(Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin (2nd from right) leads the groundbreaking ceremony for the first Judiciary Regional Center at New Clark City. Joining him are (from left) NEDA director-general Ernesto Pernia, BCDA president and CEO Vince Dizon, and Supreme Court administrator Jose Midas Marquez. Photo courtesy of PIA 3)
NEW CLARK CITY, Tarlac – The groundbreaking ceremony for the first Judiciary Regional Center was led by Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin here on Friday.
Bersamin said New Clark City is a very promising location because of its proximity to major infrastructures like the he Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), the Subic seaport, and the Clark International Airport (CRK) which is destined to be the country’s next global gateway.
“We will establish in the area a fully functioning Supreme Court. We proposed to build here several buildings, the most important of which would be alternative Halls of Justice for when Manila will be hit by [a] disaster,” Bersamin said.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president- CEO Vince Dizon thanked the SC and the entire judiciary for seeing and joining President Duterte in his vision of building a new metropolis.
“We have not just planned it, we have not just talked about it, we have actually done it. Phase 1A of the NCC includes the 20,000-seater Athletics Stadium, 2,000-seater Aquatics Center and the Athletes’ Village which are ready for this year’s 30thSouth East Asian Games,” Dizon said.
“These facilities were built in just 18 months since it broke ground in January 2018,” Dizon added.
It was learned that the 5.8-hectare Judiciary Regional Center will house a data and an archive center for the SC’s business and historical records, housing facilities, a training center for the Philippine Judicial Academy, and dedicated areas for the Court of Appeals, the Court of Tax Appeals, and the Sandiganbayan.
Detailed development plan for the complex is scheduled to be finished this year while construction is set to start next year.
