Construction for new Senate building starts

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday led the concrete pouring ceremony for the P8.9-billion new Senate building at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Also present were Senators Panfilo Lacson, accounts committee chairman; Nancy Binay, Ronald dela Rosa, and Senate Secretary Myra Villarica.

The ceremony marked the start of the actual construction of the Senate building which is expected to be finished on July 21, 2021.

Through a survey conducted within the Senate community on September 19, 2017 and the adoption of Resolution 293, an 18,320 square meter parcel of land owned by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, located at the Navy Village in Fort Bonifacio was chosen as the site for the new Senate building.

Architectural firm AECOM Philippines was declared the winner after review and evaluation conducted by the Technical Evaluation Committee, BCDA officials, senators of the 17th Congress, and the Senate community.

AECOM will have the opportunity to undertake the detailed architectural design of the project upon successful selection of the design and build contractor by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the development of the new Senate building.

Lacson earlier said the DPWH will oversee the construction of the new Senate building, and will conduct the public bidding for the Detailed Architectural and Engineering Design and Construction Package. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News