‘Biggest project in Pasig’s history’: Vico unveils city hall complex construction plan

MANILA, Philippines – Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto revealed the plan to build a new city hall following concerns about the current building’s structural integrity.

Sotto unveiled the plan in front of around 7,000 Pasigueños on Sunday, June 2, during the city’s 450th founding anniversary.

Based on the assessment of an independent consultancy firm, 62 columns and 451 beams within the Pasig City Hall are “structurally inadequate.” Water was also found trapped between beams, according to Sotto.

“Safe naman siya [building] sabi ng mga engineer pero araw-araw lumalala ‘yung sinasabing imminent danger,” he said. (The engineers said the building was safe, but the imminent danger worsens every day.)

Sotto said that the initial plan of the city government was to retrofit the building, but structural experts advised against it because it would be “very expensive.”

The Pasig City Hall was constructed during the 1960s and originally consisted of just three floors.

Over the years, the building underwent renovations, and three additional structures were incorporated into the original city hall. As a result, the city hall now stands as an eight-story building.

The construction of the city hall will take two years to complete, according to Sotto. Its cost and the start date of construction will be announced once the negotiation is settled, the city’s public information office said in a text message.

The redevelopment of the city hall is merely a component of the 10-year comprehensive plan for the city hall complex.

Included in the city’s vision is the establishment of a mega market, playground, evacuation center, and senior citizen center, all within the central hub of the city.

The city mayor said that the construction is probably “the biggest project in the history of Pasig City.”

Sotto assured the public the project construction would be “transparent” and “future proof.” – Rappler.com