MANILA – The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has partnered with the National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC) of South Korea to collaborate on the development of New Clark City. The 9,450-hectare metropolis in Capas, Tarlac, is being positioned as an alternative national government hub.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the two agencies in Seoul, Korea. The agreement aims to promote knowledge sharing and explore collaboration opportunities in areas such as urban planning, smart cities development, green energy, and smart administrative systems.
“With Korea’s expertise in smart administrative capitals, we are fortunate to have NAACC as our partner,” said BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang. “We hope to replicate their successes and apply their lessons learned in transforming New Clark City.”
Both South Korea and the Philippines have established satellite government administrative centers outside their respective capital cities to address overpopulation and traffic congestion. NAACC has been building the Administrative City in Sejong since 2007, while BCDA is developing the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in New Clark City.
The NGAC aims to host facilities for the Philippine government, including offices of various agencies, government housing units, and sports facilities. The first phase includes an integrated government operations center, government housing, an athletics stadium, an aquatics center, an athletes’ village, and a river park.
BCDA has successfully attracted several government agencies to set up offices and key infrastructure in NGAC and parts of New Clark City, such as the Philippine Space Agency, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the National Academy of Sports, and the Department of Science and Technology.
The partnership between BCDA and NAACC is expected to accelerate the development of New Clark City and position it as a model for sustainable urban development in the Philippines.