Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she expects Pampanga province to become a megalopolis and the next economic corridor on the back of government’s infrastructure projects and private sector investments.
“The private sector and the government cooperation will play a significant role in transforming Pampanga into the country’s next major economic corridor,” Arroyo said in a statement.
Arroyo, who also served as a former speaker of the House of Representatives, cited a development plan, designed by urban planner Felino Palafox Jr. upon her request, to transform 218,100 hectares across 19 municipalities and three cities in Pampanga into a megalopolis, or a cluster of metropolitan areas, that will unlock the vast economic potential of the province and decongest Metro Manila.
The megalopolis will span various cities and towns led by the Pampanga Golden Triangle, which is composed of the cities of Angeles, San Fernando and Mabalacat, and the high-density and fast-growing municipalities of Porac, Floridablanca, Lubao, Guagua, Santa Rita and Bacoor.
From the Pampanga Golden Triangle, the development will spread to a larger part of the province, according to Arroyo.
Arroyo, who was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the presidential adviser for Clark flagship projects, said property and real estate companies started investing in major projects in Pampanga, after she started the footprint for the massive development of the province in 2016.
Arroyo, together with former Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, tapped the private space planners to undertake the study focusing on Pampanga province as the epicenter of progress and development in Central Luzon. In the study for the Pampanga Megalopolis 2017-2040, Arroyo said she personally believes that Pampanga would truly become the gateway of Asia to the Philippines and the business and financial center of Northern Luzon.
“The mega project also aims to make Pampanga as a major investment hub in the region. It will be supported by existing and future infrastructure projects such as the Clark International Airport, North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and Manila-Clark Railway, according to the study made by the space planners.
“When completed, it will become a jewel in Southeast Asia and the gateway of Asia,” said Arroyo.