A ‘New City’ takes shape

Clark is being positioned as Asia’s next aerotropolis and investment center, with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) leading such efforts.  Already, the BCDA has embarked on an ambitious project to reenergize the former American military base.

The BCDA was created in 1992 to address the economic consequences of four major disasters and events that struck the country:  the Baguio earthquake (1990), the Mt. Pinatubo eruption (1991), the pull out of the American military bases (1991) that dislocated thousands of workers, and the series of attempted coups (1987 to  ’92), which pushed the national economy to the brink of collapse.

Among the BCDA’s objectives was was to transform former military camps into economic centers of growth. One of these centers was the Clark Air Base in Pampanga and Tarlac.

In 1993, the Clark Development Corp., a subsidiary of BCDA, was created and tasked to manage the conversion of Clark into a special economic zone, following the withdrawal of US military bases from the area.

The special economic zone was seen to provide employment and livelihood opportunities to locals as Clark becomes a civil aviation complex and a tourism, trade and business center in Luzon.

Under the current administration’s “Build, Build, Build” Program, several infrastructure initiatives in Clark have been lined up, including a new passenger terminal in the Clark International Airport, a Subic- Clark cargo railway, and a PNR Manila-Clark railway.

In 2013, the BCDA secured approval from the National Economic and Development Authority to develop some 36,000 ha in the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone into a new city half the size of Metro Manila.

The upcoming metropolis, north of Clark, is called the New Clark City and spans more than 9,000 ha. Located within the special economic zone, the city is envisioned to be the country’s first smart, green, disaster-resilient metropolis, where nature, lifestyle, business, education and industries converge.

BCDA said the project, previously known as Clark Green City during the Aquino administration and was covered by the Clark Green City Master Development Plan, was expected to help attract investments, generate more jobs, boost the economy and sustain inclusive growth.

The city will comprise residential, commercial, agro-industrial, institutional and information technology developments and will boast of wide pedestrian lanes, exclusive bicycle lanes, and an integrated mass transit lane.

The New Clark City will have a business continuity center that would also house national government agencies. The idea of having back-up offices of state agencies at Clark will allow the continuity of business operations and services should disasters like the “Big One” strike Metro Manila, the nation’s capital.

Experts say the city also has the potential to decongest Metro Manila, one of the densest megacities in the region.

With its lowest elevation at 54 m above sea level, and the highest at about 800 m above sea level, the city is said to be safe from flooding. Clark’s favorable geological conditions, based on certifications from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, also make it less vulnerable to earthquakes.

Upon its completion, the project is expected to contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy.

Sources: Inquirer Archives