BCDA, French firm forge pact for Clark Green City

• Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/12/05/bcda-french-firm-forge-pact-clark-green-city-445330
• Saturday, December 5, 2015

(Sun.Star Pampanga)

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has forged a memorandum of understanding (MPU) with Vivapolis, an urban development organization in France, for the Clark Green City project.

President Benigno Aquino III witnessed the MOU signing held on Tuesday at the Hotel Scribe in Paris.

The signing of the MOU between the BCDA and Vivapolis will ensure technical cooperation in the development of Clark Green City, the country’s first smart, green and disaster resilient metropolis.

The signatories of the MOU were BCDA president and Chief Executive Officer Arnel Paciano D. Cassanova and Vivapolis representative Michèle Pappalardo.

Vivapolis represents French stakeholders--both public and private entities--seeking to promote a shared vision for sustainable urban development at an international level and to promote the French know-how in the field of sustainable cities.

“The MOU will pave the way to establish a strategic partnership between BCDA and Vivapolis that encompasses a whole range of activities designed to optimize the development of Clark Green City,” Casanova said.

He added that the MOU will include “the development of human resources through improvement in the level of skills, knowledge, and technical know-how.”

Under the MOU, BCDA and Vivapolis will establish a Technical Cooperation Committee that will explore potential collaborative opportunities in relation to sustainable urbanization, and the development of an ecosystem that will mobilize and devise synergies to create innovation and providing business opportunities for Clark Green City.

Casanova said both parties agree to pursue cooperation, promote green sustainability, inclusive growth, innovation, disaster resiliency, enterprise development and develop synergies toward common goal, and build on both BCDA’s and Vivapolis’ respective comparative strengths and advantages.

Among the areas of cooperation include sustainable city planning; eco-governance; building, infrastructure and utilities; clean technology, products, and solutions; sustainable resource management (soil, water, energy, materials, air, and others); training and education to strengthen the parties’ individual and organizational capacity; expert and senior advisory assistance from European experts; sharing of implementation policy and regulatory know-how regarding green, sustainable and smart urban development; and lastly, provide assistance for the implementation of joint studies on cooperative matters in the areas of mutual interest.

The BCDA and Vivapolis also agreed to jointly search and find financing solutions for any of the projects.

The MOU will be effective for a period of one year and may be renewed for another period of one year upon mutual agreement by both parties.

The entire Clark Green City is a 9,450-hectare master planned property within the Clark Special Economic Zone in the province of Tarlac.

At full development, Clark Green City will have some 1.12 million residents, 800,000 workers and contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy or roughly four percent share in the county’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Clark Green City is strategically situated between highly urbanizing cities of San Fernando, Angeles and Olongapo in Central Luzon as well as the cities of San Carlos, Dagupan and Urdaneta in Northern Luzon.

It is also located near the Clark International Airport and the Subic Seaport.

Casanova said the connectivity of the area to major cities in Central Luzon through the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway and the soon to be built Central Luzon Expressway will allow people’s convergence.