A Senate official on Monday expressed doubts on the feasibility of converting the mothballed Manila Film Center into a building to transfer the offices of the Philippine Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimental said the building of the Film Center is questionable because cracks have developed in the foundation, columns and walls of the building as a result of earthquakes.

Its proximity to Manila Bay could also distract plenary and committee deliberations because of strong winds and the sound of sea waves, he said.

Pimentel said that instead of the Film Center, both the Senate and the House of Representatives should jointly study the proposal to construct a permanent building of Congress and should consult architects and building authorities on the issue.

He said he prefers that Congress relocates offices to Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.

The Senate’s plan to relocate to the Film Center was earlier broached by the Senate leadership with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Edgardo Angara already approving a structural inspection of the building.

Senator Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate is already negotiating with Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) officials for a possible long-term contract with them.

But Pimentel said the building, although near the present Senate building at the Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) complex in Pasay City, is designed as a center where movies are exhibited.

He said the building would have to be extensively redesigned and reconstructed to fit the requirements of a legislative house.

“I am not in favor of it. Better plan it with the (Lower) House) so we can have one area where both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be together in one place,” said Pimentel.

“If we will transfer to the Film Center, the same problem will persist. The two chambers of Congress will still be separate and distant from each other,” he added.

He also assessed that the conversion of the Film Center into a Senate building would cost much more than the projected P500 million to P1 billion fund initially mentioned by Zubiri.

“If it is constructed by a private contractor, it may be done through the build-operate-transfer law, in which case the Senate will end up paying monthly rent and finds itself back in the same situation as now,” he said.

Pimentel also said housing both legislative houses under one roof is practical as this could solve the problems on communications and holding joint meetings to reconcile, finalize and approving pieces of legislation.

Oftentimes, he noted, the two chambers are having difficulty communicating
and coordinating their activities and usually would take two days before the two chambers could communicate with each other.

“I think the ideal situation is for the two houses of Congress to do their work under the same roof and not to be separate from each other,” he said.