BCDA, SoKor agency team up on developing New Clark City
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Saturday said it was teaming up with a South Korean government agency to promote knowledge sharing and explore collaboration opportunities in developing the 9,450-hectare New Clark City in Tarlac.
The BCDA said a memorandum of understanding with Seoul’s National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC) will focus, in particular, on the fields of urban planning, smart cities development, green energy, and smart administrative systems.
“Through this MOU, we wish to replicate the successes and apply the lessons learned by Korea in relocating administrative agencies and national research and development institutes in its administrative capital, Sejong City,” BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua M. Bingcang said in a statement.
The NAACC has been building the administrative city in Sejong since 2007, the BCDA said, highlighting its role in the South Korean government’s plan to alleviate the concentration of functions in the Seoul metropolitan area and promote balanced regional development.
To date, Sejong serves as home to 40 central administrative agencies and 15 national research and development institutes, making it the administrative capital of Korea, the BCDA noted.
Meanwhile, the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in New Clark City aims to host facilities for the Philippine government, such as offices of various government agencies, government housing units, and sports facilities.
The first phase of NGAC includes an integrated government operations center, a government housing facility called “The Residences,” an athletics stadium, an aquatics center, an athletes’ village, and a river park.
Decarbonization
In another development, the BCDA said it intended to begin technical talks on measures under the recently signed agreement with a Danish firm to decarbonize the New Clark City in Tarlac as part of their push for an energy-efficient and carbon-neutral development of the metropolis.
Last Monday, BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua M. Bingcang and Danfoss Philippines general manager Allan Alfredo Almendrala signed a memorandum of understanding for the conduct of a study on the implementation of a decarbonization program for New Clark City.
The BCDA said that the agreement will give way for the rollout of innovative and sustainable solutions to enhance urban development and improve the quality of life, while preserving the natural ecosystem in New Clark City.
Under the agreement, Danfoss will share its technical expertise and knowledge on cost-effective decarbonization programs and on the latest carbon-neutral technologies.
The BCDA said that Danfoss will also lead the technical assessments, feasibility studies, and business case preparation for the program.
