the structural completion but witnessing the enduring legacy of Letran’s 404 years of excellence in education.
The Topping-Off Ceremony of the Letran Quadricentennial Building was a special moment, made even more significant as it coincided with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Rev. Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, Jr., O.P., Prior Provincial and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Colegio was the mass celebrant.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross dates back to the early years of Christianity and is celebrated for two significant reasons. First, it commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, in 326 AD. Second, it marks the return of the Cross to Jerusalem in 628 AD after it had been taken by the Persians.
For Christians, the Cross isn't just a historical object; it represents the ultimate act of sacrifice and redemption. The celebration highlights Christ's triumph over sin and death, reminding believers of the hope found in His resurrection.
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Raymund Fernando P. Jose, O.P., the Rector and President of the Colegio, reflected on the symbolism of the cross and its connection to the new building. He shared how the construction had faced numerous challenges, from the disruption caused by the pandemic to the termination of the original contractor's services, which placed a financial strain on the Colegio.
Fr. Jose emphasized that the cross, much like the Quadricentennial Building, is a symbol of perseverance and triumph.
“This cross... this burden, this building... is a triumph of Letran,” he expressed, acknowledging the struggles and ultimate victory that this project represents for the institution.
The Topping-Off Ceremony of the Letran Quadricentennial Building
Proceeding with the Topping-Off Ceremony, it was held to mark a significant milestone in the construction of the Letran Quadricentennial Building project. The event commenced on the fourth level of the construction site with a solemn rite of blessing led by Rev. Fr. Raymund Fernando P. Jose, O.P., the Rector and President of the Colegio.
Several key figures led the ceremony, including Rev. Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, Jr., O.P., Prior Provincial and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Colegio, Rev. Fr. Raymund Fernando P. Jose, O.P., the Rector and President of the Colegio, Rev. Fr. Jose Martin Sibug, O.P., Prior of the Convent of St. John Lateran, Engr. Jose Maria Aligada, representative of the Board of Trustees, and Rev. Fr. Vic Calvo, O.P., the Colegio’s Athletic Moderator.
The Topping-Off Ceremony is an act of laying the first layer of the final concrete to represent the pivotal moment in the construction process. It’s a symbol that the building is finally taking its true shape.
“From here, there’s no turning back. Tuloy-tuloy na ‘to,” remarked Barbie Atienza, an alumnus of batch ‘80 and the host of the event.
In a short but impactful message, Rev. Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, Jr., O.P. highlighted the deeper meaning behind the topping-off. “This topping means a lot to our brothers in Letran. Because it is a topping against all acts… Topping is a ritual of hope.” He emphasized how, even though the construction was still in progress, the hope of seeing it completed made the ceremony ‘a beacon of hope’.
The spirit of the Colegio was also expressed in his words: ”Arriba is the cry of the spirit of a man who doesn’t want to give up, who wants to keep on fighting, and who will never give up until the end, and that is what makes this whole thing [occasion] possible, hopeful because of the Arriba spirit.”
Rev. Fr. Filemon further underscored the importance of alumni support, calling on former students to help see the project through its completion and keep the Arriba spirit alive. This Arriba spirit, synonymous with perseverance and resilience, was echoed throughout the ceremony, reminding everyone that the project was not just a building but a symbol of hope, determination, and legacy.
This Topping-Off ceremony was more than just a construction milestone, it was a testament to the unwavering dedication of the Colegio’s administration, faculty, alumni, and students. With hope and unity guiding the way, the completion of this monumental project is no longer a distant dream, but an inevitable reality for Deus, Patria, Letran.
The Challenges of the Old and the Hopes for the New
The old gym had served its purpose from a venue where students played, athletes trained, even serving as church sometimes as masses took place, to witnessing graduations and alumni homecomings.
In 2010, the Colegio had seen how the old gym endured years of service for the community as the realization dawned of needing more facilities to accommodate the community’s events along with the fact that the school had limited land area. Soon after, the vision of building a new one that would house more space for the whole Letran community came to life.
In 2019, the old gym was demolished as a starting point for building a new one. March 2020 when the official structure began; so did the COVID-19 pandemic took over the country which became a huge factor slowing down the construction of the project. Another factor was that the funding plans that were placed and realistic in 2019, are no longer realistic now as the resume of construction began.
“We were always looking forward to the rising of the new structure of the gym building. Medyo nag-worry kami noong after a while walang nangyayari, kasi nawala na nga ‘yung luma pero wala namang umaalsa na bago. Now that the structure is up, it gives a message of hope. I’m sure tuloy-tuloy na ‘yan, it’s just a matter of time to complete it.” Alumnus Barbie Atienza of Manila Bulletin, Batch ‘80, said in an interview of his perspective with the topping-off ceremony.
Today, as the project resumed, progress became evident in the eyes of the whole community. The schedule of construction is approximately 18 months and the Colegio hopes for the Letran Quadricentennial Building to open its doors sometime in the end of 2025; with consideration of the fact that some facilities will be ready earlier, but the completion of the entire building will be on the said target date.
Declining an interview, the new contractor, Engineer James Liong said in his short speech during the last part of the ceremony, “I am trying to do the project with the tight budget and time constraint. I want to finish this project as soon as possible para mabura ang impression before. Hopefully, we can finish this together soon.”
Deep appreciation for the Alumni, RBRA as the sponsor of engineers, CASAS Architects who helped during the planning stage, Letran Alumni Association, Letran Grupo de Fil-Chinos, and other general financial sponsors was done through presenting certificates. It is through this part of the ceremony that the Colegio proudly gives its thanks to the hands who helped in building the Letran Quadricentennial Building.
The Colegio then presented some of the highlight facilities of the new Letran Quadricentennial Building project during the ceremony at the Salon de Actos, where the Dominican priests, alumni and sponsors also gathered, such as the basketball court for both athletes and students, additional classrooms for P.E. classes, museum in which archives of the Colegio’s history from the old elementary building will be transferred, dorm area, hotel suite for possible guests and mainly for the students of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and trophy room where one can see Letran’s decades of victory.
“It [Letran Quadricentennial Building] will be functioning more than it used to,” Alumnus Barbie Atienza said.
Along with these facilities are packages for tools and equipment needed in which alumni and sponsors may give a hand. Scholarship packages were also introduced for those who are interested in helping students to study in the Colegio. Lastly, another main highlight of the project plan is also the use of solar panels as a step towards sustainability.
In an interview for his message to the Letran community, Fr. Jose, said, “Magtulungan sana tayo. Hindi lang ito project ng Letran administration. This is a project of the whole Letran community. This is our Letran Quadricentennial Building; pag-aari ng lahat ng Letranista. In whatever way, maliliit man ‘yan na tulong kapag pinagsama-sama nati ay dadami at makakatulong.”
As the Topping-Off Ceremony comes to an end, Rector President Rev. Fr. Raymund Fernando P. Jose, O.P., took the stage for the closing remarks stating his appreciation for the Letran Board of Trustees, Dominican priests, project management team who ensured that the construction continued, alumni engineers and architects along with other workers on the site, and to all the current and future benefactors for the project. “Superstructure” in the words of engineers is almost done and the designing process of the whole building will begin to finally finish the project. Fr. Jose then gave his last points of messages as his speech came to an end, “Napakalaki ng, sabihin na nating, krus, pero ngayon ay nakikita na natin ang hope na sinasabi ni Rev. Fr. Filemon. Sa lahat po, maraming salamat at tulong-tulong po tayo para matapos ang Letran Quadricentennial Building. Arriba Letran!”