UNTI-UNTI nang nahuhubog at sa darating na mga buwan ay maaari nang pasimulan ang konstruksiyon ng government administrative center sa New Clark City sa lalawigan ng Pampanga kung saan ililipat ang ‘non-critical back office operations’ ng iba’t ibang government agencies at state firms.
Ito ang inihayag ni House Deputy Majority Leader at Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera, na siya ring pangunahing may akda ng House Bill 3284 o ang New Clark City Government District Act.
“Twenty hectares of land in New Clark City have already been set aside as part of the first phase for the government center there. Construction of Phase 1B is expected to begin shortly after completion of Phase 1A,” sabi ng lady partylist solon. “It might even be possible that when President Rodrigo Road Duterte attends the SEA Games in November, some groundbreaking ceremony on the 20-hectare government site could be in order,” dagdag pa niya.
Ayon kay Herrera, sa ilalim ng kanyang panukala, nasa 22 national government agencies at 22 state firms ang target na mailipat sa New Clark City, sa layunin na ring mapaluwag ang Metropolitan Manila.
Sa pamamagitan ng P9.5 billion loan mula sa builders na Alloy MTD ng MTD Capital Berhad ay gumugulong na ngayon ang Phase 1A, na hindi lamang para sa konstruksiyon ng mga sport complex na gagamitin kaugnay ng nalalapit na SEA Games kundi maging ng tanggapan ng ilang ahensiya ng gobyerno.
Nauna rito, sinabi ni Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III na ang paglilipat na ito ng mga tanggapan ng pamahalaan sa New Clark City ay makabubuti lalo para sa mga mamamayan na may lalakarin o transaksiyong gagawin sa iba’t ibang government offices dahil hindi na nila kailangang bumiyahe o magpalipat-lipat ng lugar na pupuntahan.
“Government offices in Manila are scattered all over the city; and for the public, it’s very difficult for them if they have to deal with several ministries to go from one place to another. This makes a lot of sense…We own the land, it’s available, it will be accessi-ble through rail, train, highways, so it makes sense to really consider moving here (New Clark City),” anang kalihim.
Sinegundahan naman ito ni MTD Philippines President Engr. Patrick Nicolas David sa pagsasabing ang Malaysia ay may Pu-trajaya district kung saan nandoon lahat ang government offices nito, na maaaring gayahin ng pamahalaan ng Filipinas.
“If we have all of the government offices in one place, like Putrajaya in Malaysia, it would be easier to transact with the government here in New Clark City rather than traversing cities in Metro Manila with all that traffic,” giit ni Engr. David.
Nabatid kay Herrera na ang Supreme Court ay may kinuhang 5.8 hectare na lupa sa New Clark City, na plano nitong ilaan para sa tanggapan ng Judicial and Bar Council, pagpapatayo ng gusali para sa Philippine Judicial Academy, at sa itatalaga nitong archive center, data center, at training center na may living quarters. ROMER R. BUTUYAN