PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia — Malaysian infrastructure developer MTD Capital Berhad eyes the completion of Phase 1A of the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) of New Clark City (NCC) by October 15.
“We are on track to complete by October 15. In terms of progress on site, it’s already at 55 percent. It is a very fast track because we only started work effective March 2018. To complete (the development) in 19 months was a big challenge, but we are on track to achieve the target,” MTD Chief Financial Officer Tee Kim Siew said.
About 4,000 workers are now engaged in the construction works at the NGAC, and as the construction accelerates, MTD will add 2,000 to 3,000 more workers on site.
“90% of the project is purely local content ranging from design, materials, workers, and contractors,” the official furthered.
Tee assured that MTD has the technical capability and financial capacity to ensure that they deliver with quality.
NGAC is a 40 hectare project that is part of the 9,450 hectare NCC in Capas, Tarlac.
It has sports facilities that will host the 30thSouth East Asian Games this November namely a 20,000 seater Athletics Stadium, 2,000 seater Aquatics Center, and 525 unit Athletes’ Village.
Also for completion under Phase1A is a seven-storey Government Building which will serve as an integrated operations center for government agencies involved in disaster risk reduction and management, a 525 unit condominium type housing for government employees dubbed as “The Residences”, a commercial facility, and a River Park.
For her part, Governor Susan Yap expressed gratitude to the national government for believing in investing in the establishment of a smart, green and disaster-resilient city like the NCC, which is projected to create more economic opportunities in Tarlac.
“NCC has always been the dream for the Tarlac community. This new city will enable people in our province to be part of a huge economic activity awaiting the country,” Yap said.
“I’m happy that the Philippines’ first smart city will be built here in Capas. Soon, huge investments will be pouring in our municipality, and locators will see the great economic potential in Capas,” Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan said.
NGAC’s near completion marks the first step in decongesting Metro Manila, according to Engr. Joshua Bingcang, Bases Conversion and Development Authority Senior Vice President for Business Development and Operations.
“By establishing a modern government center in Clark, we’re contributing to the vision of President Duterte to spur growth and investments in areas outside the capital. NGAC was designed to bring equal access of public service to the Filipinos,” Bingcang said.
NGAC is patterned after the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative center, developed to decongest the capital Kuala Lumpur. It is envisioned to bring long-term and viable solutions to decongest Metro Manila and eventually spur growth and investments in Central Luzon.
(William L. Beltran/PIA 3)