DMW says Benilde campus to boost Aseana City growth

D.M. WENCESLAO and Associates, Inc. (DMW) expects the planned De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde campus in Aseana City to bolster the growth of its 107.5-hectare mixed-use estate in Parañaque.

“At the end of the day, we want to build a holistic development,” DMW Chief Executive Officer Delfin Angelo “Buds” C. Wenceslao told reporters last week. “That’s why having an educational institution in Aseana City was a no-brainer for us.”

He said the Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension — particularly the Redemptorist-Aseana station — would further improve access to the estate. DMW also expects to work with the campus on improving the district’s built environment.

Aseana City, located along Diokno and Macapagal boulevards, follows a “15-minute city model” with residential, retail and office developments including Pixel Residences, Parqal mall and the upcoming Aseana Plaza.

The La Salle Benilde campus will rise on a 3,845-square-meter lot and is targeted for completion by 2027. The school has yet to announce the contractor for the project.

Benilde Vice-President for Administration Michael Luis Fernando D. Tecson III said the school needs additional space due to rising enrollment. Some popular programs — such as architecture and multimedia arts — have already capped admissions because of classroom shortages.

“So we turn away students even if we don’t want to,” he said.

The forthcoming campus is expected to serve about 5,000 students across architecture, interior and industrial design, fashion design, cybersecurity, game design, information systems, and business administration.

It will include multi-tiered lecture halls, classrooms, labs, workshops, sewing and weaving rooms, and a theater. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz