CLARK FREEPORT -- The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Monday started the first phase of an envisioned "new city" north of Manila.
President Aquino III led the ground breaking rites in Capas, Tarlac, where the Clark Green City, the "country's first smart, green and disaster-resilient" metropolis is located.
"It's all systems go for the Clark Green City," BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said.
The first phase of Clark Green City is composed of the 288-hectare project that will be undertaken by BCDA and its joint-venture partner, property developer Filinvest Land, Incorporated.
The Filinvest will have two components -- an industrial zone and a mixed-used development with residential, office, commercial and institutional elements.
"Clark Green City's favorable geological conditions make it less vulnerable to earthquakes. The absence of a fault line under or within its vicinity makes the site ideal for long term development," Casanova said.
He added that the said the city is safe from super-typhoons since it is protected by the Zambales Mountain Range and the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, which serves as natural barriers.
The area is also free from flooding because of its high elevation.
Clark Green City is envisioned at full development to have around 1.12 million residents and 800,000 workers. It is hoped to contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy or about a 4 percent share in the county’s gross domestic product.
It will be connected to the major cities of Central Luzon via expressways that include the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.
It is also expected to be linked to the Central Luzon Expressway.
Casanova said the connectivity "will allow the convergence from north, east, south, and west, and serve a catchment population of some 12 million people."
"Clark Green City will also have a direct link to the Clark International Airport and is just an hour’s drive to the Subic Freeport Zone via the SCTEx," Casanova said.