posted April 10, 2016 at
11:30 pm by [thestandard.com.ph]
Othel V. Campos
President Benigno Aquino
III is leading the groundbreaking rites for Clark Green City today, heralding
the start of the development of the country’s first smart, green and
disaster-resilient metropolis in Tarlac province.
The president will lay the
time capsule of what will become the country’s most modern and global
metropolis.
He will be accompanied by
Cabinet members including Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Economic
Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.
“It’s all system go for the
Clark Green City,” Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and
chief executive Arnel Paciano Casanova said.
The development of the
9,450-hectare Clark Green City will be in several phases. The first phase covering 288 hectares will be
developed by BCDA and joint-venture
partner Filinvest Land Inc.
The Filinvest parcel will
have two distinct components—an industrial zone and a mixed-used development
with residential, office, commercial and institutional elements.
Casanova said Clark Green
City was perfectly suited to become a back-up government center, as it was
designed to have a disaster-resilient facility, with measures to combat the ill
effects of climate change and other natural disasters.
Clark Green City’s
favorable geological conditions also make it less vulnerable to
earthquakes. The absence of a fault line
in the vicinity makes the site ideal for long-term development.
The city will also be
spared from the damaging effects of super typhoons, with the Zambales Mountain
Range and the Sierra Madre Mountain Range serving as natural barriers. Flooding will also be remote due to its high
elevation.
Casanova said Clark Green
City would showcase the country’s capability to build a sustainable and modern
city.
“The city will adopt smart
and green features like compact walkable communities with generous open spaces,
bike lanes, mass transportation, smart utilities, high-bandwidth connectivity,
protected biodiversity, energy efficiency and urban farming, among others,
making it one of the country’s most livable cities of the future,” he said.
He said Clark Green City
would be a community that allows people from all walks of life to realize their
aspirations in the cusp of an inclusive community.
“This is not merely a city
for the rich. This is a city for the poor to be rich. Rich in knowledge as well
as in wealth. Abundant in compassion, devoid of bigotry and inequality,” said Casanova.
BCDA chairperson Ma. Aurora
Geotina-Garcia said Clark Green City would be a master-planned metropolis, to
be built from ground up, incorporating the best practices in urban planning and
development.
“The soul of every city is
its people. We must enable every individual to reach their full potential by
honing their talents and giving them more opportunities for growth,” said
Garcia.
At full development, Clark
Green City will have some 1.12 million residents, 800,000 workers and
contribute a gross output of P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy or
roughly four percent of the gross domestic product.
_____________________________________________________________
