Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21) — The Senate will be moving for the first time in 20 years.
Voting 14-2 on Tuesday, senators agreed to transfer their offices from the GSIS Building Financial Center in Pasay City to Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City.
The relocation was based on Senate Resolution 392, introduced by Senator Gatchalian in February.
Gatchalian said the Senate spends ₱169.5 million for its present offices. This excludes maintenance and repairs.
The Resolution also made mention that the current location had “claustrophobic halls” and a “gloomy atmosphere” – unlike the offices of the Lower House of Congress which has “sprawling space” and a “verdant view.”
In his sponsorship of the resolution as Committee on Accounts chairman, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Senate is paying rent to both the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the building, and the Social Security System (SSS) for the parking lot
Lacson says the rent expense reached ₱2.24 billion.
He presented survey results showing most Senate employees prefer to relocate to Fort Bonifacio.
Lacson said based on the proposed timeline, the construction of the Senate building can begin in the third quarter of 2018 and finished by the third quarter of 2020.
The Senate first held office at the Old Legislative Building along Padre Burgos Ave. in Manila which is now occupied by the National Museum of the Philippines. It transferred to the GSIS property in 1997.
CNN Philippines Digital Producer Pia Garcia contributed to this report.
