Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian on Wednesday, Oct. 12, led the inauguration of the newly renovated Barangay Bisig Hall, the first solar-powered barangay hall in the city.
“Ikinagagalak ko pong makasama kayo sa pagbubukas ng kauna-unahang solar-powered barangay hall dito sa ating mahal na lungsod. Ang trabaho po natin ay ang mag-isip lamang po kung paano natin i-lelevel up ang mga proyekto natin dito sa lungsod (I am happy to join you in the opening of the first solar-powered barangay hall here in our beloved city. Our job is to think about how we can level up our projects here in the city),” Gatchalian said.
The city government said that the new Bisig Barangay Hall was made through the initiative of Mayor Gatchalian when he was still in his last term as the first district representative.
From a building with only two floors originally built in 1996, the rehabilitated Barangay Bisig Hall is now a three-storey building on a 116.2-square meter lot with a total floor area of 348.6 square meters.
It has several facilities including the Office of the Punong Barangay, Office Barangay Kagawads, Office of the Barangay Secretary and Treasurer, Conference Room, and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) room.
The barangay hall is also equipped with 24 units of 450 watts (W) solar panels which can produce up to 10,800 kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity that can be used in the building.
“Bago po natapos ang aking termino bilang kinatawan ng unang distrito ay inilunsad po natin ang ‘Proyektong Kakaiba’, flagship project po natin ito kung saan ipinakita natin, katulad ng WES Arena at WES Events Place, na ang isang government facility ay puwede pala maging maganda at solar-powered. Marami pala tayong puwedeng gawin sa halagang ginagastos na rin natin noon. Sa unang termino po natin bilang punong-lungsod, ay makakaasa po kayo na ipagpapatuloy natin ang mga proyektong kakaiba (Before the end of my term as the representative of the first district, we launched the 'Proyektong Kakaiba', this is our flagship project where we showed, like the WES Arena and WES Events Place, that a government facility can be beautiful and solar-powered. We can do a lot with the amount we were spending before. In our first term as mayor, you can count on us to continue with unique projects),” Gatchalian said.
“Noon po ang hinihingi naming ay mabigyan lang ng barangay hall, pero binigyan pa kami ni Mayor WES ng third floor. Kami na po talaga ang first solar-powered barangay hall. Noong araw po kung 8,000 pesos ang ginagastos namin sa kuryente ay nakakatipid kami ng mga 3,000 pesos, ngayon po siguro, sa tulong ng mga bagong solar panels ay madodoble ang aming matitipid ( Before, we were only asking for a barangay hall, but Mayor WES gave us a third floor. We are actually the first solar-powered barangay hall. In previous years, if we spent 8,000 pesos on electricity, we could save about 3,000 pesos, now maybe, with the help of the new solar panels, our savings will be doubled),” said Councilor Jonjon Bartolome, Liga ng mga Barangay president and Barangay Bisig chairman.
The new Bisig Welcome Arc was also inaugurated on the same day.
Also present during the inauguration were Engr. Roel Umali from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja, Councilors Mickey Pineda, Marlon Alenjandrino, SK Federation President, Councilor Goyong Serrano, SK Chairman Jan Carlo Constantino, and other barangay officials.
Gatchalian’s “Proyektong Kakaiba” intends to attain the best quality of life for every Valenzuela resident as he aims to pursue a more livable city.