Handumanan – a Hiligaynon term meaning remembrance or keepsake. This is what the two heritage buildings in the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) mean to its alumni.

The Old High School (OHS) and the old Woman’s Club (WC) buildings were built in 1952 and 1953, respectively. They were home to generations of high school and college students, teachers, and staff alike. They held different functions throughout the decades. The OHS started as the Home Economics and cafeteria building, then later housed classrooms, faculty rooms, music room, computer room, and clinics. The WC was a venue for gatherings, recreation, training, and student/personnel support offices. Recently, an alumni group’s restoration efforts of the two buildings have been fulfilled.

The plan was first announced during the “2020 UPV Alumni Zoomcoming” organized by the UPV Office of Alumni Relations (OAR). It was the first-ever virtual homecoming held in the UP system during the pandemic. In his keynote speech, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza (HS ‘65 UPIC, BA ‘69 UPI) announced on behalf of his high school class, the UPIC High School Class of 1965, their donation of P300,000 for the establishment of the Historical Preservation Initiative.

The initiative pave the way for alumni-led projects, the first of which is the Handumanan Project: the preservation of the two heritage landmarks in the Iloilo City campus, the OHS and the WC. The project was a tribute to memory and the alumni’s effort to preserve UPV’s architectural and educational legacy.

Headed by then OAR Director Dr. Rey Carlo T. Gonzales, the Historical Preservation Committee gathered historical information on how the two buildings were originally built, used, and became a part of UPV’s daily life. Interviews with a number of alumni from across generations, gathering of architectural documents, and consultations with heritage conservation institutions provided information for the restoration.

The project commenced after the June 5, 2023 ground breaking ceremony. The restoration was implemented in close coordination between the UPV Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development, the alumni, UPV Foundation, Inc., and UPV OAR. Justice Jardeleza and Senator Franklin Drilon (HS ‘61 UPIC) were instrumental in securing additional funding, including ₱25 million from the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA)-UP System for its adaptive reuse. On September 26, 2024, the newly-restored Handumanan Buildings were turned over to UPV.

The buildings have been repurposed as alumni heritage spaces with OHS having a gallery, a mock classroom/audio visual room, a lounge, and a wide function hall for alumni events, and the WC with a wide area which will showcase revolving exhibits, a cafe and lounge.

With the UPV Administration naming UPV OAR as custodian, these two buildings will surely become the vessels of memories and legacies, the Handumanan of UPV and its ever-loving alumni.