THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said six more government agencies are set to transfer to New Clark City (NCC) after President Rodrigo R. Duterte signs an administrative order by the end of June.
BCDA President Vivencio B. Dizon declined to identify the agencies but said that of those moving, “several will… be involved in infrastructure development, disaster preparedness and disaster response and management.”
“Later on, there will be other government agencies. We will know what those agencies are and how many once the administrative order is final and has been signed by the president,” Mr. Dizon said during a briefing and forum on Monday in Pampanga.
In a separate interview with BusinessWorld, he said the draft will be ready within the first half of the year.
“The order will outline the phasing plan,” he said. Mr. Dizon added that many agencies have approached the BCDA to voluntary transfer their offices to Clark.
Late last year, the BCDA said that it is tapping the Departments of Science and Technology, Justice, Environment and Natural Resources, the Office of Civil Defense and the Climate Change Commission to relocate to NCC.
The government hopes to decongest Metro Manila while building a central hub of government agencies outside the capital to make the national government more resilient in the event of a natural disaster.
The first phase of the city is set for completion by 2022, while construction of the Manila-Clark railway will start in the last quarter of 2018. The rail line is expected to be completed by the last quarter of 2021.
The Department of Transportation has led the relocation efforts to the NCC from its office in the Ortigas district. — Janina C. Lim

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