Set to emerge as Asia’s next aerotropolis, Clark is a strategic investment opportunity, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said.
BCDA is one of the key government agencies tasked to implement President Duterte’s ambitious Build Build Build program that will improve and modernize the Philippines’ infrastructure. Build Build Build is the boldest, most ambitious infrastructure program in recent history.
“Clark is on its way to becoming Asia’s next aerotropolis with the development not only of the airport, but the Clark Freeport as well, and the construction of the first smart, green, and resilient New Clark City (NCC),” BCDA Vice President for Business Development and Operations Group Joshua Bingcang said.
Aerotropolis is the concept of developing a city with the airport at its center.
Bingcang was joined by airport operators, city planners, social infrastructure developers, and city council representatives during the 3rd Annual Aetropolis Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Aside from Bingcang, distinguished guest speakers who attended the conference were Alan Isaacs, director of Asia Pacific International Business at the Munich Airport International in Germany; Jomon Varghese, managing director and CEO of Aertopolis Group in Australia; Rob Mactaggart, chief executive officer of The Airport Group Australia; Arja Lukin, project director of Airport City Aviapolis in Vantaa, Finland; Caspar Baum, director aviation of Surbana Jurong Private Limited in Singapore; and Cosmas Hamadziripi, director of policy and planning of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in South Africa.
At the conference, the BCDA invited potential investors for the construction of the access road from CRK to the NCC, the new metropolis that will rise in the Clark Special Economic Zone; and the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Clark airport.
The Clark International Airport (CRK) is envisioned to be a major gateway, with its capacity expected to increase to 80 million passengers yearly at full development.
A new world-class terminal building, which broke ground last December 2017, is projected to accommodate eight million passengers per annum. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by June 2020.
In 2017, CRK accommodated a total of 1.5 million passengers. Of the total, 1.08 million passengers took international flights while 431,343 were domestic passengers. As of March, domestic and international flights per week increased to 452 from 406 last January.
BCDA is also building the NCC, which is expected to attract investors to further propel economic growth in the region. Apart from modern transport hubs and a mixed-use business and industrial community, the NCC will also feature the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC).
The NGAC involves the development of back-up offices of various government agencies to ensure continuous business operations in case of calamities and disasters. Phase 1A of the project also features the construction of world-class sports facilities to be used for the Southeast Asian Games in November 2019. It covers 40 hectares.