DAVAO CITY (December 20) — Rizal Memorial Colleges, Inc. (RMC) is setting its sights on a bigger role in shaping Mindanao’s legal community with the construction of the Justice Leopoldo M. Abellera building, envisioned as the future home of its College of Law and a hub for advanced legal education in the region.
The five-story facility, which broke ground this week and is expected to be completed by 2027, reflects RMC’s bid to expand access to quality legal education beyond Davao City and reach aspiring lawyers from across Mindanao.
Dean Ramon Edison Batacan of the RMC College of Law said the new building is designed to support both academic rigor and student well-being. It will house 29 tiered classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, and an amphitheater-style lecture hall, catering to about 700 students with room for future growth.
“We follow the Harvard standard,” Batacan said, explaining that even the stairways are intentionally designed as functional learning spaces where students can study or wait between classes. “This is about creating an environment where learning happens everywhere.”
Currently, law classes are held in the evening, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., to accommodate working students. Batacan noted that the expansion will allow the college to open morning and afternoon sessions, making legal education more flexible and accessible.
The building is named after Justice Leopoldo M. Abellera, a respected associate justice of the Court of Appeals and a former government official during the administration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. He was also a classmate of Marcos at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
For RMC Vice President for Administration and Finance Lorenzo Raphael Magno, the dedication is deeply personal. Justice Abellera is his great-grandfather, and the building, he said, is meant to honor a legacy anchored on service, education, and justice.
“This facility symbolizes three pillars: justice grounded in education, opportunities accessible to all, and the relentless pursuit of academic excellence,” Magno said. “It will shape future advocates, jurists, and public servants who carry the same commitment to integrity and service.”
RMC Board of Directors Chairperson Leo Tereso A. Magno echoed this sentiment, stressing that the project goes beyond infrastructure.
“This is not just about constructing a law school building,” he said. “It is about fulfilling a promise to the people of Davao and Mindanao.”
While the Justice Abellera building will serve primarily as the College of Law’s home, it will also be shared with RMC’s graduate schools and other academic units, reinforcing its role as a multidisciplinary academic center.
As part of its commitment to inclusive education, RMC officials assured that scholarship programs will be made available to law students, ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of aspiring Mindanaoan lawyers.
With construction underway, the Justice Leopoldo M. Abellera building stands as both a tribute to a jurist’s legacy and a forward-looking investment in Mindanao’s future legal professionals.
