The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) inaugurated on Monday, May 23, its newest head office in Barangay Ugong, Pasig City, in its bid to provide better public service to the public.

In a set of photos posted on her Facebook page, Incumbent Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Parañaque City Mayor and Metro Manila Council (MMC) Chairman Edwin Olivarez, incoming Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin Abalos, and other local and national government officials attended the event.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, together with MMDA Chairman Attorney Romando Artes, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go unveiled the building marker.

Artes said the New Head Office Building is a manifestation of its commitment to strengthen the organization and provide better services to its clientele.

“We started with an idea, and now we stand in the actual building of our lifetime dream – a state-of-the-art government facility, catering to the needs of our employees as well as the clients and partners of Metro Manila. We now have a safe, structurally sound, sustainable, and productive headquarters we can call home,” Artes said.

He said the facility can accommodate the different services and functions of the agency. It also has special features such as centralized data system, an upgraded Metrobase Operations Center, and MMDA Corporate Auditorium.

"With this New MMDA head office building, we intend to provide convenience to our stakeholders and ensure effective delivery of our services," Artes added.

The 20-storey New MMDA head office building, with roof deck and helipad, will be certified by the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) with a one-star accreditation. BERDE is a tool to assess, measure, monitor, and certify performance of green building projects.

The conception of the New MMDA head office building started during the time of the late Chairman Danilo Lim in 2018, in collaboration with the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP)-Makati Chapter, by holding a national design competition for the facility with the theme: "MMDA moving towards a sustainable, resilient, dynamic, and people-centered metropolis."

During the same year, a partnership was forged between the Authority and the Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) for the construction of the office. The winning conceptual design by Architect Daryl Van Abaygar entitled “Solihiya Moderno” was used as an inspiration.

The “Solihiya Moderno” was influenced by the traditional home silhouette and “solihiya” weave pattern. The interlocking strands and fibers encapsulate the Bayanihan spirit of Filipinos which mirrors the aspirations of the MMDA as an instrument of collaboration for all Local Government Units (LGUs) of Metro Manila. The structure boasts of modern yet distinctly Filipino design.

Artes also expressed his gratitude to RLC for being the agency’s partner in the actualization of the New MMDA head office building.

MMDA employees will start moving into their new office this year.