CLARK FREEPORT -- The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) have forged a 50-year contract for the lease of a hectare of land in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, which will serve as the headquarters of the country’s space agency.
PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr. and BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang on August 29, 2024 led the memorandum of agreement signing at the BCDA office in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
PhilSA Deputy Director General for Space Science and Technology Gay Jane P. Perez; Deputy Director General for Space Operations, Infrastructure and Industry Denis F. Villorente; and other PhilSA and BCDA officials were present during the signing.
“This milestone is about growth and collaboration. As we continue to build on PhilSA’s progress over the past five years, we are strengthening not just the space agency but also the domestic space ecosystem, our ‘#YamangKalawakan.’ We are pleased to be building in New Clark City with BCDA as we seize opportunities in the global space economy together,” Marciano said.
The one-hectare property in New Clark City is part of the 30 hectares of land in the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and Tarlac allocated for PhilSA, as mandated in Section 17 of Republic Act No. 11363 or the Philippine Space Act.
The establishment of the PhilSA headquarters in New Clark City is expected to accommodate 350 personnel, most of which are space scientists, engineers, and researchers.
The BCDA said the facilities to be put up are aimed at enhancing the country’s capabilities in space science, technology, and applications (SSTA) by enabling tighter industry, academe and government engagement, and creating opportunities for highly technical jobs, products and services.
“Once built, we are confident that the Philippines will have one of the most modern space centers in Southeast Asia; and what better place for this to happen than in New Clark City, the first smart and disaster-resilient city in the Philippines,” Bingcang said.
The lease contract involves the first phase of PhilSA’s official site development, which includes PhilSA’s headquarters and facilities at the National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City, according to BCDA.
It added that the second phase of the development, meanwhile, is intended for expansion of space research and development and operations infrastructure of the agency.
PhilSA currently holds office in Quezon City, and operates ground station facilities in the University of the Philippines Diliman and in Davao city.
The BCDA said the project is in line with its thrust for sustainable development.