Lacson eyes new ‘world-class, iconic’ Senate building

Far from its present building with smelly toilets in Pasay City, Senator Panfilo Lacson is thinking of a new “world-class, iconic” home for the Senate of the Philippines.

“We’re planning to launch a competition among the top architects, ‘yung mga nagagawa ng conceptual design in the whole world (the ones who make conceptual designs in the whole world). ‘Yung world class, iconic talaga, ‘yun ang pinaplano (We’re planning a world-class, iconic building),” Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on accounts, said during the weekly forum in the Senate on Thursday.

“Meron kaming napagbotohan doon na iconic ang design ng BCDA (Bases Conversion Development Authority) building. We’re also planning to do that para talagang mukhang parliament. ‘Pag nakita mo, alam mong Pilipinas.”

(We voted on the iconic design of the BCDA building. We’re also planning to do that so that it really looks like parliament. So that when you see it, you know it’s from the Philippines.)

“In the mold of, say, Opera House in Sydney, ‘pag nakita sa postcard, alam mo agad Opera House. Eiffel Tower, 1887 ginawa ang Eiffel Tower. Pero ngayon ‘pag nakita mo sa picture or TV, alam mong Paris agad ‘yan. Ganoon gusto natin mangyari kung nakita mo design, kita mo agad, parliament o Congress ng Pilipinas ‘yan,” he added.

(In the mold of the Opera House in Sydney, when you see it on a postcard, you immediately know it’s the Opera House. The Eiffel Tower was made in 1887. But now, even when you see it in a picture or on TV, you instantly know it’s from Paris. That’s what we want to happen with the design, you can immediately tell that it’s the parliament or Congress of the Philippines.)

At present, Lacson said, the Senate pays around P127-million lease for a space at the GSIS Complex in Pasay City.

The senator said there are proposals to transfer the Senate to either a 25-hectare lot in Antipolo City or to BGC (Bonifacio Global City) in Taguig City in a building that could be shared with the House of Representatives, which is currently located in Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

“But nagsagawa kami ng informal survey, hindi lang sa Senado, kundi sa labas, medyo overwhelming ‘yung gusto sa BGC…” he said.

(But when we had an informal survey, not only within the Senate, an overwhelming number of people want it to be in BGC.)

READ: Senate mulls transfer to Fort Bonifacio

Lacson said his committee will just hold one more hearing before he submits a report to the plenary for deliberation.

“It’s about time we should transfer. Kasi ‘pag nagiimbita kami ng parliamentarians from other countries, nakakahiya rin, tapos maamoy ang kubeta natin dito. ‘Pag kami nagbibista dun, napi-picture taking kami, halimbawa sa Diet of Japan at Taiwan parliament,” he said.

(When we invite parliamentarians from other countries, it’s embarrassing, plus the toilets smell bad. When we visit other countries, we even take pictures with the Diet of Japan and the Taiwan parliament.)

“Talagang nakakabawas ng dignity na parang, imbitahin ba natin ito sa Senate? Hindi naman sa nakakahiya pero tayo lang yata ang Senado na umuupa. Dapat may sariling building.”

(It really reduces the dignity; should we even invite them to the Senate. Not that it’s shameful but it seems as if we’re the only Senate that’s renting. We should have our own building.)

“Pagka natuloy, huwag niyo banatan kasi kaya hindi matuloy-tuloy; may kumokontra, na bakit daw magastos. Hayaan niyo na lang,” the senator said in jest.

(When it pushes through, don’t slam it or else it won’t happen; someone might oppose it and ask why it’s so expensive. Just let it be.)

Lacson said the plan is for the Senate to have a new home by 2020. JE/rga