The BSU management’s closure and takeover of the illegal structures at the Strawberry Farm serves both as assertion of legal rights and for educational learning. It ensures adherence to laws, rules and regulations as well as university policies and it sends message to the public about the consequences of illegal construction over the property of another, promoting awareness of laws governing state universities and colleges (SUCs) as well as BSU protocols, and deterring future violations.

BSU, like other SUCs, is governed by the Board of Regents (BOR). As such, it is the BOR’s sole power to 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 for the profitable development and management of the economic assets of the college or institution, the proceeds from which to be used for the development and strengthening of the college or university. (Sect.4[r], RA 8292). Hence, all joint ventures, such as leases, research collaborations and the like can be entered into by BSU with its partners only upon approval by the BOR.

Because of springing issues on lease contracts without prior BOR approval, the BOR, on its February 15, 2023 meeting, has issued twin resolutions. The first resolution is numbered 04, 𝙨. 2023 where the BOR approved the 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗨𝗠 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱/𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 (𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴) 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱. The second resolution is numbered 17, s. 2023 where the BOR 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 (𝗜𝗚𝗣) 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗧𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺.

Unfortunately, despite the explicit moratorium issued by the BOR, a total of 127 structures mushroomed in the area. These were built in blatant disregard of the law and the university policies and protocols, not to mention the non-acquisition of required building permits.

𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀, 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆’𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.