MORONG, Bataan — Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) will soon transfer its headquarters and operational facilities in a 100-hectare lot at Bataan Technology Park (BTP) in Morong town.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and PMC broke ground for the P28 billion facility in time for the service branch’s 71st founding anniversary.
“Today, just three days from PMC’s 71st anniversary, we are laying the foundation not just for the future home of the Corps, but for the Marines’ continued modernization despite the COVID-19 pandemic. BCDA is honored to support the men and women of the Corps despite these trying times so they may serve and protect our countrymen,” BCDA Officer-in-Charge Aristotle Batuhan said.
Batuhan stressed BCDA provided 100 hectares of its land in BTP as part of its relocation and replication program.
“The total replication cost for this development is P28 billion and we trust that this will go a long way in enhancing the operational effectiveness and responsiveness of the Marine Corps,” he added.
The transfer of PMC to Bataan will create income-generating opportunities for the government in the soon-to-be vacated 12.46-hectare headquarters of the Marines in South Bonifacio Pointe.
Batuhan furthered that the new headquarters, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, is situated in an upgraded and strategic location ideal for the Marines’ operations, emergency response and ease of deployment of troops.
For his part, PMC Commandant Major General Ariel Caculitan affirmed the strategic value of the area in strengthening their Archipelagic Coastal Defense strategy.
“PMC is excited for this much-awaited groundbreaking ceremony and looks forward to building our new headquarters at BTP. We thank the BCDA, the local government, and the people of Bataan for accommodating us here,” Caculitan noted.
BCDA allocated about P7.5 billion for the first phase of the project targeted to be completed by 2024.
First phase of the replication project includes three site development and construction packages which are now underway.
Package 1 is composed of security and utility facilities, while package 2 consists of a detention facility, a retraining battalion facility, liaison office, billeting, and other operations and support structures for the Marines.
Meanwhile, the PMC headquarters, a communication tower, residential areas and other support facilities are all under the last package.
In August this year, Department of National Defense inked a Memorandum of Agreement with BCDA for the replication of the Philippine Navy’s existing facilities at Bonifacio South Pointe inside Fort Bonifacio, and the Navy Village also in Taguig City.