Senate transfer to new BGC home slated January 2025

Senators are looking forward to their new home as construction of the new Senate building (NSB) in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig nears completion.

Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Accounts, said that there was a consensus among senators that they move into the NSB in January 2025 instead of the earlier schedule in July this year.

Binay said that due to the unfinished construction of NSB, senators could not possibly move into their new home in July this year in time for the third State of Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Meanwhile, the NSB obtained high certification from the Berde Green Building rating by the Philippine Building Council (PBC).

PBC is a national nonstock, nonprofit organization that promotes the sharing of knowledge on green practices to the property industry.

Senate Majority Leader Emmanuel Joel Villanueva said the Senate was able to ensure that its new building was on track with its aim of creating something meaningful of value and a structure that houses the people’s aspirations as well as facing the challenges of environmental changes.

“During the inception stage, we sought to build a green building that addressed the need for infrastructure that has minimal impact on our already challenged environment’, Villanueva explained.

He added the Senate was targeting a five-star rating in the next evaluation.

At present, the Senate meets at the GSIS Building along Jose W. Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City, built on land reclaimed from Manila Bay.  Senators share the complex with the Government Service Insurance System.

Until May 1977, the Old Legislative Building in Manila hosted the Senate headquarters.  The Senate occupied the upper floors while the House of Representatives occupied the lower floors which is now a permanent place showing Juan Luna’s ‘Spolarium’ as the museum centerpiece, and the National Library in the basement.