MANILA, Philippines—The Army Support Command (Ascom), the Philippine Army unit in charge of logistics, could transfer its facilities in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City to Tarlac province by 2022.
Officials broke ground on Tuesday (Feb. 23) for the new P1.5-billion Ascom facility on a 29.8-hectare site inside Camp Servillano Aquino in Tarlac City, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in a statement.
BCDA president and CEO Vince Dizon, Assistant Defense Secretaries Manuel Ramos and Josue Gaverza Jr., Ascom commander Maj. Gen. Glenn Cruz and Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. led the groundbreaking rites.
Under the four-phase development plan, 44 structures will be built on the site, the BCDA said. These included headquarters, officers’ quarters, barracks, warehouse, classrooms and transportation and maintenance battalion areas, it said.
The former Ascom headquarters and two other Army units in Taguig City would be developed by the BCDA in partnership with SM Prime Holdings Inc. to generate funds for the military’s upgrade programs.
“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,” said Dizon in the BCDA statement.
“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,” Dizon said.
Cruz said Camp Servillano Aquino is “a more strategic location for logistics support and the deployment of support services.”
“Considering the congestion in Metro Manila, the ease of our movement and security of our access from one place to another has already been affected. The new Ascom area provides us with easier and more efficient logistics operations,” he said.