Cost of dev’t of Clark Green City Phase 1 placed at P1.3B

MANILA, Philippines - The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has pegged the cost of the development of the first phase of the Clark Green City at P1.3 billion.

“The first phase of 1,300 hectares is (going to cost) something like P1.3 billion,” BCDA chairman Rolando Gosiengfiao told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing yesterday.

He  said that while the master development plan for the Clark Green City has already been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the BCDA is still waiting for President Aquino’s go signal before the contract for the development could be offered for bidding.

The Clark Green City project, covering about 40,000 hectares, involves the development of the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone.

The area is being developed to become an attractive location for investments.

Apart from promoting Clark as an investment destination, the project would involve the adoption of a Green Building System to encourage the use of renewable energy as well as sustainable building and construction developments in the area.

Once operational, Clark Green City is expected to generate approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the economy and create 925,000 jobs.

“We want to start the bidding for Phase I within the year,” Gosiengfiao said.

Even as the BCDA has yet to start the bidding for the development the first phase of the Clark Green City, it is already inviting locators to the area.

Gosiengfiao said BCDA has already invited the University of the Philippines to set up a campus in Clark Green City.

“I think we should also invite the private sector participants in the education industry. They are the largest industry in the Philippines. We want to have all levels of education, primary to universities,”  he said.

After inviting education institutions to locate there, he said the BCDA would also want firms engaged in light manufacturing to put up facilities in the area.

The BCDA is responsible for transforming the former military bases into alternative productive civilian use.