In line with the fraternity’s commitment to give back to the college which has molded its brothers into the finest doctors they are today, the Phi Diamond Legacy Committee thought of sponsoring the development of an unused space in the third floor of Calderon Hall into an academic classroom for use by UPCM medical students, as another of its flagship projects for the fraternity’s 75th year celebration.

Among the guiding cardinal virtues of the fraternity is that “A Phi Must Be A Good Medical Student”, highlighting the fraternity’s commitment to academic excellence. Incidentally, among the goals of the Office of the Dean’s STAR Vision for the college is an extensive development and renovation of the college facilities to create a learning environment that is “conducive to realizing everyone’s full potential”. This project was born out of the fraternity’s desire to aid the college in this endeavor.

The specific objectives of the project are the following:

To provide an academic classroom well-designed for use by the medical students of the college for skills training sessions, small group discussions, conferences, meetings or any other purpose; And to equip the classroom with adequate facilities so as to maximize the facility’s utility to medical students.

The classroom was named in honor of PHI luminary Dr. Lorenzo S. Katigbak Φ51, a former Chair of the Department of Pathology.

Funding for Katigbak Classroom was gathered from PHI brothers from all across the world, facilitated by the Phi Kappa Mu Alumni Association in the Philippines and the Phi International, a non-profit, non-stock organization created by alumni brothers based in North America and elsewhere. The alumni have been collecting funds for at least five years prior to the conceptualization of the project for use during the fraternity’s diamond year. A total of P700,000 was generated and allocated for Katigbak Classroom to cover all costs in its construction.

The project could be divided into three phases: a launching phase, a building phase and a conclusion phase. The launching phase, which spanned from June 2007 to July 2008 included planning by the resident body in coordination with the fraternity alumni, generation of funds, approval of the project by the college and the contract signing. Construction for the classroom makes up the Building Phase which began in August 2008 and ended in November 2008. Construction was awarded to the Arwill Construction Company after a bidding process conducted by the college. Finally, during the UPMASA homecoming in December 20, 2008, the Katigbak Classroom was blessed and formally launched in the presence of fraternity alumni from the celebrating batches and the family of Dr. Katigbak.

Katibak Classroom is located adjacent to another Phi-sponsored classroom, the Dr. Mariano dela Cruz Student Lounge, named after another Phi Luminary and the long-time former Chair of the Department of Anatomy. This wing in the newly-developed area at the third floor of Calderon has been labeled the Phi Kappa Mu Classrooms.