Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo expressed their wholehearted thanks to Manila Second District Representative Roland Valeriano, who will shoulder the funding of the construction of the soon-to-be raised new 10-story annex building in Vitas, Tondo to be utilized by the Universidad de Manila (UdM) for its groundbreaking ceremony scheduled on Thursday.

Lacuna praised Valeriano for the project, saying the annex building will enable the UdM to accept more students as she stressed how the UdM — located near the Manila City Hall and headed by Dr. Felma Carlos-Tria as its president — has already become congested, given its current student population.

Valeriano said he has decided to help Lacuna with the project, stressing that while it had always been the mayor’s dream to build another college in Manila, her hands are tied because of the P17.8 billion debt left by the previous city administration which she honored and continues to pay.

According to Valeriano, the planned UdM annex which will be located in Vitas, Tondo and which will sit on a 1,500 square meter lot would be a fulfillment of Lacuna’s dream, since it will happen during her term.