(New Clark City Athletic Stadium nearing completion. Contributed Photo)
CLARK FREEPORT — The Bases Conversion Development Authoirty (BCDA) clarified yesterday that the New Clark City now being developed as part of this freeport farther in Tarlac does not impinge on the ancestral domain of Aeta tribal folk.
“It is, within the Clark Special Economic Zone, a government land owned by the BCDA. There are no declared ancestral domains or Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADT) in the area,” the BCDA said in a statement yesterday.
But the BCDA stressed that Aetas, who live in nearby hills and mountain slopes, are among those to significantly benefit from the New Clark City project which also covers sports facilities for this November’s Southeast Asian games.
“Aeta families are not displaced. New Clark City is creating opportunities for everyone especially for the IP (indigenous peoples) groups and farmers who may be aff ected in the development of roads and other infrastructure,” the statement said.
“BCDA also holds regular dialogues with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the communities to assure them that they are part of the development,” the statement also said.
The BCDA said it is “building access roads to and from New Clark City that will provide access and connectivity to everyone, especially indigenous peoples, residents, and farmers for their livelihood.”
“The roads will benefit all stakeholders. They will be the first and biggest beneficiaries of these developments,” it said.
The BCDA also reported that “financial assistance packages amounting to P300,000 per hectare have also been made available to all project-affected people, including IPs and farmers.”
“This is the highest compensation package provided by government to project-affected people. Relocation sites have also been provided by BCDA within New Clark City for those whose residential structures were affected,” the statement also said.
The BCDA also said “credible institutions such as the University of the Philippines and the Asian Development Bank worked with BCDA to study and to master- plan to ensure sustainability and inclusivity of New Clark City.”
It said “the University of the Philippines Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry (UP-TCAGP) did the aerial mapping for this project to ensure that the masterplan is aligned with the natural contours and usage of the land, allowing maximum benefits for the government and all stakeholders.”
“The development of the 1.4-kilometer River Park Corridor follows the natural fl ow of the Cutcut River as advised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB is also conducting a Biodiversity Assessment and Hydrology Study to conserve the flora and fauna and ensure the sustainability of water in New Clark City,” BCDA also reported.
It said a copy has yet to be received on the study by the University of Glasgow and the University of the Philippines that raised the dislocation of the IPs from the developments in their own ancestral domain.
“BCDA is very eager to dialogue with the group to further ensure inclusivity and sustainability of New Clark City,” the statement also said.
