State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Department of National Defense plan to transfer the Army Support Command facilities in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig to a new P1.5-billion site in Camp Servillano Aquino in Tarlac province next year.
BCDA said in line with its mandate under Republic Act No. 7227 to generate funds for the DND-Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, it was working with joint venture partner SM Prime Holdings Inc. for the development of the 33.13-hectare Bonifacio South Pointe Property.
The agency said about 11.5 hectares of the prime lot were being occupied by ASCOM , the Service Support Unit and the Division Administrative Command Center of the Philippine Army.
Under the BCDA-DND/AFP memorandum of agreement signed in February 2017, the parties agreed to clear the property and existing facilities.
The DND and the AFP identified the relocation site in Camp Aquino, while the BCDA is responsible for the construction of structures and facilities, the engagement of consulting services for engineering design and construction management.
Under the four-phase development plan, 44 structures will be built in Camp Aquino, including multiple headquarters facilities, officers’ quarters, barracks, a warehouse, student classrooms and transportation and maintenance battalion areas.
“BCDA has been working closely with DND and the Armed Forces over the years to make the vision of modern ASCOM logistical facilities a reality. We feel that this is a sound investment which not only puts ASCOM in a better position to serve the military, but opens up new opportunities for the national government to generate much-needed revenues by developing the soon-to-be-vacated Army areas in Fort Bonifacio,” said BCDA president and chief executive Vince Dizon.
AFP Northern Luzon Command Chief Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said the AFP recognized the role of BCDA as a prime mover of national development by transforming former military bases into premier centers of economic growth.
“The transfer of ASCOM here at Camp Aquino is very timely as it will not only boost the unit’s capabilities to carry out its mission and functions but it also reinforces its thrust to sustain personal readiness and enhancement of its operations and even gain momentum towards modernization,” Burgos said.
He said ASCOM has a very significant role in the Armed Forces and the PA because of its logistical support to all the Army units not only in Luzon but also in the Visayas and Mindanao.
“This is why ASCOM should be situated in a strategic location, like here in Camp Aquino,” he said.
BCDA has remitted P65.5 billion to the Bureau of the Treasury and contributed P46.6 billion to the Armed Forces since May 1993.
The Armed Forces is the biggest recipient of BCDA contributions to the government. It bankrolled the military’s modernization program for nearly three decades.