NEW CLARK CITY, Tarlac — Tarlac Governor Susan Yap expressed her deepest gratitude towards the ‘Build, Build, Build’ project of the Duterte administration during the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) at New Clark City.
“We are truly grateful that finally the sun has shown to Tarlac. Thank you for giving us the chance to bring progress and development in the province,” Yap said.
She also shared that for many years, it has been a struggle to introduce the province because it just always been a restroom stop for travellers from Manila going North or North going to Manila.
“But this time, with the great plans of Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), it has come into a reality to showcase the hospitality, warmth and talents of our province,” Yap added.
Phase 1 of the 200-hectare NGAC involves the development of back-up offices of various agencies to ensure continuous business operations and services for the people in case of disaster or national calamities. There will also be a one-stop-shop for all the businesses located in Central Luzon.
The Php13.16 billion Phase 1A includes the construction of a world-class sports complex consisting of a 20,000 seating capacity stadium and 2,000 seating capacity aquatics center which will be completed in time for the Philippine hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in the last quarter of 2019.
Once completed in 2019, the project’s Phase1B will commence for the construction of additional government office buildings, government housing units, and support service facilities on a 20-hectare land.
Aside from this, small-scale retail and services facilities including banks, health centers, and hotels will be put up in adjacent zones.
MTD Capital Berhad of Malaysia won the bid to build the government hub after submitting its proposal to BCDA and undergoing the Competitive Challenge.
New Clark City, BCDA’s most ambitious project to date, is a new metropolis that will rise within the Clark Special Economic Zone, in Capas and Bamban, Tarlac.
It is envisioned to be the country’s first and only smart and green city, which will feature mixed-use real estate developments, an agro-industrial park, and a food processing terminal. –Cherie Joyce V. Flores