CLARK GLOBAL CITY, Pampanga — Plans are on the table for the development a 100-hectare industrial and science park in New Clark City under a joint venture collaboration by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Science Park of the Philippines Incorporated (SPPI).

BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua Bingcang announced that in developing the proposed park, the joint venture is expected to create at least 30,000 new job opportunities for residents in Pampanga and nearby provinces and even the National Capital Region (NCR).

Bingcang enthused optimism in the developmental project as the BCDA has already signed last January 23 a 50-year lease agreement with SPPI and secured a ₱30-billion investment commitment from the industrial estate developer and its locators.

"SPPI is known for developing innovative and sustainable industrial parks, with six such hubs established across Central Luzon, southern Luzon and Central Visayas," he noted.

“At the heart of this partnership is a common goal: to create jobs and empower the local economy. By developing this industrial park, the project is set to open up thousands of job opportunities, not just in construction and manufacturing but across a variety of industries,” he added.

The BCDA chief disclosed that the tens of thousands of new jobs from the planned science park will span various sectors, including food production, textiles, automotive parts, electric vehicles, semiconductors and data centers.

"This job creation aspect of the project will contribute significantly to the area’s sustained economic development. Aside from creating jobs, (it) is also projected to generate an estimated ₱1.9 billion in income tax revenues for the national government," he cited.

For his part SPPI chair Guillermo Luchangco stated that the planned science park will contribute substantially to the national economy by supporting public funds for nation-building projects.

“We feel that in our own modest way, we have been able to contribute to the economic growth of the Philippines by putting up world-class industrial estates, which enable us to attract manufacturing and technology companies to set up shop in our country,” Luchangco stressed.