Earliest Senate can transfer to new BGC building is May 2025 —Chiz

The Senate will not be able to transfer to its new building in Taguig City before May 2025, and the move may even come as late as May 2027, Senate President Francis Escudero said Monday. 

Escudero, who last week was installed as the new Senate leader after a swift coup that ousted his predecessor Senator Miguel Zubiri, said the transfer cannot happen in the middle of the session since would will hamper legislative work.

“Malamang hindi pa kami makakalipat sa katapusan ng taong ito. Though ang meeting isasagawa namin this week o next week...pero malamang hindi mangyayari ‘yan ngayong taong ito. Hindi dahil sa akin, hindi ko kasalanan, walang may kasalanan, ‘yun lang talaga ang sitwasyon. At ayoko lumipat na hindi pa kami handa,” Escudero told reporters.

(It’s likely we won’t be able to transfer by the end of this year. We are having meetings about it this week or maybe next week, but I don’t think the transfer will happen within the year. It is not because of me, it is not my fault, it is nobody’s fault. That is really the situation. I don’t want to make the move when we are not ready.)

“Mas importante siguro na handang-handa na kami at hindi rin pwede na sa kalagitnaan ng session at baka maantala ang trabaho. Ang pinakamagandang panahon ng paglipat ay pagka nag-adjourn na ang Senado sine die, so ang ta-targetin naming paglipat marahil ay [May] 2025 sine die [adjournment]. Kung hindi aabot doon, 2026 sine die. Kung hindi aabot doon, 2027 sine die. At least may dalawang buwan kaming para pormal na maglipat at mag-ayos para pag resume mas smooth ang takbo ng trabaho,” Escudero added.

(It is more important to be prepared, and we cannot move during the middle of the session because it could disrupt our work. The best time to move is when the Senate adjourns sine die in 2025. If not, 2026 sine die. If not, 2027 sine die. We need at least two months before to prepare so when we resume the session, all work flow will be smooth sailing.)

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives adjourns session sine die every third week of May each year, meaning they will not hold plenary session for almost two months until the President delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) every fourth Monday of July of the same year as provided under the 1987 Constitution.

The newly minted Senate President also said that the new Senate building does not yet have a parking area.

“Ang balita ko walang parking. Gusto niyo bang lumipat doon bukas nang walang parking? Hindi, 'di ba? So isa 'yan sa aasikasuhin namin pero may na-identify kaming posibleng lote o lupa para sa parking. Tulad din naman dito sa Senado na inaayos na naming ang parking, hindi lamang ng bisita pero pati na rin lahat ng nagtatrabaho dito nang regular,” Escudero said.

(What I know is it does not have a parking area yet. Do you want to move to a place without parking? We are working on that, and we identified a possible lot for the parking. Just like here in the Senate when we have parking not only for guests but for those who come to work here everyday.)

For now, Escudero said he will allow purchases of new air conditioning units in the Senate, which is occupying a portion of the state-run Government Service Insurance System building on a leader.

“Iyong aircon, nagtitipid pa ang Senado...dahil ayaw nilang gawin ito dahil lilipat na raw. Matagal-tagal pa rin naman ang isang taon, matagal-tagal pa rin ang dalawang taon na mainit iyong kinalalagyan nating lahat dito,” Escudero said.

(As for the purchase of air conditioned units...it has not yet been done since we are supposedly about to move. But the move is still a year or two years away and it is humid here.)

“At kung saka-sakaling gagawin naman natin at idi-dispose at ibebenta natin, mas malaki naman ang kikitain ng Senado pag ayos ang binebenta natin. Kesa naman sa sira ang dini-dispose at binebenta natin. So, pinagbigay utos ko kanina na kung ano kailangan, kunin na para naman lumamig na ang aircon natin dito para sa lahat at inaasahan ko bago mag-SONA magagawa iyon,” he added.

(And just in case we have to sell the units later on, that would be better because we are selling something in good condition. Rather than us disposing of non-functioning items. So my instruction was, purchase the needed aircon units and I expect this to be done before the SONA.) — BM, GMA Integrated News