LB request to replace air-conditioning unit at House OK’d

Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig has approved the Legislative Bureau’s request to replace the old air-conditioning unit that services the House of Representatives chamber and other offices.

Atalig said yesterday that he approved the bureau’s request last week and that they are now getting the contract processed in the government’s new financial management system.

The bureau had requested the Department of Finance to authorize the emergency procurement—estimated to cost $184,538—to replace the old 20-ton Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning unit servicing the House chamber as well as other offices., in order to prevent disrupting work at the House of Representatives.

One such disruption occurred last Sept. 10, when the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee was forced to cancel its scheduled hearing for Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Gary P. Camacho due to the inoperable air-conditioning system at the chamber.

Legislative Bureau director Perry John P. Tenorio informed Atalig last Sept. 22 that the HVAC unit servicing the House chamber and lobby and the speaker and vice speaker offices broke down.

Tenorio said their HVAC service provider was able to reenergize the units but advised that it will be a temporary fix, given the age of the unit and the difficulty in finding replacement parts.

The director underscored the need to immediately replace this single HVAC unit, which is separate from a planned HVAC improvement for the entire building.

“We feel that in the interest of the public health, safety or welfare, this emergency procurement request is justified,” Tenorio said.

The Legislative Bureau’s HVAC service provider is Torres Refrigeration Inc.

Tenorio said Torres Refrigeration has maintained the Jesus Pangelinan Mafnas Memorial Building’s (Legislature Building) HVAC system since 2017, and predates his appointment as Legislative Bureau director. He said Torres Refrigeration is very familiar with their HVAC system and is best suited to resolve their current emergency.

The director said the company provided them with a scope of work and quotation estimated at $184,538 to replace the current unit. He said it is estimated to take approximately 45 to 60 days to complete this project.

Tenorio said the Jesus Mafnas Memorial Building on Capital Hill that is currently occupied by the Legislative Branch has been in existence since the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. He said the building has not changed over the years and needs significant improvements to meet safety standards.

Due to multiple fiscal year budgetary constraints resulting from the declining revenues, the Legislative Branch has deferred much needed improvements to its building, he added.

With the American Rescue Plan Act monies appropriated to the Legislative Bureau, they are now in the position to address critical capital projects, Tenorio said, adding that their priority are the procurement of a backup generator and the replacement of their antiquated HVAC systems.

The director said the procurement of the standby generator is already in process and that 95% of the design work has already been completed.

Regarding the HVAC system, Tenorio said the management intends to procure the services of a mechanical engineer to assess the current condition of the HVAC systems and design the replacement systems to meet the needs of the facility and to comply with the applicable Uniform Building Code.

This, he said, shall also include the design of all related electrical work required to power the new systems.

“Regretfully, we are still in the planning stages and anticipate that this process will take approximately six months, if not longer, to complete,” Tenorio said.