Multi-level parking, legislative building get P410-M budget

January 11, 2019 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – The local government earmarked an initial P410 million from its approved P2.179 budget this year for the construction of an 8-storey multi-level parking and legislative building within the 1,500-square meter city-owned lot near the Baguio fire department.
Architect Johnny Degay of the City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) said the detailed engineering plans of the proposed structure are currently being prepared by their office which will be the basis for the public bidding for one of the high impact projects of the local government this year pursuant to the city’s approved Annual Investment Plan (AIP).
The funds for the project came from the annual budget of the local government in 2018 in the amount of P210 million and the remaining P200 million will be sourced from the approved budget of the city this year.
Degay explained the ground floor of the proposed structure will accommodate the offices of the Baguio fire department and other offices of the local government, including the parking area for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, the second to eighth floors will be devoted for parking areas and other offices of the local legislative body, including its desired state-of-the-art session hall, among others, while the ninth floor will serve as a deck for the installation of solar panels to provide additional source of power for the building.
According to him, the proposed government building will have an underground walkway linking the same with the old city hall building to allow convenience to people transacting businesses with the different offices of the local government.
Degay added one of the features of the multi-level parking and legislative building will be the use of green architecture, a part of the local government’s priorities to ensure the maximum utilization of the spaces for their prescribed purposes.
The architect presented the conceptual design of the multi-level parking and legislative building to the members of the local legislative body during their 12-hour marathon budget deliberations last December 27, 2018 where the same was conditionally approved by the local legislators with the requirement that the detailed engineering plans will be submitted to them for further scrutiny.
Further, the local legislative body also mandated the CBAO to consult with the different offices of the local government that will be using the structure for the specific design of their offices that should be incorporated in the structure that will be built starting this year.
Degay claimed the initial funds appropriated for the project might not be sufficient to complete the desired structure that is why the CBAO will temporarily make do with what had been made available and the balance will be requested for inclusion in future supplemental or annual budgets of the local government that will be proposed the soonest.
The multi-level parking and legislative building was proposed by the present administration to decongest the city hall building and allow the expansion of other offices of the local government to be able to cater to the rapidly increasing number of clients from inside and outside the city.
BAGUIO PIO/ABN