Clark Green City gets backing of Tarlac community

• Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2016/02/13/clark-green-city-gets-backing-tarlac-community-457098
• Wednesday, February 17, 2016

(PR)

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has gained the support of the Tarlac community—particularly farmers, residents and local government officials—for the development of the agency’s flagship project, the Clark Green City.

With the backing of the local community, development is now in full swing at the Clark Green City site. “Road works are ongoing to improve and rehabilitate some 19.4 kilometers of existing roads leading to and within the Clark Green City,” said BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova.

“The farmers support and allow the construction of road networks in Clark Green City to fast-track development in the province and the region. They are aware that the Clark Green City will benefit the local community in terms of economic opportunities, job generation, and access to education,” Casanova stated.

The chief executive earlier said that the roads will play a vital role in the development of the area and help increase its land value and economic potential as well as its attractiveness to interested investors.

The improved roads will service the development of Clark Green City’s Phase 1, which covers 288 hectares and the future site of the 70-hectare University of the Philippines campus and other institutional areas. The contract to develop the 288-hectare parcel has recently been signed with Filinvest Land, Inc. as BCDA’s joint venture partner.

Clark Green City, a 9,450-hectare area within the government-owned Clark Special Economic Zone in Tarlac province, is envisioned to be a modern, sustainable community, which promotes inclusive growth among all stakeholders.

Casanova said that his agency has been in talks with local government officials and project-affected communities, including residents, farmers and indigenous people organizations, to ensure that their concerns are being addressed.

“BCDA has been consulting with the farmers and residents since project inception in 2012 to ensure that they are involved in the development process. Transparency and cooperation are key factors to the success of this project. The development of Clark Green City will only happen if we work closely together,” Casanova said.

After a series of consultations and dialogues with the project stakeholders, BCDA and the local government, business sector and project-affected people including residents, farmer-groups and indigenous people, have come into common terms of embracing and supporting a shared vision of creating a green, disaster-resilient and smart metropolis in the heart of Central Luzon.

Casanova stated, “We are confident that with the support of the local government officials and the residents, farmers and indigenous people, we will be able to create the city of the future here in Central Luzon and provide opportunities for economic growth for the country and the people of Region III.”

“We have carefully looked into their issues and concerns and have incorporated their input in the development plan for Clark Green City,” he said.

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).

It will be recalled that the Clark Green City project was given the green light by President Benigno S. Aquino in May 2014.

In June of the same year, the Philippine Congress, through the House Committee on Bases Conversion, approved House Resolution 944 “Expressing the Sense and Sentiment of the House of Representative in Support of the ‘Clark Green City’ Master Plan Development Plan Prepared by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.”

The said resolution directed the BCDA to coordinate with other government agencies as well as different local government units for the formulation of appropriate strategies, plans and timetable to attain the targets set forth in the Plan. This gave rise to the creation of the Technical Working Group for the Issues and Concerns of the Clark Green City-Project Affected People chaired by the governor of Tarlac and composed of representatives from BCDA, Tarlac LGUs, House of Representatives, National Housing Authority, National Commission on Indigenous People, and stakeholders, specifically, associations of farmers and indigenous people.