Megalopolis plan to secure Pampanga as North Luzon financial center

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— The much anticipated development plan that is expected to secure Pampanga’s position as the business and financial center of Northern Luzon has been formally turned over to the Provincial Government of Pampanga recently.

Dubbed as “The Pampanga Megalopolis Plan,” which is a comprehensive development plan that seeks to address major issues and challenges, as well as optimize the potentials of the province as an urban growth center, was received by Governor Lilia G. Pineda, together with Former President now Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in a ceremony held at the LausGroup Event Centre her e.

The plan was officially handed over by lawyer Peter Suchianco, representing Ramon S. Ang, president and chief executive officer of San Miguel Corporation that provided the financial grant to formulate the Plan, and Architect Felino Palafox, Jr., principal architect-urban planner of Palafox Associates.

Composed of various metropolitan areas, the Pampanga Megalopolis is clustered into four building blocks, namely: Aerotropolis (airportdriven cluster: Angeles City, San Fernando City, Mabalacat, and Mexico), Agropolis (agriculturedriven cluster: Lubao, Guagua, Sta Rita, Bacolor, San Luis, San Simon, Apalit, Santo Tomas, Sta Ana and Magalang), Aquapolis (water-driven cluster: Sasmuan, Macabebe, Minalin, Masantol, and Lubao), and Ecopolis (ecology-driven cluster: Ar ayat , Candaba, Floridablanca, and Porac). Each possesses its own strengths to persuade both local and foreign investors, as well as citizens to move there.

Development needs for each of these metropolitan clusters have been identified and would then be addressed through implementation of proposed projects, including, but not limited to, the following specific sectors:

Transportation and Road Infrastructure. A circumferential road and growth corridor is proposed to interconnect