The 200-hectare National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City, which will host offices of various government agencies to decentralize state offices from the capital, is almost complete.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and CEO Vince Dizon said the New Clark City, Phase 1A is already more than 80 percent complete.
Phase 1A of the NGAC development also involves the construction of sports facilities that include the Athletics Stadium, Aquatics Center, and Athlete’s Village.
Dizon said the world-class facilities will be used for the Philippines’ hosting of the South East Asian Games this year.
He said nearly 10,000 athletes from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam are expected to gather in Clark from Nov. 30 to Dec. 10 for the SEA Games.
During Senators Panfilo Lacson and Gringo Honasan’s visit to the place last Thursday, Dizon showed them the latest developments on the facilities with the sports complex now in near completion.
He toured the two senators to the 20,000-seater Athletics Stadium, the 2,000-seater Aquatics Center and the 1.4-kilometer Riverpark.
Dizon said that full government support is key in any world-class development and “we're fortunate that a respected institution such as the Senate got to see the huge progress we made here in New Clark City.”
“These lawmakers play a big role in inspiring the creation of more ambitious projects that provide comfort and growth to our people,” said Dizon, referring to Lacson and Honasan.
The NGAC, which is part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to decongest Metro Manila, is situated in New Clark City.
New Clark City is the country’s first and only smart and green city to rise within the Clark Special Economic Zone. It is also BCDA’s most ambitious project to date in partnership with infrastructure developer MTD Philippines.
Lacson lauded the progress of New Clark City, recognizing it as an example of hard work.
Aside from being a symbol of an efficiency paying off, Lacson noted that this is “a dream becoming a reality because the people assigned here are performance-oriented.”
“This is a classic example of what happens if there is a political will,” said Honasan as he encouraged more sustainable developments.