By John Rey Saavedra/PNA
CEBU CITY — The PHP700-million new four-story Capitol building that will be turned over to Bohol’s provincial officials on Thursday is a commitment of the Duterte administration to provide the people with a spacious edifice to transact business with their local government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 (Central Visayas) said Monday.
DPWH-7 Assistant Director Mario Montejo said the new Capitol building replaces the old building that was abandoned after it was struck by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on October 15, 2013.
The old provincial capitol was converted into a museum last year by the National Museum.
Montejo told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview that the new building measures 48 meters by 98 meters and has a total area of 23,139 square meters, a government lot in Barangay Dao, Tagbilaran City.
The building houses 48 office spaces, a session hall for its Sanggunian Panlalawigan (Provincial Board), ceremonial hall, viewing hall, fine-dining room, conference room, and a viewing deck at the rooftop, he said.
“This new building is PWD- (persons with disability) and senior citizen-friendly because it has three elevators,” Montejo said. Two are passenger elevators, each of which has an 800-kg. lifting capacity that can carry 10 passengers, and the third is a service elevator with a 1600-kg. lifting capacity.
It has a parking area that could accommodate 42 vehicles and 75 motorcycles, he said.
It comes with air conditioning units, a fire sprinkler system, a fire alarm system, smoke detectors, a public address system, and CCTV cameras.
“The DPWH-7 was able to finish the project in 804 calendar days after its groundbreaking ceremony in January of 2016 until it reached 100-percent completion last week, February 8,” he said.
“This project is made to be larger and comfortable than the old Capitol building in order to accommodate all the employees and to render good public service,” stated the DPWH-7 project briefer that Montejo furnished the PNA.
The governor’s office in the new structure is situated on the second floor, while the vice governor’s office, the board members’ office, session hall, and provincial agriculture office are on the third floor.
Next to the governor’s office on the second floor are the administrative office and finance unit, special events unit, the Lino Chatto Hall, the provincial administrator’s office, the provincial planning and development office, and Bohol investment promotion center.
Also on the second floor are the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, the capitol clinic, the provincial procurement management office, provincial legal office, development and communications office, and the Center for Culture and Arts Development Office.
At the ground floor are the three district offices, provincial accountant’s office, Bohol information and communications technology unit, Bohol environmental management office, provincial health office, GAD office, breast feeding station, human resource and management development and tourism offices, treasurer’s office, and other related offices.
The new building’s basement measures 2,403.46 square meters and houses a utility room, security office, maintenance room, electrical room, pump room, fire and domestic water base tank and parking areas
