Bagong Senado: What we know so far about the future Senate building
The new Senate building under construction in Taguig has been the subject of much conversation recently.
In case you didn't know, the Senate is set to transfer to a brand new building in 2025 in Bonifacio Global City. The project aims to provide modern facilities for Senate operations and replace the GSIS Building where the Senate currently holds its sessions and offices.
However, it has since faced criticism, including its total cost, its necessity, and the lack of transparency in how it was approved. Some senators, including Alan Peter Cayetano and Nancy Binay, are also debating on how the costs are being calculated.
But what do we know about the new home of our senators? Read on.
'Bagong Senado'
The Senate of the Philippines is preparing to move to a new home as part of its centennial celebration. Referred to as the "Bagong Senado," this new building will be the official residence of the Senate for the next 100 years.
In 2017, Senator Win Gatchalian initiated the development of the Senate Building by filing PS Resolution No. 293. This resolution led to the creation of an ad hoc committee tasked with conducting a comprehensive feasibility study for its construction.
Following a careful review that included accessibility, costs, and input from Senate employees, a decision was made to acquire an 18,320-square-meter plot of land owned by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), located at the Navy Village in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, as the chosen site for the construction of the new office.
Design
AECOM's design emerged from a field of forty as the best fit to realize the Senate's "honor, dignity, and legacy," according to the Senate Committee on Accounts and the BCDA.
It is inspired by the sun on the Philippine flag, with four connected, ultramodern buildings to symbolize the pillars of democracy: justice, equality, freedom, and representation.
The design features interconnected towers for office space, with a central session hall offering access to outdoor terraces. This layout fosters a connection between the building and the surrounding park.
The building also features a stunning facade with a brise soleil design that takes inspiration from the Barong Tagalog outfit, the national attire in the Philippines. The design also draws from the formal shirts often worn by Philippine senators.
According to AECOM, the design prioritizes sustainability and aims to minimize environmental impact and energy consumption by using materials such as solar shading, cross ventilation, smart controls, low-e-insulated glazing, LED lighting, and efficient lighting cooling equipment, among others.
The Senate aims to make its new building among the first "green-building" government facilities to be certified by the Philippine Green Building Council under the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) Program.
Citing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), GMA News said that the first phase of the new Senate building is 77% complete as of June 11.
Budget issues and delays
However, the building's construction has met with controversy.
On Monday, June 10, newly elected Senate President Francis Escudero ordered the suspension of the building's construction until its cost is reviewed and studied. He said that the P23 billion amount for the construction of the building is "too lavish" for a government building.
“Hindi ba medyo marangya din sa panlasa ninyo ang ganitong kalaking halaga para sa isang government building? Baka ang katumbas nito ay mamahalin na at luxurious na building na makikita natin sa Makati at BGC,” Escudero said to the reporters.
The decision came after newly-appointed committee on accounts chair Senator Alan Peter Cayetano reported to the senate president about his findings on the ongoing construction.
Cayetano pointed out that the project's budget has significantly increased from the initial P8.9 billion to a projected P23.3 billion, which is almost triple the original budget. He also highlighted issues with procurement delays and mistakes made by the project manager, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), leading to project slowdowns and increased costs.
Escudero, however, set the record straight on Monday, July 1, stating that he is not alleging any irregularity or anomaly regarding the project toward the decision to issue a suspension order.
"Nobody alleged irregularity. I’m not alleging any irregularity. I never alleged irregularity. I don’t know why people are sounding too defensive about this. Ang sinabi ko lamang hindi ba, masyadong mataas at parang masama sa panlasa na ganito kalaking halaga ang kailangang gastusin sa isang gusali ng pamahalaan," he explained.
“Wala akong sinabi na anomalya… kung payag kayo diyan eh di kayo, kaya n’yo sigurong sikmurain ’yun. Ako hindi," he added.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, July 3, the DPWH revealed at the Senate Accounts Committee's hearing that the construction of the new Senate building will be delayed for 852 days.
In the same hearing, Binay and Cayetano engaged in a heated debate regarding the accuracy of labeling the entire construction cost as P23 billion, which encompassed the expenses related to land acquisition.
Binay, referring to official documents from DPWH, stated that the total cost of the new Senate building amounted to only P21.73 billion.
Cayetano, on the other hand, maintained that the calculation must encompass the cost of land acquisition, totaling an additional P1.6 billion. He also criticized the DPWH for inaccurately presenting the budgetary cost estimate of the New Senate Building (NSB) to the public.
“You owe an apology to the Senate. Hindi naman po ako marunong mag-imbento nito. Hindi biro ito. Sa national news, parang sinasabi ninyo [DPWH] na nag-iimbento kami ni Senate President Escudero ng numero,” Cayetano said.