SAN FERNANDO—A world-famous Filipino architect has been tasked to draft a P22-million master plan to make Pampanga a resilient province of the 21st century.
Felino Palafox Jr. and Associates, an international planner, was tasked to come up with the master plan in a meeting attended by political leaders of the province including Rep. Gloria Arroyo, Gov. Lilia Pineda, San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago, multi-sectoral groups and other stakeholders.
Palafox was given until November of this year to finish the master plan for the medium term up to 2020. The plan will be updated and aligned to political, social and economic developments.
Arroyo has asked Palafox to lower his price by 50 percent and this will be further discussed in the coming days.
The plan will solve the perennial problems of the province—flooding and traffic—by improving roads; desilting, deepening and widening of the all the rivers and reviving the campaign against illegal fishponds along the coastal towns that block the free flow of water to Manila Bay.
Also planned is the construction of more dikes and dams to contain water for irrigation and power generation.
The master plan will also develop the growth area of Clark-Subic-City of San Fernando and create eco and agro tourism facilities.
The plan aims to protect from floods several billions of pesos in micro, small and medium enterprises investments monitored by the Department of Trade and Industry as well as companies, sole proprietorship and cooperatives registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DTI data show there were about 2,500 monitored micro, small and medium enterprises operating in the province with total investment or capitalization of P16 billion as of 2015.
The plan will build public parks and sports facilities, especially for the senior citizens of the province.
During the rainy season, almost 18 towns of the province are under water while the City of San Fernando is isolated by the perennial flooding of intersections along the Jose Abad Santos Avenue. Other exits to and from the poblacion are close due to traffic. The other two cities of the province namely Angeles and Mabalacat are located on higher ground.
However, Santiago said that because of the master plan being prepared by experts, more businessmen are expected to invest in San Fernando, which was cited as a competitive city by the Philippine Competitive Commission this year.
With regards to the traffic, a possible different lane for the 7,000 trucks operating 24 hours a day hauling sand and gravel to and from Pampanga not only aims to prolong the life span but also to maintain the worthiness and durability of all national, provincial and municipal roads of the province.
Santiago said that of all municipalities and cities of Pampanga only San Fernando had an updated development plan that covers zoning crafted by the city with the help of engineering, architecture, business, civic and other sectoral organizations.
The San Fernando plan, which will be integrated in the master plan, centers on good governance, environment management, infrastructure, social, economic, population and human development. he added.
The oldest tourism spots of the province include the heavily silted Pampanga river and Mt. Arayat, a favorite hiding place of legendary commander Luis Taruc of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan Laban Sa Hapon and against the constabulary soldiers after the war.