New Clark City is a

planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

currently undergoing development, located within the

Clark Special Economic Zone The Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), often shortened to Clark, refers to an area in Central Luzon, Philippines. The CFEZ in Pampanga covers portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat and portions of the town of Porac whil ...

in the towns of Bamban and

Capas Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas ( pam, Balen ning Capas; tgl, Bayan ng Capas), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous su ...

in Tarlac province, Philippines. It has an area of approximately and will accommodate up to 1.2 million people. It is owned and managed by the

Bases Conversion and Development Authority The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Pangkaunlarang Kumbersiyon ng mga Base) is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Philippines. It is a governme ...

(BCDA).

History

Conceptualization

New Clark City, initially known as Clark Green City was first planned, designed and founded by the

Bases Conversion Development Authority The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Pangkaunlarang Kumbersiyon ng mga Base) is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Philippines. It is a governme ...

(BCDA) under the administration of then-BCDA President and CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova in 2012. The then-proposal was met with skepticism from some high-ranking government officials due to the development's proposed location being remote. Casanova envisioned a new metropolis north of Metro Manila to be the first green and smart metropolis of the country. Mr. Casanova was moved to build the new city as a response to the challenges of climate change which placed Metro Manila and many Philippine coastal cities at risk. This was witnessed in the massive floods in Metro Manila during Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 and the destruction of Tacloban City during Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. The imminent threats of climate change made the movement of new communities to higher and safer ground. This will be a development with numerous parks and wide and tree-shaded pedestrian lanes with the application of innovative technologies to run the city. It was also a response to the hellish gridlock that Metro Manila has been experiencing and the imperative of making mobility better and dignified for citizens. He also envisioned the development to be free of gated communities to discourage heavy traffic. The BCDA held a design competition for the master conceptual development plan for Clark Green City with AECOM coming up with the winning design in 2015. Members of the screening committee included notable local and international urban planners and designers such as: Andrea Dorotan and Paul Letana of

; Jezreel Apelar of

Urban Land Institute The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a nonprofit research and education organization with regional offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London. ULI advocates progressive development, conducting research, and education in topics such as ...

; Julia Nebrija of

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

; Grace Ramos of the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...

; Stephen Gray of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, Fadi Masoud of

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

and, Mary Anne Ocampo of international design firm

Sasaki Sasaki () is the 13th most common Japanese surname. Less common variants are 佐咲, 佐佐木 and 笹木. Notable people with the surname include: Overview *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese alpine skier *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japane ...

. The city was officially founded on April 11, 2016 with the late President Aquino and Mr. Casanova breaking ground and leading the ceremonies and attended by international and local dignitaries and business leaders. During Casanova's term, overall masterplan development plan was completed by BCDA. In laying the foundation for the city, he led the influx of businesses, educational and government institutions and global linkages with credible partners in development. BCDA signed a 50-year contract with

Filinvest Filinvest Development Corporation (), is the publicly listed holding company for the various firms in the Filinvest group. It was established in 1955 in the Philippines by Andrew L. Gotianun Sr. and his wife, Mercedes Gotianun, as a used-car f ...

to develop the of land allocated for the project. BCDA also managed to forge partnership with foreign firms to develop Clark Green City such as Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corp. which plans to connect Clark Green City to Manila as well as surrounding cities by rail, and IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute which will assist the BCDA to come up with "smart and disaster-resilient" features for the planned community. An agreement was also signed between Paris-based Vivapolis. To build the human capital of the new city, Casanova caused the donation by BCDA of 70 hectares of land for the new University of the Philippines campus, a 40 hectare property for the Technological University of the Philippines and the 20 hectares for the Philippine Science High School. He also sent to Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, 100 scholars including mayors and town planners of the towns surrounding the new city as well as BCDA core team for training on green city planning and governance under the auspices of the Temasek Foundation. He also initiated talks with the Rungis Market of France for an Asian food logistics hub in Clark Green City to ensure food security in the country and to connect Philippine farmers to the global market. He also led the investment of BCDA for the Luzon Bypass Line with the Department of Communications and Information Technology (then ICTO) and Facebook in exchange for 2tpbs bandwith to provide fast and free internet access to all government offices, schools and parks and to spark the movement of technopreneurs in the country. To strengthen further the government support, Mr. Casanova sought the official support of the Philippine Congress. In March 2015, the

Philippine Congress The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, although colloquially the te ...

approved House Resolution 116 in support of Clark Green City. After Casanova's tenure in BCDA ended, he joined AECOM as the firm's representative in the Philippines.

