Marikina police HQ to have spa, chapel
P130-M project seen taking 2 years to complete
Marikina policemen will soon have a brand-new station—an eight-story structure equipped with a “wellness spa” and an indoor firing range. It will have a spacious, “bank-like” lobby, a cafeteria and a gym with shower and locker rooms. PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde described the P130million police station, a gift from the city government, as a vision come true.
Here, happiness is a warm gun and a cold shower—all under one roof.
The Marikina City police may soon become the most pampered lot in the force, with the construction of their eight-story station that will have a “wellness spa,” an indoor firing range and a chapel, among other amenities.
A gift from the city government to local law enforcers, the P130-million building will rise on Fortune Avenue, Barangay Fortune, and is expected to take about two years to complete, Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday.
‘Bank-like’ lobby
It will have a total floor area of 3,752 meters, or 536 square meters per floor, all for the use of Marikina’s 738 policemen who are currently using the fourth floor of the city’s legislative building as their temporary headquarters, sharing the building with the courts and the city jail.
The ambitious project will also have a spacious, “bank-like” lobby, a cafeteria and a gym with shower and locker rooms, Teodoro added.
Planners thought Fortune Road would be “the safest place” to build the new station, away from any fault line or floodprone area. “We thought that it’s important that (the police), as first responders, are not person- ally affected by calamity,” Teodoro explained.
Lot from Red Cross
The future police station will be the first of several government buildings that will rise in that area, which is envisioned to host local agencies involved in emergency response and disaster management, he said.
The 3,500-sqm lot was acquired by the local government from the Red Cross, which swapped the land in exchange for taxes it owed the city, he said.
Upon completion of the building, it may take six more months to install the needed equipment and address other lo- gistical issues, a final phase to be tackled by the city council for funding.
Teodoro said the building was conceptualized in December last year under the leadership of then Eastern Police District (EPD) director, Chief Supt. Reynaldo Biay.
The Marikina City Engineering Office and the PNP Engineering Service and Directorate for Logistics will be in charge of its design.
“Our local government should be committed to public service and peace and order (but it) cannot be efficient if there are no good facilities,” Teodoro said.
In an earlier interview, the mayor noted that the last time the local police had their own proper building was two decades ago.
‘Visions come true’
Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde, who also attended the rites, described the future station as one of the “visions come true” of the PNP, which aspires for a modernized police force.
Albayalde thanked Teodoro and the Marikina City government and, in return, promised to deliver quality police service to the residents.
Also present at the groundbreaking were City Prosecutor Jayson Amante, EPD director Senior Supt. Bernabe Balba, National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, and the city police chief, Senior Supt. Roger Quesada.
Our local government should be committed to public service and peace and order (but it) cannot be efficient if there are no good facilities Marcelino Teodoro Marikina City mayor