Artist’s rendition of proposed Pasig City Hall complex – exterior (Photo from the Pasig City Public Information Office)
MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig City Hall will undergo reconstruction and will be transformed into a complex that would have open spaces to accommodate children and evacuation and senior citizen centers, among others.
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto unveiled the plan on Sunday during the city’s 450th founding anniversary concert held at the city hall quadrangle.
“This may be the biggest project in the history of Pasig City. So I need your help and support,” Sotto said in Filipino.
In a video, Sotto showed the Pasig City Hall Campus’ conceptual design features — open and green spaces for citizens, evacuation and senior citizen halls, earthquake-proof buildings, a fountain, and food stalls, among many others.
Artist’s rendition of the proposed Pasig City Hall complex – interior (Photo from the Pasig City Public Information Office)
Sotto said his office had hired an independent construction consultant to assess the four buildings that make up the current city hall complex.
Sotto summarized the key findings of the assessment as follows
- 62 columns are “structurally inadequate”
- 451 beams and girders are “structurally inadequate”
- seismic gaps are insufficient “to prevent the structures from hitting each other in a strong earthquake.”
The report further revealed that the building’s foundation is liquefiable, which means that settlement or the sinking of the structure’s base would likely occur, especially during strong earthquakes.
According to Sotto, the report has prompted his office to identify and study ways to reconstruct the city hall. He sought the assistance of architects and engineers — all of whom did not recommend retrofitting, which can be costly.
Sotto assured his constituents that the project construction would be transparent, well-planned, and future-proof, — meaning it could last for centuries.
Meanwhile, during the construction of the new complex, Sotto said local government offices would temporarily be relocated to suitable sites to ensure continued service and the safety of employees and the public.
The construction is expected to take up to two years.