(Photo courtesy of BCDA)
By Joanna Rose Aglibot
To address the housing backlog in the country, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) announced on Sunday the construction plans for 500,000 housing units inside New Clark City in Tarlac.
In a statement, BCDA said that its head officials, BCDA Chairman Delfin Lorenzana, and BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Engr. Joshua Bingcang and DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the two agencies’ partnership.
The proposed housing sites will benefit residents and workers in Clark and provide housing facilities to families affected by government projects in New Clark City, as well as government employees and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Once fully developed, we expect New Clark City to be home to roughly 1.2 million Filipinos. With the DHSUD as our partner, the BCDA is confident that we will be able to provide future residents with integrated, people-centered, and sustainable mixed-use developments where they can live comfortably,” Bingcang said.
The said project is under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH Program), aiming to build one million houses annually until 2028.
During the discussion on the initial plans of BCDA for its inclusive housing and residential facilities, Acuzar cited the huge potential of New Clark City in terms of township developments under 4PH that could unlock a wide range of economic opportunities.
“This could be the answer to decongestion of surrounding highly-urbanized areas, and also tapping the full economic potential of New Clark City by putting up residential structures, hence, the populace,” Acuzar stressed, citing the vast lands within New Clark City.
“There are already government facilities here, we only need to bring in population to spur economic activities. And by putting up decent yet affordable and sustainable housing units, surely, we will attract home buyers,” Acuzar added. FREEPORT INSIDER
