Follow through on Pampanga Megalopolis

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IT'S BEEN a while since former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now the presidential adviser on Clark flagship projects, broached the idea of having a Pampanga Megalopolis.

The former president's vision was to develop 19 municipalities and three cities in Pampanga into the next growth center in Luzon to decongest Metro Manila and at the same time provide residents with a cleaner and more progressive environment.

As envisioned, the project starts with the so-called Pampanga Golden Triangle which consists of the cities of Angeles, San Fernando and Mabalacat and the municipalities of Porac, Lubao, Floridablanca and Guagua. It will also include the Clark Freeport Zone and the Clark International Airport.

Mrs. Arroyo engaged the services of renowned urban development planner, Architect Felino Palafox, Jr., to draft the plan for the Pampanga Golden Triangle which will include building new roads, mass transport systems and regional transport networks.

In sum, the Arroyo plan for the megalopolis will feature green urbanism and green architecture with a provision for open spaces to allow people to walk and come to bike which is now the trend in most European cities.

For the environment, this plan will also help in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles and thus promote health through exercises. It is, after all, a walkable megalopolis.

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The Clark Development Corporation, for its part, has been preparing for the eventual realization of the Pampanga Megalopolis as it is a vital participant in the Pampanga Golden Triangle which comprises the cities of Angeles, San Fernando and Mabalacat.

CDC, which is within the Clark Freeport Zone, plays a very important role in this ambitious project as well as the Clark International Airport.

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Finally, Fiesta Communities Tabun Mabalacat City Homeowners Association, Inc., (FCTMCHAI) will hold its election of the new set of Board of Directors on March 6, 2022 after securing the nod of the LGU and the local IATF of Mabalacat City through the assistance of Tabun Barangay Chairman Danila de Leon who has responded attentively to every request for permission to hold the election tendered by FCTMCHAI.