MANILA, Philippines—Two classrooms of the University of the Philippines’ College of Mass Communication (CMC) in Diliman, Quezon City, have undergone a P2-million, multimedia makeover courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Inquirer president and CEO Sandy Prieto-Romualdez Monday formally opened the Philippine Daily Inquirer Electronic Newsroom. Her brother Paolo Prieto, president of INQUIRER.net, inaugurated the INQUIRER.net Classroom.

Located at Plaridel Hall, Rooms M209 and M211 were repainted, installed with new air conditioning systems, and furnished with new seats. The electronic newsroom was equipped with 17 new flat-screen computers.

“We hope that with these rooms, we will be able to continue the level of excellence that UP pursues and that the Inquirer strives for,” Romualdez said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Investing in education has always been part of the Inquirer’s advocacy and social commitment,” Romualdez said.

“The support we have extended to improve your school’s facility will help UP develop future communicators and journalists who are ready for the world.”

The Inquirer donated P2 million for the renovation, “one of the largest we have made as an institution,” Romualdez said.

“We are moving out of the journalism-equals-print mode,” said Rachel Khan, head of the Department of Journalism. “We want to develop in our students a multimedia mentality.”

Since classes opened on June 16, the electronic newsroom has been used for four laboratory classes—layouting, photojournalism, online reporting and news editing.

The new computers would also allow the department to train students on the various software used in the media industry.

The renovated rooms would benefit not only journalism students but also the college paper “Tinig ng Plaridel,” Khan said. Plaridel staff members would be allowed to use the rooms for layouting.

CMC dean Roland Tolentino also graced Monday’s inauguration, which was facilitated by members of the UP Journalism Club.

The renovation project began with a proposal from Khan and former CMC dean Elena Pernia two years ago.

“The Inquirer benefits from our graduates and we knew that the Inquirer is moving toward convergence. We saw the need to train our students to be geared toward convergence,” Khan said.

In September 2008, UP and the Inquirer signed a memorandum of agreement for the renovation. Actual work on the classrooms began in April 2009 and was completed in time for school opening early this month.

Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot cited the long history of cooperation between UP and the Inquirer.

The company has supported 48 UP scholars (including two from UP-Los Baños) since 1993, many of whom went on to work with the Inquirer after graduation, Yambot said.

“We are proud of these efforts of continually molding excellence among future media practitioners,” Romualdez said.

“It is our core belief that in our pursuit of excellence, we have to maintain our responsibility of inspiring action aside from upholding truth and credibility.”