BCDA promotes New Clark City to foreign businessmen 

Newly appointed Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Aileen R. Zosa urged Australian and New Zealand businessmen to consider New Clark City as their future home and growth hub in the Philippines, according to a report by Manila Bulletin.

“Our jewel is Clark. We envision New Clark City to be the first smart, green, and resilient metropolis in the Philippines. The thrust of New Clark City is sustainability. It is created not just for investors, but also for the surrounding communities,” said Zosa in a presentation to the visiting 50-member Pacific Business Mission.

The delegation composed of more than 50 Australian and New Zealand potential investors were exploring growth opportunities for automotive, agribusiness, tourism, and renewable energy, among others.

In her presentation, Zosa highlighted the New Clark City as the Philippines’ new frontier of development.

New Clark City is a carefully master-planned metropolis in Capas, Tarlac being developed to help decongest Metro Manila and catalyze growth in Central Luzon, and eventually across the country.

Zosa noted the sustainability features of the 9,450-hectare New Clark City, of which 70 percent is being preserved for green and eco-tourism ventures, while the remaining 30 percent is buildable.

The new BCDA PCEO also presented plans of developing an affordable housing complex and the Philippines’ largest public park within the metropolis, which will emphasize non-motorized and sustainable transport-oriented development (TOD).

To create a community for all regardless of background and income, Zosa said that a 34.55-hectare affordable, multi-tenure and climate-resilient housing project will soon rise in the metropolis, which will feature a river park, town center, community square, sports park, pocket parks as well as mixed-use residential and commercial developments. All of these will be connected to bus rapid transit and metro rail transit systems, among others.

Other projects in the pipeline include a world-class city management and administration services, a data center colocation facility, and a solid waste management and waste-to-energy project for New Clark City.

“New Clark City lives on its vision and its mantra of really being a city of the future. I’m very glad that this 50-member business delegation is actually interested in sectors that have direct impact on particular matters, such as environment protection, digital transformation, and physical connectivity,” said Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega.

In a recorded message, former President and Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said, My wish is to have closer ties with our southernmost neighbors, Australia and New Zealand. I hope our Australian and New Zealand guests will set business in the Subic-Clark corridor and neighboring sites.”

The recent business mission was jointly organized by the Philippine Trade and Center in Sydney, the Philippine Board of Investments, Export Marketing Bureau, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the Subic Clark and Alliance for Development Council (SCADC), and the freeport and economic zones in the Subic-Clark-Bataan Corridor.