Mayor Vico Sotto welcomes PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) at Pasig City Hall before the eight-story building gets demolished to make way for a new City Hall.
In this exclusive tour with PEP, Mayor Vico shows different problematic areas inside the City Hall, which was declared “structurally unsound” by engineering experts.
How did the Pasig LGU reach this decision? What safety hazards did the employees experience? How long will the building's construction take?
#VicoSotto #PasigCityHall #PEPExclusives
Shoot Producers: Rachelle Siazon & Rommel Llanes
Video & Edit: Teddy Garcia
Special Thanks: City Government of Pasig
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In this exclusive tour with PEP, Mayor Vico shows different problematic areas inside the City Hall, which was declared “structurally unsound” by engineering experts.
How did the Pasig LGU reach this decision? What safety hazards did the employees experience? How long will the building's construction take?
#VicoSotto #PasigCityHall #PEPExclusives
Shoot Producers: Rachelle Siazon & Rommel Llanes
Video & Edit: Teddy Garcia
Special Thanks: City Government of Pasig
Subscribe to our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/@pep_tv
Read the latest in showbiz at http://www.pep.ph
Watch more videos at https://www.pep.ph/videos
Follow us!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pepalerts/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PEPalerts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pepalertsViber: https://bit.ly/PEPonViber
Kumu: pep.ph
Visit our DailyMotion channel! https://www.dailymotion.com/PEPalerts
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PeopleTranscript
00:00Hi, Pepsters! This is Vico Soto. Let's go inside Pasig City Hall.
00:09It's too scary to visit.
00:15We're here on the 8th floor and we're about to enter the Mayor's Office.
00:20This is our Mayor's Office. This is the People's Hall where meetings will take place.
00:26All groups of people will be able to talk here.
00:32These are our workspaces.
00:34Actually, if you look closely, if you look at our flooring, you'll see that it's not even.
00:41It's tilted a little bit.
00:43It's really scary.
00:45This is the door.
00:47It opens.
00:49But you just need to pull it.
00:51Because if you pull it, it won't open.
00:55I asked the engineers.
00:57They said that those are signs.
00:59Red flags.
01:01It means that the building is moving.
01:03So, we don't have a choice.
01:05We'll be coming in here every day.
01:07We can't not come in.
01:09That's why we're in a hurry.
01:11So that we can move temporarily.
01:13So that we can redevelop it.
01:15So that we can go back to having a better building.
01:19So that it's future-proof.
01:21We got an engineering consultant
01:23who said that
01:25basically, in short,
01:27this is how thick the report is.
01:29But basically, they're saying that the building is structurally unsound.
01:31And our engineers and architects here in the LGU are against it.
01:39So, this is the idea
01:41to redevelop
01:43the City Hall Campus.
01:45That's where it started.
01:48It's not safe anymore.
01:50Life is in danger.
01:5214,000 people pass through here every day.
01:56Yes, 4,000 are employees.
01:58Then, the clients,
02:00the passengers,
02:02and others who come here for various services,
02:04it's 10,000 per day.
02:06So,
02:08this is not safe.
02:10Aside from that,
02:12honestly,
02:14if we look at it,
02:16if we look at the fire code,
02:18the building code,
02:20it's a violation.
02:22That's why the City Hall doesn't follow it.
02:24I think people should know
02:26what they saw,
02:28what are our findings.
02:30So, maybe we can
02:32go to the one that's a bit dangerous.
02:34The one in our command center.
02:36This is
02:38our earthquake monitor.
02:40Suddenly, there's an intensity one.
02:42The other offices evacuated.
02:44When we checked,
02:46there's no earthquake.
02:48But here in the City Hall, there is.
02:50We checked in P.Volks, there's none.
02:52The building is on fire.
02:54That's number one.
02:56Number two, there's an intensity one reading on the monitor
02:58but there's no actual earthquake.
03:00This one,
03:02it's even before.
03:04But this one,
03:06they just made a makeshift ramp.
03:08This is a separate building.
03:10It looks like one building but it's a different building.
03:12If you go to that side,
03:14the difference in level
03:16on the side of the elevator,
03:18the difference is like this.
03:20Here, it's like this.
03:22So, it means that the other building
03:24is tilted.
03:26Actually, the scariest report
03:28before I became mayor
03:30early 2019 or maybe 2018,
03:32the 8th floor suddenly jolted.
03:36They really did that
03:38because someone rushed.
03:40So, we heard that someone rushed
03:42and they all did that.
03:44We don't know where the
03:46strong jolt came from.
03:48Like a rush?
03:50Yes, we don't know if it's from below
03:52or from above.
03:54We're just thinking how we're going to run.
03:56It looks like someone fell.
03:58It looks like someone fell and it was strong.
04:00We don't know if it's from above.
04:02But we're just checking the floor
04:04if
04:06someone swung
04:08or someone cracked.
04:10So, you heard something.
04:12You also felt something.
