An ex-barangay chairman is urging the local government of Pasig City to reconsider its plans to build a new city hall building, proposing instead a retrofitting of the existing structure.

Former Barangay Bambang chairperson JR Samson on Wednesday said the city should prioritize spending on essential services like healthcare and education rather than the proposed P9.6 billion city hall complex.

“We have nothing against the city government, but we need to prioritize first the most needed by Pasigueños,” Samson said. “Retrofitting of the old city hall may be feasible, which may not cost such a huge amount compared with the P9.6 billion.”

Former City Councilor Christian “Ian” Sia, on the other hand, echoed Samson’s concerns, citing that several city offices are already renting space in commercial buildings at an estimated cost of P1 billion annually.

“About P1 billion will be spent on the rent of the city hall on the temporary satellite offices,” Sia said, adding that the total cost of the new city hall could exceed P9.6 billion, similar to the P8.2 billion Senate building.