CLARK FREEPORT ZONE -- The Bases Conversion and Development (BCDA) said “driverless” vehicles may be seen cruising around the New Clark City during the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in November.
According to BCDA president and CEO Vivencio Dizon, Dizon the BCDA will be signing a memorandum of agreement with a United States (US) company that will pilot the buses and cars which will take athletes around the sports complex.
Dizon announced this during the inspection of the New Clark City sports complex with Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II.
Dizon, however, did not name the US company.
Senators Honasan and Lacson earlier toured the 20,000-seater Athletics Stadium, the 2,000-seater Aquatics Center and the 1.4-kilometer Riverpark at the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in New Clark City with Dizon.
Lacson lauded the progress of New Clark City, which is already more than 80 percent complete.
Honasan, meanwhile, encouraged more sustainable developments.
The NGAC, which is part of President Duterte’s plan to decongest Metro Manila, is situated in New Clark City, the country’s first and only smart and green city to rise within the Clark Special Economic Zone, and BCDA’s most ambitious project to date in partnership with infrastructure developer MTD Philippines.
A 200-hectare mixed-used government center, meant to decentralize state offices from the capital, will primarily host offices of various government agencies.
Phase 1A of the NGAC development also involves the construction of sports facilities that include the Athletics Stadium, Aquatics Center, and Athlete’s Village.
These world-class facilities will be used for the Philippines’ hosting of the South East Asian Games this year.
Nearly 10,000 athletes from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam are expected to gather at Clark from November 30 to December 10 for the SEA Games. (PR)