President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday enjoined members of the public and private sector to invest in “safer” and “responsive” infrastructure as these provide a foundation for a strong economy.

He made this call during the inauguration of the new Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Head Office Building in Barangay Ugong, Pasig City.

“Whether in the public or private sector, I strongly urge you to invest in safer and responsive infrastructure. I urge all of us to invest in our people and country,” he said in his speech.

Duterte said he is hoping that the new building complex would encourage both officials and employees to continue working hard for a “sustainable, resilient, dynamic, and most of all, people-centered” MMDA.

“In the coming days, we shall see just how helpful this project is in helping the agency achieve its goals. It is my hope that the momentum that we have gained through this project, as well as in our other previous projects, will motivate other government offices and institutions to invest in similar undertakings,” he added.

Meanwhile, he also congratulated the MMDA for the successful completion of its new home, which he said would provide everyone in the organization the space they need to function more efficiently.

He also commended the MMDA for its “tireless” service in addressing the needs of the people.

“As if it was not hard enough, the Covid-19 pandemic made transport management, waste management, disaster prevention and public safety in Metro Manila even more challenging. What makes me proud is that in the past two years, the men and women of the MMDA bravely and wholeheartedly took to their task a genuine service to their fellow Filipinos,” he said.

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

Artes said the new building complex shows the MMDA’s commitment to strengthening the organization and providing 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,” he said.

The new 20-story MMDA 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 the performance of green building projects.

The conception of the new MMDA building started during the time of the late Chair Danilo Lim in 2018, through the 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 MMDA and the Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) for the construction of the office.

The winning conceptual design by Architect Daryl John Abaygar, entitled “Solihiya Moderno” was used as an inspiration.

The “Solihiya Moderno” was influenced by the traditional home silhouette and “solihiya” weave pattern.

MMDA employees will start moving into their new building this year. (PNA)