The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on Thursday inaugurated a newly completed sports facility fully donated by the Jose Aliling Group, marking a significant boost to the university’s sports and wellness programs.
Named the Tau Alpha Sports Complex, the facility was turned over in a ceremony held at the UPLB Main Library, just a year after its groundbreaking in March 2025. The completion comes ahead of the university’s foundation day celebration on 6 March.
UPLB Chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. described the inauguration as timely, noting that the new complex will support the university’s expanding sports and wellness education initiatives.
“Your generosity brings more opportunities… to our constituents, especially the students,” Camacho said, adding that the university administration will ensure the facility is used strictly for sportsmanship, camaraderie and wellness.
The sports complex, donated entirely by the Jose Aliling Group, features basketball and pickleball courts with bleacher seating, a picnic area and a parking lot. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling also pledged to add a beach volleyball area.
Speaking on behalf of his family, Secretary Aliling emphasized that the donation was personal and rooted in their long-standing connection to the University of the Philippines.
“I am speaking now not as the DHSUD secretary but as a proud son of Tito and Evelyn and a proud brother of Pots, who are all alumni of the University of the Philippines-Diliman,” he said.
Engr. Jose “Tito” Aliling, founder of the Jose Aliling Group and a member of the Tau Alpha Fraternity, attended the turnover ceremony with his wife Evelyn. Members of Tau Alpha were also present, led by Tau Alpha Foundation Inc. Chairman Bert Mendoza.
The elder Aliling expressed gratitude to UPLB for allowing his family and company to give back to the UP community through the sports complex.
Secretary Aliling described the project as part of the family’s legacy, anchored on integrity and excellence.
“This project is not just a simple construction of a sports complex for us; it is something more personal than that. It is part of the conversation about who we are, what we believe in and the kind of legacy we want to leave behind,” he said.
“Today, we formally turn over the sports facility to the UPLB community, and we do so not just as a company handing over the keys but as a family sharing a piece of our hearts.”
He added that their family’s connection to Tau Alpha runs deep, citing the leadership roles held by family members within the fraternity and their commitment to its ideals of truth, character and service.