Capas, Tarlac
11 April 2016

Envisioning a more disaster-resilient Philippines, President Benigno S. Aquino III led the capsule laying and model scale viewing during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Clark Green City project in Capas, Tarlac.

The soon-to-rise project is said to be one of the biggest joint undertaking between the government and the private sector.

In his speech, President Aquino said that despite facing overwhelming problems, he was able resolve these through hard work and perseverance, with the results even exceeding people’s expectations.

He cited the accomplishment of his administration in the economic front, wherein the country was able to achieve significant strides in several global rankings, the most prominent of which is the World Economic Forum’s Competitiveness Index where the Philippines jumped from 85th place in 2010 to 47th in 2015, as well as the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth from 2010 to 2015.

Likewise, he stressed the rise of the country from being the “Sick Man of Asia” to “Asia’s Bright Spot” and “Asia’s New Tiger”. The President also called on everyone to continue fulfilling their dream, saying that “there is nothing that can forestall our ambition except ourselves, let us devote more and more to see our dreams fulfilled today.”

The Clark Green City is the first smart, green and disaster-resilient metropolis that will rise under the supervision of the state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in partnership with the private sector. Upon completion, the economic zone over the 9,450 hectares lot will not be flood prone and is expected to have 1.12 million residents.

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