(Filinvest senior vice president Francis Ceballos, Filinvest group head for master planning Catherine Ilagan, Filinvest Land, Inc. president Josephine Gotianun-Yap, BCDA president-CEO Vince Dizon, Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan and other officials prepare to shovel dirt for the groundbreaking ceremony. Photo Courtesy of CDC COMMDEP)
CAPAS, Tarlac – “The Death March is our history. The New Clark City is our destiny!” Thus, said Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan during the groundbreaking of the 288-hectare “green township” project called Filinvest Innovation and Logistics Park here on Wednesday.
Catacutan said this bucolic town is only known as the last point in the tragic Death March where a concentration camp for prisoners of war was established in April 1942.
But now, with the rapid development of the New Clark City (NCC) here, this town will soon become the bastion of countryside urban development and as envisioned by the government as a “green city” which has placed this town in the map, not only in the Philippines but in the world, the mayor said, as he thanked Filinvest for its investment here.
In a joint venture with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Filinvest, through its real estate subsidiary, Filinvest Land, is seeking to develop a modern, smart and sustainable city within the Philippines.
The first phase involves a 64-hectare Innovation and Logistic Park to serve as the economic base of the city with completion targeted in the first quarter of 2020, with an additional 60 hectares expected to be developed within three years thereafter.
“We have a vision of creating a modern, sustainable and smart city that we envisage will serve as an agent of change in shaping a stronger economy,” Filinvest Land Inc. presidentJosephine Gotianun-Yap said in her speech.
“We bring in to New Clark City the same passion and clear vision our townships like Filinvest city stands and are founded on,” she added.
Yap also noted the region’s “impressive” 2018 gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 7.1 percent far outpacing the 6.2 Philippine GDP growth now among the highest in the ASEAN region.
“It is truly with great honor that Filinvest can be part of New Clark City, BCDA’s historic milestone that the next generation will look back with gratitude and pride,” she added.
Yap said Filinvest believes the township stands to benefit from the government’s support for the project through the participation of BCDA as well as the benefits derived from being located in a special economic and freeport zone.
Pioneer
For his part, BCDA president-CEO Vince Dizon took note of Filinvest’s pioneering spirit as the first investor of NCC even as early 2015.
”Filinvest is one of BCDA’s pioneer and integral partners in New Clark City, as we share the vision of creating opportunities in a modern, smart, and green metropolis. We look forward to seeing this new project come to life,” Dizon said.
Also present were Clark Development Corp. president-CEO Noel F. Manankil, Filinvest Group Head of Township Master Planning and president of Filinvest Alabang, Inc. Catherine Ilagan, senior vice president and Business Group Head for Industrial Parks of Filinvest Land Francis Ceballos.
It was noted that the location of the Filinvest township has benefited from the construction of transport infrastructure, such as the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway and Clark International Airport, among others.
These and the government’s planned future transport links, such as the Manila-Clark Highspeed Rail and the Clark-Subic Cargo Rail, which are expected to help bridge the distance between Clark and the Philippines’ major cities as well as provide accessible inbound and outbound access for tourists and foreign investors.
As part of its commitment to build a sustainable community, Filinvest expects to apply for a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification for the establishments within the township.
In December 2019, the NCC will play host to the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), providing an opportunity to showcase the township’s readiness to do business. The facilities for the SEA Games include a world-class sports complex comprising an athletic stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000, an aquatic center with a seating capacity of 2,000 and an athletes’ village that can accommodate up to 1,000 athletes.
