Poll Chairman George Garcia on Monday, Sept. 5 said the construction of a Comelec building is not a luxury, but a necessity.
He said this when he and other Comelec officials inspected the more than two-hectare site in Pasay City where the 9 storey building will soon be standing.
Garcia explained the advantages of having a Comelec-owned structure that will house under one roof the offices, warehouses, training facilities, event venues and even a dormitory for employees.
"During the filing of the certificates of candidacy, we rent at PICC. When we have random manual audit (RMA), we rent a hotel to conduct it," he said.
"Based on the plan...it (new building) will have an auditorium. Everything that we need will be there already," added Garcia.
"The construction of a Comelec building is not a luxury, it's a necessity. It's really necessary," he said.
Chairman Garcia also emphasized that the poll body officials understand the situation of the country's economic status and the need to address other national concerns, including food security and the continuous implementation of programs in connection with the Covid-19 health protocols. With this in mind, the Commission has decided to prolong the period of construction of the building from three to five years. This will result to a smaller bite per annum on the government's budget pie.
The poll body is also requesting Congress for the grant of a Multi-Year Contractual Allocation (MYCA) to facilitate the continuous bidding of procurement for the construction of the building.
The Comelec is currently leasing several facilities, including the 5th, 7th, and 8th floors of the Palacio del Gobernador building in Intramuros, Manila.