THE City of San Fernando held groundbreaking ceremonies Wednesday, February 6, for a new civic center.
"Since we're not included in the megalopolis plan’s infrastructure allocation, we must be competitive. With this [civic center], we'll develop ways to find ourselves more productive and service-oriented so that the City of San Fernando will not be left behind," San Fernando City Planning and Development Coordinator's Office Officer-in-Charge Chryzl Sicat said during the groundbreaking rites in Barangay San Isidro.
"We have to have an increase of infrastructure here in City of San Fernando that would support the services that are being given by the government. We need this city civic center to better cater to the increasing population of our city," she said.
"The civic center will be used as a site for our social support infrastructure, and to develop social and business support infrastructure to the middle-west part of the city. The city currently gives service to the south, because the facilities are there," Sicat added.
Sicat noted that the there are now seven growth centers in City of San Fernando which are the downtown, central business district, regional central business district or the regional transport hub, regional government center, Bulaon new township, Sindalan-Calulut growth corridor, Baliti growth center, and Telabastagan-Malino growth center.
"The city civic center will be a common place for all Fernandinos to live, work, play, retire, feel protected, feel safe, and lastly, have a sense of pride that City of San Fernando has this kind of center, which plays the role of answering the sustainable development goals, encouraging wellness, improving social interaction, and have a sustainable urban community," Sicat said.
Sicat also said that the center aims to improve access to their services and resilience as a local government unit, which would help in establishing the command and control center and the permanent evacuation center of the city.
The structures that are expected to rise in the civic center are the command and control center, first ever city park, permanent evacuation center, sports complex, youth development center, department of education building, special drug education center, technical vocational center, satellite offices, and an evacuation center or senior citizens' center. (Nicole Renee David)