Today marks the day of the start of the urban planning to transform Pampanga into a megalopolis.
This was according to Gov. Lilia Pineda during the presentation on “Pampanga Megalopolis: Well into the 21st Century” held at the Kingsborough International Convention Center in the City of San Fernando on Friday.
Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox of Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group highlighted the high development potentials of Pampanga as a major urban growth center during the forum.
Palafox also presented before Pineda, former president now 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, provincial officials and top businessmen an initial presentation for the proposed development of the Pampanga Growth Triangle.
Earlier, urban master planner Palafox Associates disclosed that Pampanga is fast emerging as a megalopolis and one of the best alternatives in decongesting Metro Manila.
Palafox cited that Pampanga is three times the size of Singapore and two times the size of Hong Kong, while Clark Freeport is bigger than Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Fort Bonifacio combined.
Palafox had shared that urban growth centers outside the national capital will address the urban ills of Metro Manila like traffic congestion, housing shortage, flooding, disaster vulnerability, rapid in-migration, urban sprawl, and other problems.
According to the architect, Metro Manila is no longer sustainable. To decongest Metro Manila, international airports are needed for the Manila Bay Region, he said, including one in Cavite or Batangas in the Calabarzon area, and the other is the full utilization of the existing runway of the Clark International Airport.
“Pampanga has the necessary geographic features and infrastructure in place. Pampanga can be a megalopolis with urban growth and development triangle, composed of three metropolises: San Fernando-Lubao, Angeles-Clark, and Porac-Subic. In short, it has a fully functioning sea port and distribution center; an international airport; and easily accessible through the National Highway. We inherited billions of dollars worth of infrastructure from the Americans for the two largest US military Bases outside the USA,” noted Palafox.