THE urban development plan for a particular site is imperative to serve as a guidepost in its growth and development.
Thus, a comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) was conceived and made for the City of Mabalacat, a fast-growing component city of Pampanga whose leaders led by Mayor Crisostomo Garbo and assisted by able assistants: City Vice Mayor Christian Halili and members of the City Council on whose shoulders fell the task of formulating legislations to enhance the CLUP and the administrative functionaries led by Rosan Paquia and his CPDC staff, lawyer Emmanuel Ignacio, for the legal aspect of the plan and Atty. Aileen Rigor, CPA, for the financial work. The resulting CLUP is an organized, collective work with advising help from the national and provincial governments.
As stated in the Executive Summary furnished me by Francis Forona, the project's manager and a trusted yeoman of Rosan Paquia, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is divided into: Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Sectoral Studies, Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment and Zoning Ordinance. All four have been accomplished by the CPDC and the results were neatly and impressively bound.
By year 2026, Mabalacat City is envisioned to be the region's premier commercial and industrial hub, empowered by a healthy disciplined and involved citizenry. The city is envisioned to be a scenic, ecologically-balanced and resilient environment with a robust and all-inclusive economy embellished by a transparent, accountable and responsive governance and leadership.
The major spatial growth centers or development zones of the city are as follows: 1) The Industrial Zone composed of Barangays Bundagul, Paralayunan, Mangalit, Sta. Maria and Sapang Balen. Already in place is the TECO Special Economic Zone where Trust International Paper Corporation, a major paper manufacturer is based; 2) The Agricultural-Tourism Development Zone which shall be composed of two sub-spatial development zones: the Agricultural Zone and the Tourism Zone. The areas pinpointed are: Barangays Bical, Duquit and Sta. Maria for the Agricultural Zone and the barangays near the Clark Freeport Zone-Calumpang, Macapagal Village and Marcos Village, for the Tourism Zone; 3)
Commercial Development Corridor will be composed of Barangays Dau, Camachiles, Mabiga, Sto. Rosario, San Francisco, Poblacion, San Joaquin and Tabun and 4) The Residential Zone which comprises of Barangays Dau, Camachiles, Lakandula and Duquit.
As planned and envisioned, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is a very significant work authored by the CPDC headed by Rosan Paquia with the imprimatur of current mayor, Crisostomo Garbo. If executed faithfully, it will give the city the much-needed impetus for its growth and maximum development as an important sector in the Central Luzon sector.