04:14Yes, sir. It's like
04:16someone fell and we don't know
04:18if it's from above.
04:20Maybe someone suddenly sat down.
04:22Sir, it's too strong.
04:24That cabinet, it looks like
04:26it fell.
04:28The cabinet itself?
04:30It just moved.
04:32But we don't know where we're going
04:34if someone fell.
04:36We also studied
04:38retrofitting.
04:40But I couldn't talk to an engineer
04:42or an architect.
04:44I've talked to not just 20 or 30
04:46because it's a consultation.
04:48It's not like someone submitted
04:50a plan and I'll believe it right away.
04:52I talked to a lot of people
04:54including friends
04:56in the construction industry.
04:58I also consulted them.
05:00Everyone told me not to retrofit.
05:02Don't do that.
05:04Difficulty in planning for retrofitting.
05:06Maybe it's different inside.
05:08When I sat down in 2019,
05:10it didn't have an as-built plan.
05:12No blueprints.
05:14No plans to show.
05:16I interrogated the engineers I met.
05:18Do you know anyone?
05:20Don't worry.
05:22Just give me the as-built plan.
05:24They couldn't present anything.
05:26The most important building in the city
05:28doesn't have an as-built plan.
05:30We don't want to make accusations.
05:32That's the fact.
05:34There's no as-built plan.
05:36It's hard to make a plan
05:38so we can fix
05:40the structural issues.
05:46I decided
05:48that if we really need to do this
05:50and build a new city hall,
05:52let's make it beautiful.
05:54Let's do this once in our lifetime.
05:56It's our legacy.
05:58Let's make sure that
06:00for the sake of
06:02making it beautiful,
06:04let's make sure that it's future-proof.
06:06Let's make sure it will withstand
06:08the test of time.
06:10Let's make sure that
06:12no matter what happens,
06:14the people will be safe
06:16and the city hall will remain as-built.
06:18We're in the basement parking.
06:20Let's take a look
06:22at the area of GENSEP.
06:24We'll see the other big cracks.
06:26These are the things that people usually don't see.
06:28It's not allowed to go inside.
06:30This is an example of a post.
06:32It's not normal.
06:34The level of this post
06:36is tilted downwards.
06:38This is what we see.
06:40It's easy to see.
06:42But we can't see
06:44what's inside.
06:46That's our motivation.
06:48There are three main reasons
06:50why
06:52not only will we make
06:54a new city hall,
06:56but this is the design.
06:58First, we want
07:00to have a safe,
07:02well-planned city hall
07:04that is beautiful.
07:06We'll only do this once.
07:08Second, we want to maximize
07:10the economic potential
07:12of this complex
07:14or compound.
07:16Our city hall compound
07:18is 8 hectares.
07:20It won't grow anymore.
07:22This is it.
07:24We'll maximize
07:26the underutilized areas.
07:28We'll make it beautiful
07:30so it's efficient to use.
07:32We'll have open space
07:34for the kids to play.
07:36We'll provide the services
07:38that the offices need.
07:40We'll maximize the potential of the land
07:42as well as the economic value
07:44of the land.
07:46Third,
07:48if we're going to make this big project
07:50of Php 9.6 billion,
07:53this is the right time
07:55to show people
07:57that it's possible
07:59to make an LGU,
08:01a government city hall.
08:03We can make a project
08:05this big, well-planned,
08:07with a beautiful design,
08:09high quality,
08:11not substandard,
08:13and without corruption.
08:15We can do this for Php 9.6 billion
08:17including the equipment,
08:19computers,
08:21this will reach Php 9.6 billion.
08:23Let's show people
08:25that this is possible.
08:27That's what we see
08:29as a mayor.
08:31It's sad because
08:33many of our countrymen
08:35are very disillusioned
08:37with our government.
08:39When they see a big project,
08:41the first thing they think is,
08:43it's substandard,
08:45and the second thing they think is,
08:47we know who the politicians
08:49are.
08:51I think this is a very good opportunity for us.
08:53It started with the
08:55need.
08:57We don't have a choice.
08:59We need to make a new city hall.
09:01We want to save lives.
09:03But let's take the opportunity
09:05to show people
09:07that good government is possible.
09:19This side is big.
09:25There's another one here.
09:27Yes.
09:29The new one is not uneven.
09:31No one will design
09:33a building like that.
09:35But through the years,
09:37again,
09:39due to structural
09:41infirmities,
09:43maybe due to liquefaction,
09:45it's not that good.
09:49In the previous administration,
09:51there was a project
09:53for jet grouting.
09:55It didn't work out
09:57because there were no studies.
09:59This is their
10:01second solution.
10:03But
10:05since the whole building
10:07is going down,
10:09it's not feasible.
10:11It's like a ban-aid measure.
10:13Yes.
10:15Jet grouting
10:17is not feasible
10:19if there are no studies.
10:21Because sometimes,
10:23it still pushes the city.
10:25This is scary.
10:27If you go home,
10:29go to the office.
