Parañaque’s P4 billion satellite office nears completion

MANILA, Philippines — The construction of a 15-story satellite office of the Parañaque City government, located in Entertainment City along Coastal Road, is 70 percent complete, Mayor Eric Olivarez announced yesterday.

He said they expect the project proponent, real estate developer Anchor Land to turn over the city hall satellite by September.

In February 2019, Anchor Land signed a P4-billion public-private partnership contract with the city government to develop a one-hectare property located between the Parañaque Intergrated Terminal Exchange and Coastal Mall.

The partnership contract was signed by then mayor and now Rep. Edwin Olivarez and Anchor Land officials. The land is owned by the local government, while Anchor Land will undertake the three-tower project known as the Tower Link.

The first tower will be used as a satellite office for the city government. The second will be an office building while the third tower will be used as a bedspace facility.

The site of the mixed-use development property is located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway exit ramp going to Entertainment City, which houses several of the country’s biggest gaming and entertainment hotels.

The construction of the project was delayed for almost two years because of the COVID pandemic.

“The multi-billion-peso project will be Paranaque’s one-stop public service hub that will bring services closer to the people, especially local and foreign investors and stakeholders,” said the mayor, who visited the project site on Friday.

With the continuing growth in Entertainment City, the project will make it easier for businesses to apply for their respective business requirements instead of transacting at the main city hall in Barangay San Antonio, he noted.

Olivarez said the satellite city hall will accommodate 15 floors aside from the three-level parking areas.

One of the floors will house the business permit and licensing office. Another floor will be alloted to the assessor’s office.

According to Olivarez, the satellite office can also accommodate the respective one-stop-shops of national agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Government Service and Insurance System, Pag-Ibig Fund and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

However, the mayor’s office will create a technical working group to study which other local government offices and national government agencies will be transferred to the satellite city hall.

Around 60,000 employees in Entertainment City are working in integrated hotels and resorts such as Solaire Resort, City of Dreams and Okada Manila; Ayala Malls-Manila Bay; Aseana City; business process outsourcing firms and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Olivarez said the satellite office “will help us efficiently respond to this growing number without them needing to travel to our small and congested city hall.”