By Iza Camposo
Medical Technology classes and laboratory equipment transferred to Roble Hall during summer term of 2025-2026, following the closure of Ethel Chapman (EC) Hall due to structural safety concerns.
Institute of Clinical Laboratory Sciences Officer-in-Charge Asst. Prof. Alex Joey Coloyan said the Facilities Management and Administrative Services (FMAS) and the College of Engineering found EC Hall unsafe after an assessment.
Coloyan said the second floor had already been closed during the second semester of the academic year 2025-2026.
“Ni-ask mi sa College of Engineering to assess the integrity of this first floor, and niingon sila nga it’s time for us nga transfer to another building kay dili na siya safe,” he said.
Coloyan also said that FMAS completed the renovation of Roble Hall prior to the first semester , so Medical Technology classes could continue.
“Wala pud ta’y klase karon but ila man gipaningkamutan na ma-okay gyud before the start of the first semester,” Coloyan said.
He also said that the original plan was to transfer to a new Medical Technology building near the Silliman University Medical School. However, construction has yet to begin.
“Ready na ang land but I think naay gamay problema with the funds kay ni-increase man ang fuel prices. Murag ang contractor dili na mosugot sa original price kay malugi na siya,” he said.
Meanwhile, Medical Technology Society Governor Yara Patrice Formento said the students now use smaller laboratory rooms, and “some equipment is not suitable for instruction” in Roble Hall.
“Our main concern is we have now lesser usable laboratory rooms compared to when we still used EC Hall,” she said.
Formento also said the layout for Roble Hall laboratories “raised health concerns for students” due to strong chemicals.
“The exhausted air, full with those chemicals, will transfer to ours. That’s not just for my class but also for other students that use that room. That’s a major concern for our health,” she said.
Meanwhile, Coloyan said that the ICLS has not received any timeline regarding the completion of EC Hall’s reconstruction.
As of writing, The Weekly Sillimanian reached out to FMAS regarding the reconstruction of Ethel Chapman Hall but had not received a response.