10:31Didn't we talk earlier?
10:33Aren't you nervous?
10:35Are you used to it?
10:37You don't think about it anymore?
10:39It's good.
10:41It's fast to go out.
10:43I think there was a project
10:45because it pushed the city
10:47and other cities cracked.
10:49After that,
10:51this is just a small thing
10:53but it's proof
10:55that it's not feasible.
10:57The most
10:59annoying thing
11:01is that
11:03it's like a big
11:05outdoor facility.
11:07There's no
11:09center.
11:11There's no center.
11:13There's no center.
11:15The structure
11:17is the most original
11:19because it's just three floors.
11:21The facade is not included.
11:23It's the time of Mayor Caruncho.
11:25It's just three floors.
11:27Then, it was pushed.
11:29Then,
11:31the other building
11:33was also pushed.
11:35Then, there was a problem.
11:37The seismic cap
11:39was pushed.
11:41The gap
11:43was not enough.
11:47According to
11:49the findings of
11:51the engineering consultant,
11:53this level of
11:55intensity,
11:57the building will collapse.
11:59They have such findings.
12:01Number one,
12:03it's not just a building.
12:05If it's just a building,
12:07even if it's big,
12:09it's still a building.
12:11It's really big.
12:13The open spaces are not included.
12:15Actually,
12:17what we will develop
12:19in terms of area,
12:21it's around 60,000 plus
12:23square meters including
12:25open space, evacuation areas,
12:27parking, office area,
12:29roof deck,
12:31garden.
12:33It's really big.
12:35If it's 9 billion,
12:37it's expensive.
12:39That's why it reached that level.
12:41We don't want to chop the project.
12:43We don't want to phase it.
12:45We don't want to,
12:47I don't want to mention other projects,
12:49but the typical,
12:51this is it. Next year,
12:53we'll do the electrical.
12:55Weather, electrical,
12:57plumbing works,
12:59it's included.
13:01Not just the building,
13:03even the interiors,
13:05the computers are included.
13:07So if our intention
13:09is to lower it so that
13:11the whole thing is not visible,
13:13we won't include the computers next time.
13:15We can separate the contracts.
13:17But in the interest of transparency,
13:19in the interest of
13:21showing the people
13:23where their money is going,
13:25and again, planning for 50 to 100 years,
13:27that's it.
13:29Even the laptops
13:31or what the employees need
13:33in their workstations are included
13:35in this contract.
13:37It's big because
13:39all of this is included.
13:41So that's the first thing.
13:43How did we
13:45come to this design?
13:47That this is included in the project?
13:49This is its importance?
13:51The second important question
13:53that you ask, and I'm sure
13:55the Pasiguenos want to know,
13:57and the Pasiguenos should know,
13:59where will we get the funds?
14:01Initially, the idea was
14:03PPP because there was an unsolicited proposal.
14:05But we didn't accept
14:07the PPP because we felt
14:09that it's still a bit lacking.
14:11Of course, if we're going to accept it,
14:13it should be beneficial to the government and to the people.
14:15So we didn't accept it.
14:17We shifted to design and build.
14:19We studied the budget
14:21and we saw that we have
14:23surplus and savings from previous years
14:25that we can use here.
14:27The good thing about this
14:30is that it's a big project
14:32but nothing can be reduced
14:34from the regular programs, projects,
14:36and activities of our city,
14:38of our LGU.
14:40So if our budget is P12 billion per year,
14:42no one will move there.
14:44The next question is,
14:46why is there such a big savings from before?
14:48In 2019, we introduced
14:50a big reform
14:52and we're saving a lot
14:54in procurement now
14:56because there's no kickback,
14:58no SOP, if you will,
15:00from the government.
15:02We save P1 billion per year
15:04because of our procurement reforms.
15:06So if before,
15:08it was P5 billion per year,
15:10just for the sake of
15:12discussion,
15:14now it's P5 billion.
15:16Those who are using the funds
15:18are only at P4 billion
15:20because the kickback
15:22will be reduced.
15:24So P1 billion per year,
15:26this project,
15:28it will last until the next term
15:30if anyone wins.
15:32I'm not assuming anyone will win
15:34but if they lose,
15:36we have a third term.
15:38So in my 9 years as mayor,
15:40we saved P9 billion.
15:42We were able to build a city hall
15:44where there's no movement
15:46of programs, projects, and activities.
15:48Nothing can be reduced.
15:50So the city hall will be built
15:52more than 60,000 square meters
15:54of space
15:56with world-class quality.
15:58Maganda de kalidad.
16:00In a sense,
16:02parang napatayu natin siya ng libre.
16:04That will be a legacy
16:06of honest
16:08and transparent governance.
16:10Alright, so
16:12old city hall building po natin,
16:14lilipat na po kami sa temporary
16:16facility sa Barangay Rosario
16:18at two years
16:20tatapusin po natin
16:22ang bagong city hall building.
16:24Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!