CLARK FREEPORT – The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said yesterday the New Clark City (NCC) it is constructing in the Tarlac portion of this freeport would be ready to become the seat of the national government buy 2030.
This, even as the BCDA expressed full support to the proposal of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to transfer the seat of government to New Clark City by that year.
“BCDA supports Senator Gatchalian’s proposal to start the move of government agencies from Metro Manila to New Clark City. This initiative will not only solve Manila’s congestion problems, but will also create opportunities in Central Luzon and nearby regions,” said BCDA president-CEO Vince Dizon.
“This initiative should be done in phases but it needs to be started now,” Dizon stressed.
Already the central office of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was moved here last year.
Dizon said BCDA and its partner, infrastructure developer MTD Clark, Inc., are scheduled to finish New Clark City Phase 1A or the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) by end of the month. New Clark City is envisioned to be the country’s first smart, green, and resilient metropolis.
The NGAC includes world-class sports facilities to be used in this year’s SEA Games, the Integrated Disaster Response Operations Center, a government housing, and a river park.
Under Gatchalian’s proposal, also known as the “Kabisera 2030,” the NGAC will be the location of the Office of the President, Office of the Vice President, and all central offices of national government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations. It proposes the permanent seat of the national government to be fully transferred by 2030.
Gatchalian said that aside from easing congestion in the metro, the move to New Clark City will spread economic development, generate jobs for Filipinos, and help achieve sustainable growth.
“It is my fervent hope that by establishing a new administrative center at a new location like New Clark City, the opportunities to have a well-planned urban center with modern facilities and technology to enhance government efficiency and productivity will be boundless,” the senator added.
Recently, BCDA and MTD signed a memorandum of agreement with the Land Bank of the Philippines Leasing and Finance Corporation (LLFC) to establish leasing and financing facilities for government agencies intending to locate in New Clark City.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is also pushing for the creation of a government hub in New Clark City, citing the efficient delivery of services.
