High rent forces Senate to relocate

Senate of the Philippines. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JESS YUSON

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate is looking for a new site to transfer its offices, Senator Franklin Drilon confirmed Thursday.

In the weekly Kapihan sa Senado media forum, Drilon said that the Senate is paying rent that totals to P110 million annually for their use of part of the GSIS Building in Manila.

He said that this is not really practical and admitted that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has tasked him and Senators Pia Cayetano and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to form a committee to look for a new site.

Drilon said that they have been looking at several sites like the Film Center of the Philippines that is near their current office and the Post Office building in Manila.

However, Drilon said they have structural issues regarding the Film Center and the Post Office is too big and they find it not an ideal location since it is prone to flooding.

Meanwhile, Drilon said they are also looking at the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman.

He added that they will also look into the possibly of purchasing land and constructing a new building for the Senate. However, Drilon said that this is still in the preliminary stages and that he cannot confirm any plans yet.