MANILA — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said that barring any major setback, the Senate would move to its new home to be constructed in a 18,320-square meter parcel of land at the Navy Village in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City by January 2021.
“Everything is on schedule. So we just hope when the 3rd regular session of the 18th Congress opens, we won’t be here anymore, we’re already in our new site in Fort Bonifacio,” Lacson told reporters after the Senate Accounts Committee, which he chairs, held a briefing of the five firms shortlisted to design the new Senate building.
“As per timetable, matatapos ang construction (the construction will be completed in) December 2020. We expect to be moving to our new home by January 2021. But of course session starts after SONA (state of the nation address),” he added.
The senator said that the committee’s board of jurors would choose the design of the new Senate building from among the five shortlisted design firms on May 28.
The five shortlisted firms were AECOM, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Henning Larsen Architects, Leeser, and Aidea.
Lacson said that the firm with the winning design would have the opportunity to undertake the detailed architectural design of the project upon successful selection of the design and build contractor for the development of the new Senate building.
He said that the new Senate building must be “green, secure, functional and iconic.”
Earlier, Lacson said it is their vision that the design of the new building should “symbolize the Senate for what it stands for, a design that will become a landmark for the Filipino people, and a design that can take the Senate of the Philippines to the next 100 more years and beyond.”
The Senate of the Philippines celebrated its centennial last October 16, 2016.
“Construction of the new building would start in January 2019 and would be completed by December 2020. That’s the commitment made by the Department of Public Works and Highways,” Lacson said. (Jose Cielito Reganit/PNA)
