Sy Foundation, Ateneo de Naga break ground on historic campus building reconstruction

The Henry Sy Foundation Inc. (HSFI) and Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) have officially begun the reconstruction of the 85-year-old administration building at the university’s Bagumbayan Campus, a move seen to benefit generations of Bikolano learners.

The groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of the restoration of the multipurpose structure, which has housed classrooms, a chapel, a library, faculty rooms, and a science laboratory since its construction. The reconstruction aims not only to preserve the building’s historic character but also to enhance it with new facilities for students, alumni, and partner communities in the region.

Once the project is completed, the building will be renamed the Henry Sy Sr. Hall, in tribute to the late founder of the SM Group and longstanding advocate of education and community development.

The initiative is part of HSFI’s ongoing commitment to support educational infrastructure nationwide. Past projects include various school facilities such as the Henry Sy Sr. Building at the Immaculate Conception Academy in San Juan; the Henry Sy Sr. Innovation Center at Miriam College in Quezon City; the Henry Sy Sr. Primary School Building at Xavier School in Laguna; the National University (NU) Nazareth School in Manila; and the NU Sports Academy in Calamba.

Other notable facilities named in Sy’s honor include halls at the University of the Philippines in Bonifacio Global City and Manila, De La Salle University Manila, the University of Santo Tomas, Quezon Hall at West Visayas State University, and the Philippine School for the Deaf in Pasay City.

The project is expected to strengthen the foundation’s legacy of helping shape quality education across the country while elevating Ateneo de Naga’s historic campus to meet future academic and community needs.