New Clark City is able to turn into the seat of the national government by 2030, the Base Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said yesterday, endorsing a Senate proposal to make the move to decongest Metro Manila and boost sustainable growth.
“BCDA supports Senator (Sherwin) Gatchalian’s proposal to begin relocating government agencies from Metro Manila to New Clark City. This initiative will not only solve traffic congestion problems in Metro Manila, but also create opportunities in Central Luzon and nearby regions,” said BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizon.
“This initiative should be implemented in stages, but it should be started now,” Dizon emphasized.
Dizon said BCDA and its partner infrastructure developer, MTD Clark Inc., will complete Phase 1A at New Clark City or the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) by the top of this month.
New Clark City is projected to be the primary smart, green and resilient metropolis within the country. Last yr, the headquarters of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was moved here.
Under Gatchalian’s proposal, also referred to as “Kabisera 2030,” NGAC will house the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President, and all central offices of national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations. It proposes the whole relocation of the everlasting seat of national government by 2030.
Gatchalian identified that some countries have also moved their seats of presidency to other places, as within the case of Malaysia, which considers Putrajaya as its administrative capital.
He noted that Metro Manila, with a population of 12.88 million in 2015, has a population density of 20,785 people per square kilometer, which is higher than that of Mumbai, Paris and Tokyo.
A study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) found that the economic cost of transportation in metro Manila rose to three.5 billion pesos per day in 2018.
The study added that economic losses from chronic congestion in Metro Manila could reach P5.4 billion per day by 2035.
Gatchalian said that along with reducing subway congestion, the move to New Clark City will speed up economic development, create jobs for Filipinos and help achieve sustainable growth.
“It is my fervent hope that by establishing a new administrative center in a new location such as New Clark City, the possibilities of having a well-planned urban center equipped with modern amenities and technologies that increase government efficiency and productivity will be limitless,” the senator added.
NGAC includes world-class sports facilities that will probably be used for this yr’s SEA Games, the Integrated Disaster Response Operations Centre, government buildings and a riverside park.
Recently, BCDA and MTD signed a memorandum of understanding with the Land Bank of the Philippines Leasing and Finance Corp. (LLFC) to ascertain leasing and financing facilities for presidency agencies in search of to locate in New Clark City.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III can also be pushing for a government center in New Clark City, citing efficient service delivery.
Source: Philstar.com
