New Clark City site dev’t starts for PAF housing

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said it started developing a 65-hectare in New Clark City that will be the new location of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) housing complex.

In a statement on Wednesday, the BCDA said it broke ground on the project, which will be the relocation site for PAF housing, which is currently located in Air Force City at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

The transfer had been agreed in a memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed by the Department of National Defense (DND) and BCDA in August 2019.

The MoA covers the transfer of PAF’s billeting facilities to New Clark City. Other operational facilities will transfer to another 147-hectare site within the OMNI Aviation near Clark International Airport.

“While our mandate is to support the AFP, we view this responsibility as a personal commitment,” BCDA Chairman Hilario B. Paredes said.

“It is our pledge to ensure that our soldiers are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve by delivering replication projects that are modern, world-class, and sustainable,” he added.

The site development phase of the PAF relocation project is expected to be completed by September 2025, while the second phase, which covers the construction of housing and community facilities, is targeted for 2026.

As of December 2023, BCDA’s contribution to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was P59.71 billion, P48.59 billion of which was earmarked for AFP Modernization, and P11.12 billion for the replication of military facilities in Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Air Base.

“We owe our national security to the military. We assure you that the projects we undertake for the military will be world-class and will serve as a model for military camps,” BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang said.

“We don’t want to lose sight of our focus on helping strengthen the Armed Forces. We will continue to share revenue and support the AFP Modernization Program,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile