The total cost of the Makati City Hall was P2.7 billion, that of Pasig City is P9.6 billion. According to the building timeline, the Pasig City Hall will take only 18 months to complete, most likely in 2027, ahead of the new Senate building.

Being able to build a city hall worth P9.6 billion, far more costly than that of Makati, the country’s richest city, is a huge plus for Vico’s stature as a leader, plus finishing it in one year and six months, ahead of the completion of the new Senate building, is indeed unthinkable, and a colossal basis for his leaders to push him for the presidency of the Philippines!

In the recent midterm elections, Vico garnered 351,393 votes over his challenger, Sarah-St Garrard Discaya, who received 29,591 votes.

Reacting to those who want him to run for a higher position, Vico said: “Let us develop a new generation of leaders who will be better than us.”

In an interview, he discussed his plans, projects, and reforms to battle corruption in City Hall. At a rally in the last campaign season, Vico was introduced by his father, Vic Sotto, as the next president of the country.

“The new wonder in Asia,” the iconic P9.6-billion Pasig City Hall, is Mayor Sotto’s legacy to the Pasigueños and the Filipino people, “built for free” because it is the sum of his “one billion a year savings” as city mayor of Pasig, for nine years!

Here is the detailed costing of Vico’s gift to the Pasigueños and the Filipino people:

Bill of Quantities/Cost Estimate in the Demolition and Construction of Pasig City Hall:

1. Preliminary and Engineering Design — P855,386,656.35

2. Demolition Works — P268,421,654.84

3. Architectural Works — P1,502,955,012.52

4. Structural Works — P2,198,209,388.91

5.Electrical System Works— P1,078,514,374.21

6. Mechanical Works — P984,324,332.68

7.Plumbing and Sanitary Works — P110,917,085.90

8. Interior Fit-Out — P1,110,144,035.71

9. Information Technology System Works — P1,242,966,011.06

10. Landscape Open Space — P271,261,601.45

Grand Total — P9,623,100,154.64

Crafting the iconic P9.6-billion Pasig City Hall Construction Consortium adopted some western values, though not necessarily bad, but it must not be overdone.

The next leaders of Pasig City may change the size, shape and value of the peoples’ city hall but it must always subscribe to the heritage and identity, including national identity, of our being Filipinos and be connected to the symbols of our nation and our rich culture.

We shall have in our next edition how Victor Ma. Regis “Vico” Nubla Sotto, in his remaining three years as mayor of Pasig, may be able to “navigate, with flying colors, the turbulent sea of controversies” with his rivals in business and politics.