New city hall construction now on Phase 2
CONSTRUCTION of the new three-story city hall of Dagupan has entered its second phase and work is finally gaining traction after a slow progress in the past three years, according to City Engineer Josephine Corpuz.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Corpuz stated that P30 million was allocated by the administration of Mayor Belen Fernandez for the second phase of the building located in front of the old city hall.
The first phase, with an outlay of more than P60 million, was started by the previous administration of Brian Lim just after he lost the election in May 2022.
The contractor, R.A. Matias Construction, slackened over fears that it would not be retained by Fernandez, resulting in project slippage, and the computation of which it has been deducted from the contract amount.
“But the contractor was all wrong. Mayor Fernandez is different from other newly elected mayors who would change contractors and place their own the moment they take over,” Corpuz said.
Corpuz noted that the additional P30 million is not enough, and another P50 million is needed to complete the project by 2026.
Fernandez said she is completing what would be a P140-million project despite her position that it is insufficient because it can only accommodate seven of the 46 offices of the city government, with no parking area.
“At more than P140 million, it is only a little cheaper than the four story new city hall I planned in 2022 to be situated on a two-hectare donated land along Jose de Venecia Expressway, which was estimated at P200 million, that can accommodate 40 city government offices with enough parking area for up to 500 vehicles,” she said.
When Fernandez lost the election to Lim in 2022, that proposal was not implemented and the new mayor chose to build a new city hall in front of the old one, which was built in 1925 and is now the oldest city hall still being used in the country.
Fernandez said she will no longer pursue her city hall project and has asked the National Historical Commission for guidance on whether the old city hall, which is now listed as a protected heritage site, could be demolished or renovated while retaining its original architectural design. (Leonardo Micua)
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