MUNICIPAL and provincial government officials led the inauguration and opening of the P120-million new Lubao municipal building in Barangay Sta. Catalina with stakeholders hopeful that the new location will pave the way for further development of the western section of the town.
Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, along with House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Pampanga Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, led the blessing and inauguration of the two-story building that now houses all key departments of the municipal government.
The building took three years to complete since the groundbreaking rites held in March 2016 as construction was divided into several phases depending on fund availability. The local government unit did not resort to loans to fund the completion of the project that has a total floor area of 3,570 square-meters.
“We don’t want those who will succeed us in serving the people of Lubao to have debts to pay later,” Pineda-Cayabyab explained when asked why the construction took three years.
She said she drew the inspiration from her father, businessman Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, who kept on reminding her to accomplish a high-impact project for Lubeños before she leaves the town’s mayorship.
Pineda-Cayabyab will be completing here three-term leadership in July this year and will seek a seat in the provincial board.
The mayor said that the new municipal hall construction hurdled several challenges starting from land acquisition, planning, funding and construction.
Municipal Engineer Francisco Waje said that although the 2.7-hectare property where the structure was built used to be a swampy area, the new building is structurally sound, sitting on a “mat foundation” which structural engineers recommended.
The ceilings were elevated enough to allow daylight and natural ventilation to save on the building’s overall power consumption.
Pineda-Cayabyab said the old town hall, which was built more than 50 years ago, will be turned over to the National Museum to be converted into a local museum.
“The old municipal building has become too small to accommodate all the services of the local government unit. We want the transacting public to feel comfortable whenever they visit the town hall,” Cayabyab said.
The mayor also vowed that with the new offices, the services of the municipal government will also be improved further.
Landscaping of the plaza at the front is also ongoing with the local government unit commissioning the services of an urban planner to conceptualize and design what would become a people’s park.
The new municipal hall is located beside the Lubao campus of Don Honorio Ventura State University.
Pineda-Cayabyab said she expects commerce to flourish around the new municipal hall, creating more opportunities for business and work for Lubao residents.