CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- It seems former 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not retiring from the public eye, at least in the case of two development plans in Pampanga that she remains optimistic and supportive of, and pledges to support in her private capacity.
She may be retiring from public service as a government official but Mrs. Arroyo, who has been invited by the provincial government to be its consultant, remains supportive of the megalopolis plan, which she said, would usher in a new era of development in Pampanga.
The 50-year development plan is envisioned to optimize the potential of Pampanga as an urban growth center, as well as address the major issues and concerns it faces.
In 2016, Arroyo and Governor Lilia Pineda along with the private sector led by the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. commissioned Felino Palafox, Jr., a Filipino architect and urban planner, to formulate the megalopolis plan that will realize the maximum potentials of Pampanga.
Arroyo, in her speech before government officials yesterday in the Capital city, expressed her support and promised to help in the said project.
Composed of various metropolitan areas, the Pampanga megalopolis plan is clustered into four building blocks namely airport-driven aerotropolis (Angeles City, Mabalacat City, City of San Fernando and Mexico town); the agriculture-driven agropolis (Lubao, Guagua, Sta. Rita, San Luis, San Simon, Sto. Tomas and Magalang towns); water-driven aquapolis (Sasmuan, Minalin, Macabebe, Masantol and Lubao towns); and the ecology-driven ecopolis cluster (Arayat, Candaba, Floridablanca and Porac towns).
“The Megalopolis project seeks to make Pampanga the gateway to Asia through the development of cluster cities (agriculture, ecology, air transportation and marine life) focusing on specific areas and technologies. One of the main components of the Megalopolis project is to ensure an efficient, reliable and sustainable transportation system in and around Pampanga,” Arroyo said in a previous article.
The megalopolis plan likewise formulated a development framework strategy that packaged Pampanga’s immense diversity to advance its tourism sector. This includes creating a unique brand for the province which will enhance its market potentials leading to easy-attraction of tourists and investors, as well.
Just before she ended her term, Mrs. Arroyo also led in the initial meetings for the planned mass transit system in Pampanga.
The transit system, if pushed through, is expected to guarantee inclusive mobility and accessibility in the province and provide connectivity to urban centers, production areas, residential areas, commercial and industrial centers and institutional and service areas.