BCDA eyes joint venture partner for ICT system in New Clark City 

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has started the bidding process for the P2.53-billion information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in New Clark City, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

In a statement Tuesday, BCDA said interested parties can buy bidding documents starting Nov. 6 for a non-refundable fee of PHP250,000.

The BCDA is counting on the private sector’s expertise to build the ICT system in the country’s first smart urban development through a joint venture partnership.

“In pursuit of its goal of transforming New Clark City into an intelligent, sustainable, and future-proof city, BCDA is now moving forward with the development of ICT infrastructure in the area. By taking this crucial first step, we will not only address the needs of our locators, but also set up the foundation for smart city development and e-governance in New Clark City,” BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua Bingcang said.

“We recognize this as a massive undertaking, and we hope that the private sector can provide us with their expertise and capabilities in this field,” he said.

The BCDA eyes the ICT infrastructure as an “Open Network Fiber” model that will allow telecommunication companies and data transmission providers to connect and service the future customers in the new metropolis, which will involve residences, offices, institutions and data centers.

This model will also help in rolling out the smart city development and e-government solutions, which services are dependent on stable fiber-grade connectivity and data centers.

Meanwhile, the BCDA will hold a pre-qualification conference on Nov. 14, 2023 at the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

Potential bidders shall undergo pre-qualification process based on their legal, technical and financial capability requirements before moving to the next stage of the bidding process which is the submission and evaluation of technical and financial bids from the shortlisted bidders.