Development

The groundbreaking rites for New Clark City, led by then-President

Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...

was made on April 11, 2016. The development became one of the flagship projects of President Rodrigo Duterte, the succeeding President. Under the leadership of BCDA President Vince Dizon, the New Clark City entered development. In March 2018, the development of Phase 1-A of the National Government Administrative Center which consists of the

New Clark City Sports Hub The New Clark City Sports Hub or the New Clark City Sports Complex (initially known as the Philippine Sports City or Philippine Olympic City) is a complex of sports facilities located inside the National Government Administrative Center of New ...

began and would serve as one of the venues to the country's hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. The sports facilities were completed in record time for the games. In July 2020, the BCDA and the Department of Agriculture unveiled plans to put up an Agro-Industrial Hub in New Clark City aimed to support farming communities, and strengthen food security in Luzon. The BCDA in September 2020 signed a memorandum of understanding with the British Embassy Manila for the design of NCC Central Park, as well as an affordable housing project in the new metropolis. A symbolic marker was unveiled in July 2021 at New Clark City by BCDA and the British Embassy Manila to ceremonially lay the foundation of the central park.

Naming

The project was named "Clark" for marketing purposes for potential investors in the area. This naming decision was made despite being located in

Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...

and not in

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...

, the location of the already existing

Clark Freeport Zone The Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ), often shortened to Clark, refers to an area in Central Luzon, Philippines. The CFEZ in Pampanga covers portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat and portions of the town of Porac whil ...

, due to the latter being more known to foreign investors. The BCDA compared this with the situation of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which is located in Subic,

Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon re ...

and also covers portions of

Olongapo Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo ( fil, Lungsod ng Olongapo; ilo, Siudad ti Olongapo; xsb, Siyodad nin Olongapo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales ...

, also in Zambales, and Morong and Hermosa in

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...

. Initially named "Clark Green City," the planned city was renamed to the present "New Clark City" during the Duterte administration.

Geography

New Clark City spans an area of and is located within the former U.S. military base of

Camp O'Donnell Camp O'Donnell is a former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after the Americans' return, a Unit ...

. The development is located in the municipalities of

and Bamban,

province although it is administered from

Angeles City , anthem = Himno ning Angeles (Angeles Hymn) , subdivision_type3 = District , subdivision_name3 = , established_title = Settled , established_date = 1796 , established_title1 = Chartere ...

as part of the

Natural hazards

The development is not a flood-prone area with its minimum elevation being at above sea level and its planned central park also serves as a flood catchment basin. The

Sierra Madre Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to: Places and mountains Mexico *Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona *Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico *S ...

mountain range is located on the development's east while the

mountain range is located on the west, with both geographical features providing New Clark City a natural protection from typhoons. The maximum elevation of New Clark City is at around . The

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; tl, Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and ...

has assessed the area to be relatively less prone to earthquakes.

Parks

The ''

Capas National Shrine The Capas National Shrine ( tl, Pambansang Dambana ng Capas) in Barangay Aranguren, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines was built by the Philippine government as a memorial to Allied soldiers who died at Camp O'Donnell at the end of the Bataan Death Mar ...

'', a memorial for Allied soldiers who perished at the

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March (Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') wa ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, is located at the entrance of the development. The site was a former

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

during the war. The ''New Clark City Central Park'', a 44.8-hectare

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

, is planned to be located in the heart of the metropolis. Aside from the two major parks, BCDA plans to allocate portions of NCC for green spaces. Out of 9,450 hectares of the city, only 3,500 hectares will be developed, leaving the rest for green and open spaces, making it a

green city The sustainable city, eco-city, or green city is a city designed with consideration for social, economic, environmental impact (commonly referred to as the triple bottom line), and resilient habitat for existing populations, without compromis ...

Districts

New Clark City is divided into various districts depending on primary function. As of 2022, there are three areas in the city with sizable on-going development.

National Government Administrative Center

The National Government Administrative Center (NGAC), a mixed-used development, hosts facilities and offices for the Philippine government. Located inside NGAC is the ''Integrated Operations and Disaster Recovery Center,'' intended to be backup operations center for the national government in case the capital Manila is incapacitated by disasters, and includes a satellite office of the

Office of the President of the Philippines The Office of the President of the Philippines (OP; fil, links=no, Tanggapan ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas), is an administrative, advisory, and consultative government agency that aids the president of the Philippines in performing their duty as he ...

Sports Hub

The New Clark City Sports Hub, located within the NGAC, contains an athletes' village for accommodation, an aquatics center, and the 20,000-seater

New Clark City Athletics Stadium The New Clark City Athletics Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, Philippines. It is the primary venue of the New Clark City Sports Hub, which is part of the National Government Administrative Cente ...

. It will also house the ''Olympic Museum'' by the

Philippine Olympic Committee The Philippine Olympic Committee Inc. (POC) is the National Olympic Committee of the Philippines. The POC is a private, non-governmental organization composed of and serve as the mother organization of all National Sports Associations (NSAs) i ...

