[ Manila Bulletin Online ] January 12, 2009
By MAR T. SUPNAD
BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Believing that education is an important tool in one’s bid to achieve a goal, city officials here led by Mayor Joet S. Garcia and Vice Mayor Noel Valdecanas have designated an 80-hectare land as a site for a "University Town."
This is in implementation of a program to make Balanga City as a world-class education center by year 2020.
The local leaders said the youth of Bataan could excel if they are provided world-class school facilities.
They noted that Balanga had an average score of 84.16 in last year’s national achievement test administered by the Department of Education.
Last year, the G.L. David Elementary School was adjudged as the most outstanding public elementary, garnering an average score of 87.90.
"This administration (city government) believes that education is an effective tool in the bid to empower the youth by providing them quality education that enable them to hurdle challenges in the future. With the support given to advance education, the city government of Balanga is envisioned to evolve into a world-class University Town in 2020," Garcia and Valdecanas stated in the explanatory of an ordinance for the purpose.
City Ordinance No. 21, series of 2008, is construed as an integral part of the comprehensive land use plan of Balanga.
Under the plan, Mayor Garcia said, "all businesses to be constructed in the area are to conform with the present utilization guidelines." This is expected to promote the ideals, concepts, and purposes of the creation of a University Town, he said.
"With this plan, the potentials of our younger generations are accorded opportunities and proper guidance towards attainment of our vision and realization of dreams of making Balanga City a world-class University Town," the explanatory note stated.
Under the plan, residential area covers 41.5121 hectares or 51.62 percent of the total proposed university town area. The commercial area in the university town covers 12.6795 hectares or 15.77 percent of the total university town area.
The following are designated as commercial zones:
Areas alongside Capitol St. on both sides of the road with a depth of 20 meters;
Block 29 to 44 in the zoning map; and all unidentified areas which are not mentioned but are indicated in the map are zoned as commercial.
Schools, churches, City Hall and other public-institutional buildings cover 18.5133 hectares or 23.02 percent.
