Malaysian firm MTD Capital Bhd has submitted to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) an unsolicited proposal to build the 207-hectare New Clark City government center at a cost of P121.8 billion.
Engaged in civil engineering and construction, infrastructure development, and real estate and property development, Selangor-based MTD Capital is the parent company of AlloyMtd Philippines.
BCDA said in a statement that MTD Capital proposed to provide financing for the project, as well as technical and engineering expertise for the construction and operations and maintenance of the New Clark City Government Administrative Center.
The state firm said all of the proposal’s components, salient features and terms would be subject to a thorough review, negotiations and approval of BCDA.
Describing the proposal, BCDA said its salient features included the construction of an extension office of the Philippine President and executive buildings, site development for embassies and international schools, buildings to serve as housing for government employees, sports facilities, a central communications and security command center, public schools, a government hospital, a public library, and buildings for community centers.
MTD Capital intends for the government center to house not only satellite offices but also the major administrative offices of various executive departments and agencies.
“MTD Capital’s proposal follows the practice of other progressive countries such as Putrajaya in Malaysia and Sejong City in South Korea by establishing national government administrative centers outside the country’s capital—helping ease traffic congestion and overpopulation in the metropolitan area,” the BCDA said.
New Clark City complements other BCDA big-ticket projects like an expanded Clark International Airport as well as the Subic-Clark Cargo Railway which is intended to provide transport interconnectivity in the entire archipelago.
For this project, the BCDA is looking at a P17-billion initial phase that covers 50 hectares of land or about a quarter of the 207-hectare total area of the New Clark City government administrative center at the Clark Special Economic Zone that straddles the town of Capas and Bamban in Tarlac.
New Clark City is BCDA’s flagship project and is envisioned to feature mixed-use real estate developments, an agro-industrial park, and a food processing terminal. —RONNEL W. DOMINGO