In June 2018, PN Philippines moved its second centre-dormitory to a more student-friendly environment.
After six long years, we now have a new home for our second centre.
Throughout the years, PN Philippines (PNP) had two centres — Centre 1, where the dormitories of the first-year students, offices of the staff, and the computer laboratory are located; and Centre 2, where our second-year students are staying together with the volunteers and a few educators.
Parallel to the arrival of our newest batch of students, Class 2021, in the last weeks of June, we moved our Centre 2 to a more spacious and more attractive location — the former Carmelite seminary in Talamban, Cebu City.
Views of the new PN Philippines Centre 2
Finding a new centre to accommodate our second-year students have been PN Philippines’ dream for a long time. The old Centre 2 in Elizabeth Place, Talamban, Cebu City where we used to house students for years was no longer serving our purposes: they extended the building and the rents; they started to accommodate more people, no longer letting the students use the courtyard for their activities, so it became more difficult to organise events or sports.
We went on a hunt to find the right place for our students. It had to be walking distance from the University of San Carlos where our students have their classes; accommodate up to 90 students, one houseparent, and up to 10 volunteers; include common areas for cooking, laundry, as well as outdoor space for sports and events; plus an office space for the educators. After two years of searching, we finally found the perfect place.
Eleonore Iriart
Map of the two centres and the University of San Carlos
Unlike the previous one, the new two-storey centre is exclusively for PN. The first floor is where the kitchen, dining area, common hall, educator’s office, and a students’ bedroom are located. Meanwhile, the other 12 students’ bedrooms, the volunteers’ room, and the new computer laboratory are located on the second floor. The renovation of the computer lab was sponsored by our alumni through their Solidarity Act contribution while the computer units were donated by our partner company Accenture.
The creation of the new computer laboratory in the new Centre 2
Another highlight feature of the new centre is its wide outdoor activity area which has a mini stage where our students can hold their sports, education, training, and leisure events.
Students playing around the outdoor activity area of the new Centre 2
When I first saw how spacious the new centre is, I was excited. As someone who loves to play sport, I’m glad that the new centre can let us play a lot of sports like basketball, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis; we can now play during our free time without thinking about bothering other people. Also, the relaxing aura of the place gives me and the rest of our class a more convenient place for studying.
Maricris Joy AnunciacionThe entire PN Philippines family had been busy with the move for the past weeks. Students, staff, and alumni were hand-in-hand in doing the transfer from pre-planning to purchasing of materials, carrying of equipment, up to organising the interior design.
PN Philippines family in action for the move of the Centre 2
We still have a number of things to settle but I believe the new place is a real improvement and it has good vibes, lots of green spaces, and is already full of students’ laughter. It will take a few weeks to adjust but I am confident that this will soon be like a second home.
Eleonore IriartThe different facilities in the new Centre 2:
Students’ Bedroom
Kitchen
Hallway
Garden
With the new centre that we have, the PN Philippines team is excited and looking forward to seeing our students enjoy their centre life a lot better. This initiative is part of our everyday principle in looking for ways to provide the best quality of learning and living environment for our beloved students.