LOOK: Senators @iampinglacson @gringo_honasan @BigManDrilon already here for the groundbreaking of the future Senate complex in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City pic.twitter.com/nZzpguTewz
— Marlon Ramos (@iammarlonramos) March 18, 2019
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III led on Monday the ground-breaking ceremony of the new Senate building in Taguig City.
The project, which was initially estimated to cost P8.9 billion, will be erected at the Navy Village, Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
“Yes, finally the Senate will have a building of its own,” Sotto told reporters after the ceremony.
The Senate leader noted that the Senate had been renting an office as it never had its own building.
“Ngayon pa lang magkakaroon ang Senado ng sarili niyang pagaari, at sarili niyang building. Malaking bagay ito,” Sotto said.
Also present in the ground-breaking ceremony were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto; Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri; Minority Leader Franklin Drilon; Senators Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Gringo Honasan, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, Joel Villanueva, and Sherwin Gatchalian.
Lacson earlier said the construction of the new Senate home would take 40 months, starting this year until 2022.
But in an interview after the ceremony, he said the Senate may start holding its sessions in its new home in July 2021.
“In other words, ang third regular session of the 18th Congress, dito na mag-open,” Lacson said.
Lacson chairs the Senate committee on accounts that made a study on the new Senate building.
Angara lauded Sotto and Lacson for making the senators’ dream a reality.
“The dream of many senators—past and present—to build a Senate building is now a reality under their leadership,” he said in a statement.
“The construction of a new, permanent home for the Senate should inspire us lawmakers to work harder and serve better the Filipino people,” he added. /je
