ANGELES CITY — President Aquino is expected to give the “green light” on the so called mega-buck Clark Green City venture of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
This was announced by BCDA President-CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova, declaring that after initial setbacks and delays, the Palace approval of the master plan for the ambitious project for the country’s first green and smart metropolis could come in the first quarter of this year.
“This should enable us to implement the Phase I of this project or the bidding out of some 1,300 hectares of land in the Clark sub-zone,” Casanova told newsmen last Friday during the monthly media forum dubbed “Batirulan” co-hosted by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) and the Holy Angel University (HAU) at the Café Juan here in partnership with the Clark Development Corp (CDC) and Social Security System (SSS).
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has approved and endorsed to the Office of the President for final approval the master development plan, and its accompanying strategic marketing development planned city, Casanova said.
He also said that contrary to certain perceptions, “this BCDA project is but a continuation of a 1992 decision to exploit the economic potentials of the 64,000-hectare area of the former American airbase,” then known as Clark Field.
Casanova said the Clark Green City venture could further spur active business and construction activities not only in the Clark area and its immediate vicinity but the entire Central Luzon as well, capable of generating allied businesses and job opportunities.
On a national scale, the BCDA undertaking could also further enhance the Philippines’ competitive edge in attracting fresh domestic and foreign capital engaged in various lines of businesses, Casanova said. He added that “if we play our cards right, this could hasten the emergence of Central Luzon into a modern metropolis in 30-40 years.”
The land marked for bidding will be offered under a 75-year lease agreement, a strategy designed to entice the entry of more foreign investments without necessarily easing the restrictive provisions the Constitution on land holdings and ownership, the BCDA chief said.
The planned city will be carved out of the 35,000 hectares of the 64,000-hectare Clark property assigned to BCDA, he said. The vision is to develop this into a modern, environment- friendly enclave “for all sectors — commercial- industrial establishments, commercial business districts (CBDs), academic institutions and residential areas in all socio-economic levels.”
These undertakings will also include the rehabilitation of forests in the highlands to ensure the sustained supply of clean water for the planned metropolis, according to Casanova, stressing that this “particular job will be given to indigenous communities to ensure their inclusion in the growth and modernization of the city and conservation of the area’s heritage.”
It will heavily rely on modern technology in the generation and supply of water and power, telecommunications, public transportation and other services, he said.
