The City of San Fernando in Pampanga has been attracting a lot of attention lately.
Businesses, for one, are setting their sights on the city, thanks to its stellar reputation of being one of the most business-friendly local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines. It’s a title that had been validated by no less than the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which bestowed upon the city its first-ever Most Business-Friendly LGU Award in 2009. Since then, the City has since been feted the same recognition five more times until it was inducted into the PCCI Hall of Fame in 2016.
Another factor that has been making Pampanga’s historic capital very attractive to people is its accessibility, not just to its locals but also to those living in nearby provinces and regions. Soon, even those coming from Manila will be able to reach the province in just 30 to 40 minutes through the proposed Manila-Clark railway. Those from abroad, meanwhile, will be able to fly directly upon the completion of the expansion and modernization of the Clark International Airport.
These are but a few things that make the City of San Fernando a rising cultural and economic powerhouse in the region—if not the country.
And where businesses and people go, opportunities follow.
A township coming to life
Read: CAPITAL TOWN
Leading the transformation of San Fernando from an idyllic city into one of the busiest business and tourism hubs today is property giant Megaworld Corporation.
The developer has brought its signature live-work-play township concept to the city through the 35.6-hectare Capital Town, Megaworld’s first and only township in northern Luzon occupying the former site of the Pampanga Sugar Development Company (PASUDECO) near the provincial capitol.
Today, the vision of building a vibrant integrated urban township in Pampanga is finally coming to life. Construction and development activities inside Capital Town’s Shophouse District are in full swing, with 96% of Shophouse lots now turned over and roads and alleys now fully completed.
Land development works and construction of road networks are likewise ongoing inside the township, as Megaworld eyes to open a portion of the main avenue by the end of the year.
Exciting things on the way
Also located within the Shophouse District is the Philippines’ biggest McDonald’s store, which made headlines when it opened in December last year. Today, this next-gen store has become a major attraction inside the township and a must-visit stopover for people driving north, while the McCafe located just across it has become one of the brand’s best-performing establishments in the country to date.
There’s also the Instagram-worthy Capital Town clock tower, which houses the Megaworld showroom. Here, visitors can check out model units for the residential condominiums, and get a glimpse of what the township will be like once it’s finished.
Welcoming more people soon inside Capital Town are some of the township’s other components. These include residential condominium developments—including the 16-storey Bryant Parklane and the 11-storey Chelsea Parkplace—an iconic lifestyle mall, office towers, a museum, and leisure parks and green spaces. Wide avenues and boulevards will soon connect the township to the major highways in the city leading to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Clark International Airport.
Over the next few years, more projects at Capital Town will be unveiled and all eyes will be on this soon-to-rise township.