Angeles City eyes to undertake urban renewal program

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=905664
• Wednesday, July 20, 2016

(PNA), BNB/ZST/MDDR/PS

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, July 20 (PNA) -- The city government is eyeing to undertake an urban renewal program that seen to transform the city’s major landscape towards further development and progress.

“As early as now, we are grooming the city for future developments. We are enjoining the participation of the private sector to help us shape the new face of Angeles City,“ Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said during the Urban Renewal Program Forum held Tuesday at the Old Session Hall, this city.

Representatives from the business sector and some private building owners attended the forum which is aimed to seek their participation as private counterparts.

Pamintuan, who led the said forum, addressed the need for the city to undertake a major landscape and “aeroscape” revamp in accordance to Angeles’ Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP).

City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) chief David David said Angeles City’s CDP was crafted way back in 2010 during Pamintuan’s first term, and is part of his eight-point agenda known as the Contract with the Angeleños (CWA).

The CDP aims to fully utilize public spaces, roads and sidewalks. Beautification and restoration of old buildings and structures that are significant to the city’s heritage and history are also being prioritized.

“The rise of the Angeles City Heritage District and linear parks are only parts of the total urban renewal program,” David said.

Aside from the heritage district, area of development will also include the Balibago Business District. The Abacan River Comprehensive Development Project is also part of the CDP.

Initially, the local government has started the removal of dangling, unused and grisly-looking spaghetti wires in the vicinity of San Nicolas Market, which will soon be part of the city’s heritage zone.

The city is also encouraging owners of decades-old buildings to design and repaint their respective edifices with uniform shades and hues of colors depending on the development corridor they belong in.

Sidewalks will also be cleared of illegal structures in preparation for pavement beautification and illumination.

“The city will provide these establishments with design templates and color palettes that they can follow and use as patterns. We will also study on how we can help these establishments who are compliant to this undertaking,” Pamintuan said.

On the other hand, business and building owners who attended the forum expressed support to this city’s beautification and rehabilitation initiative.

“We, as private owners, should follow the flow of development that the local government has started. We are willing to do our share,” said Rene Henson, who owns some of the buildings in the city’s heritage zone.

“We like our mayor’s plan and we are pledging our full cooperation to him. I hope that other business and commercial establishments with decades-old buildings will comply with it,” said Frederick Chan, who owns a building near the San Nicolas Public Market.

For his part, the Mayor vowed that the city government will be fully hands-on in this endeavor- a project that will promote peace and order, good business vibe, and better appreciation of local tourism and heritage in the long run.