To most UP students, eating in the CASAA is a typical lunch time habit, especially after attending classes in the nearby Palma Hall. Majority of tricoll students are used to the off-white painted walls, the humid air filled with the aroma of savory food, and the jam-packed seats of hungry customers. But to a cross-registrant like Toni Ann Santamaria, an incoming UP Visayas BA Political Science sophomore, dining in the fast food-type concessionaires of UP Diliman’s CASAA was a whole new experience. “It has a food court style. We do not have establishments like those in Visayas.”
The College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association Food Center – more popularly known as CASAA – was constructed in May 1983. This one-story facility, located between Palma Hall and Palma Hall Annex, aims to provide an accessible and hygienic establishment that offers wholesome yet affordable meals for students. CASAA’s facilities include diner-style seats that can accommodate about 200 customers. It also has a photocopy service area, water dispensers, and clean restrooms. Twenty nine years later, CASAA is still a dining destination for students looking for delicious and budget-friendly food.
CASAA is now home to eight food concessionaires, offering a variety of food items. Santamaria talks about her first impression on the CASAA Food Center, “The concessionaires appear like very attractive fast food stalls – Chinatown and Philly’s Cheese Steak. They food looked like they really taste good.”
One of the original food stalls, Gloria’s Fast Food, has been around since the year of Former Senator Benigno Aquino, Sr.’s assassination. Gloria’s traditional home-cooked meals proved to stand the test of time. Their food menu – consisting of palabok, macaroni and cheese, kakanin, sandwiches and Filipino delicacies – has not changed since the business started. Within the price range of Php 35 to Php 80, a hungry student’s appetite will surely be satisfied with Gloria’s tasty treats.
Philly’s Cheese Steak, CASAA’s newest attraction, has an American-style menu consisting of chicken wings, fries and burgers. Mrs. Dorie Reyes, cashier of the Soda Fountain and CASAA coordinator, tells us how Philly’s made its way to CASAA, “A food stall had recently closed, and a student referred this establishment to his brother, owner of the fast-food chain”. The Challenger Burger, one of Philly’s best-sellers, is made of juicy US beef topped with savory melted cheese, caramelized onion and crunchy bacon. This mouth-watering beefy goodness can be enjoyed for only Php 75 for single beef serving and Php 105 for double beef serving.
Aside from its food concessionaires, CASAA is also famous for its fast-moving cleaning crew. Due to the many number of customers coming to CASAA, the janitors speedily clean the food leftovers and table tops. Hence, they were labeled as ninja kids by the diners.
Santamaria says that her eating experience in CASAA was not bad. “Maybe I will eat there again”, she adds. With its good reputation, large selection of food choices, affordability and convenience, CASAA is sure to remain a UP student’s hub for the years to come.
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