CLARK FREEPORT — Phase 1A of the New Clark City here, including the sports complex to be used for the Southeast Asian Games as well as the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC), is now 90 percent done and is expected to be fully completed by the end of August, the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) said yesterday.
The August completion of the P120-billion project would be earlier than the October 15 target earlier announced by its developer MTD Philippines, Inc.
BCDA said several national government offices are expected to move their operations to NGAC, some 100 kilometers north of congested Metro Manila.
“Phase 1 of the 200-hectare NGAC also involves the development of back-up offices of various government agencies to ensure continuous business operations and services for the people in case of disasters or natural calamities,” BCDA said in a statement.
BCDA said “Phase 1A is already close to 90 percent complete, and is targeted to be finished by the end of August.”
NGAC also covers five buildings of the socalled “The Residences” and two buildings of the “Athletes Village.”
“The Residences” is a 500-unit housing project to benefit thousands of government workers in the NGAC while the “Athletes Village” is part of the world-class sports facilities to be used for the Philippines’ hosting of the 30th SEA Games.
New Clark City is patterned after Putrajaya, the federal administrative capital of Malaysia.
As in Putrajaya, the NGAC is also “envisioned to host the administrative offices of all branches of the Philippine government, as well as their attached agencies, BCDA said.
The agency also said the NGAC was also aimed to forestall the scenario of P5.4 billion loses per day due to traffic congestion in Metro Manila by 2035.
It noted that once finished and operational, the NGAC is expected to “take some of the pressure off Metro Manila” amid projections of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that by 2035, losses due to traffic congestion in the metropolis could reach P5.4 billion daily unless interventions are done.
JICA has estimated that at present, losses due to traffic congestion in the metropolis amount to about P3.5 billion daily.
“The construction of the NGAC ensures the delivery of services as national agencies seek to locate in a master- planned metropolis that is also more resilient and sustainable,” BCDA said.
BCDA quoted Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez III as saying that “government offices in Manila are scattered all over the city, and for the public, it’s very difficult for them if they have to deal with several ministries to go from one place to another. This (NGAC) makes a lot of sense.”
“New Clark City is the Duterte administration’s centerpiece infrastructure project in Central Luzon under the Build Build Build program. Its construction is in keeping with the government’s commitment to spread infrastructure development outside Metro Manila and bring inclusive growth across all regions,” BCDA also said.