. New Clark City was one of the host cities of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, which took place all over

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. The

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

was held in the Athletics Stadium. These facilities were also to be used as the venues for the aquatics and athletics events in the 2020 ASEAN Para Games, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2019, BCDA, the Asian Swimming Federation,

Philippine Swimming Philippine Swimming Incorporated (PSI) is the national governing body of aquatic sports in the Philippines. PSI currently oversees swimming, diving, and water polo. It is accredited by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). It was accredited b ...

and

Philippine Sports Commission The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC, ) is an agency of the Philippine government which tackles matters concerning sports in the country. The sports agency is independent from the Philippine Olympic Committee which enjoys autonomy from the go ...

signed a partnership agreement for the country's hosting of the

2020 Asian Swimming Championships The 11th Asian Swimming Championships is scheduled to be held in 2023 at New Clark City in Capas, Philippines. Host selection The Asia Swimming Federation (AASF) said they were looking at three Asian countries as the possible host of the even ...

which will be held in New Clark City. In June 2021, in a lead up to the 2021 PFL Season, United City F.C. announced that it has adopted New Clark City in

as its home locality. It also has entered a partnership with the local government of

Filinvest New Clark City

''Filinvest New Clark City'' is a mixed-use and industrial district being developed under a joint venture agreement between BCDA and Filinvest Land. Covering a 288-hectare portion of NCC, the district will include the ''Innovation Park'', a business hub which will host warehouse and factory facilities for logistics, e-commerce, light manufacturing, and data center operations of local and international businesses.

Hann Reserve

450-hectare will be developed into a luxury

mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or scen ...

by Hann Development Corporation in collaboration with

Accor Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide. Accor ope ...

, Marriott International, and the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA). The resort will feature three 18-hole championship golf courses and PGA-affiliated player development facilities, hotels by Banyan Tree, Angsana,

Sofitel Sofitel Hotels & Resorts are a French hotel chain of luxury hotels based in Paris, France, and owned by Accor since 1980. Founded in 1964 in France, Sofitel quickly developed worldwide to reach more than 200 properties. In 2008, Sofitel became ...

, Emblems,

The Luxury Collection Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational company that operates, franchises, and licenses lodging including hotel, residential, and timeshare properties. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. The company was founded by ...

, and The Westin, as well as a mixed-use commercial center, and a 10-hectare public park. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 5, 2022.

Education and research

The following institutions and agencies have either moved their operations, completely or partially, or have recently been established and constructed their first offices and facilities in New Clark City.

Basic and higher education institutions

Philippine Science High School The Philippine Science High School System is a research-oriented and specialized public high school system in the Philippines that operates as an attached agency of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology. The Philippine Science High S ...

– campus and large-scale fabrication laboratory * National Academy of Sports *

Technological University of the Philippines The Technological University of the Philippines ( fil, Pamantasang Teknolohiya ng Pilipinas or ''Teknolohikal na Unibersidad ng Pilipinas''), commonly known as TUP, is a coeducational state university in the Philippines. It was established in ...

– TUP Center for Industrial Development and Productivity

Health and research

Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines The Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VSTIP), also referred to as the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP), is a proposed virology research facility in the Philippines. Background In response to the COVID-19 pa ...

( Department of Science and Technology) * Agro-Industrial Hub and National Seed Technology Park ( Department of Agriculture) * PGH Polyclinic ( University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital)

Government

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (; commonly abbreviated as BSP in both Filipino and English) is the central bank of the Philippines. It was established on July 3, 1993, pursuant to the provision of Republic Act 7653 or the New Central Bank Ac ...

Currency Production Facility * Supreme Court Judiciary Regional Center * National Bureau of Investigation Regional Office

Transportation

New Clark City is connected to other areas in the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone through the Clark Loop, a bus rapid transit (BRT) system serving NCC,

Clark International Airport Clark International Airport ( pam, Pangyatung Sulapawan ning Clark; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Clark; ), known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2012, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of ...

, and other developments in the economic zone. It was opened in time for the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

New Clark City station New Clark City station is a proposed railway station located on the North–South Commuter Railway in Tarlac, Philippines. History A rail link from Clark International Airport to the capital was originally planned in the 1990s. The first propo ...

, a planned railway station in the area, will be served by the Philippine National Railways'

North–South Commuter Railway The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), also known as the Clark–Calamba Railway, is a urban rail transit system under construction in the island of Luzon, Philippines. Running from New Clark City in Capas to Calamba, Laguna with 36 sta ...

, connecting NCC to

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...

. New Clark City will also be served by the

Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), signed as E1 and E4 of the Philippine expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is controlled-access toll expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Fro ...

and

Central Luzon Link Expressway The Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX), also known as the Central Luzon Link Freeway, is a partially operational expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. It will connect the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the ...

specifically through the six-lane New Clark City-Mac Arthur Access Road which will connect the NCC to

MacArthur Highway The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan. It is the second l ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone Planned communities in the Philippines Redevelopment projects in the Philippines