The LPU ESports Arena. Rom Anzures, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Lyceum of the Philippines University inaugurated the LPU ESports Arena in its Intramuros campus on Monday, the first of its kind in the country.
Lyceum, which is the first educational institution in the Philippines that offered esports as an academic degree, opened the facility to further support its commitment to innovation and technology, as shared by LPU’s OIC for Academic Affairs, Ms. Jennifer D. Tucpi.
“[It shows our] commitment to innovation, embracing emerging technology, and providing students a platform to excel in an industry that is not only rapidly growing, but also reshaping the landscape of entertainment and competition,” she said.
Their four-year BS ESports program has two tracks, Game Design and Development and ESports Management.
The arena, which features "state of the art sound system, lighting, production room, and green room for streaming," is described by LPU’s ICT Director Noel Punongbayan as an "arena with a twist of education."
Meanwhile, the institution’s president, Atty. Roberto P. Laurel, admitted that there was hesitance on his part when the idea was brought up to him.
“Initially, when this idea of putting up an esports arena was brought up to me, I was hesitant, because I was thinking; 'Ano? Gaming? Di ba pang arcade lang yan? Baka we need this [space] for laboratory',” he said.
But with a deeper understanding of what it can bring not only to LPU but also to its students, Laurel eventually greenlit the creation of the arena.
“When they presented, oo nga talaga, we really need this kind of laboratory if we want to put our money where our mouth is. When we said we would put up esports, which we did, and we are very proud to be the first in the country to offer an esports degree, make it an academic degree, I realized that it was only the first step,” he said.
“I’m very proud that they were able to convince me to put up this esports arena.”
The facility, which is powered by computers and devices from Lyceum’s partner, Asus, can be found on the 3rd floor of LPU’s main building.