FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government of Japan is playing a key role in the development of the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, which is the centerpiece of the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program of the Duterte administration.
Dominguez said at a seminar held Nov. 21 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City the New Clark City was a new metropolis being prepared for the future and “driven by technology and the most forward-looking industries.”
“The new city we are building here will be the icon for the dynamic urban centers that we intend to nurture as we march confidently towards the future. This new city will foster innovation,” he said.
“It will showcase our capability to harness new technologies to build vibrant and sustainable communities. It will demonstrate the great progress that international partnerships make possible,” he said.
The seminar dubbed “New Clark City With Japan” aimed to encourage new Philippine and Japanese business partnerships and introduce smart city solutions in developing NCC.
It was organized by the Japan External Trade Organization in partnership with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, which is overseeing NCC’s development.
Dominguez said New Clark City and the rest of the flagship projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program had been made possible by a “fortuitous combination of factors.”
These factors, he said, include a decisive political leadership and a strong initiative to build a competent bureaucracy capable of executing large visions, the adequate fiscal space generated as a result of years of tough reforms, the continuing effort to reform the country’s revenue systems, “and the generous support of our international friends and development partners, notably the Japanese people.”
“The economic strategy we pursue seeks to achieve rapid, investments-led growth that raises productivity across the board throughout the archipelago. This is the way to achieve truly inclusive growth and dramatically bring down poverty rates among our people,” Dominguez said.