Land speculators prey on Clark, BCDA says

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said land speculators had been operating in the 36,000-hectare Clark Special Economic Zone where the planned Clark Green City will rise.

“We seek the support of our partners in civil society to help BCDA stop the operation of these corrupt land speculators [in Capas, Tarlac province, where the Green City is to be located],” Arnel Paciano Casanova, BCDA president and chief executive officer, said on Thursday.

He did not disclose the extent of lands cornered, used or illegally titled by syndicates or how many have fallen prey to the scam.

BCDA was tasked by Congress, through Republic Act No. 7227 (Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992), to oversee the sale of unused sections of military camps and reservations or develop these for civilian use. It is also tasked with managing former American-controlled military bases for commercial purposes.

BCDA is developing Clark Green City after its success with the Bonifacio Global City, which was built out of Fort McKinley in Metro Manila.

“We want to make it clear that BCDA is bidding out the development and usufructuary rights over the Clark Green City, not the ownership. Our Congress declared Clark as special economic zone. It is therefore not part of the agrarian reform program,” Casanova said in an e-mail message.

The US Air Force allowed farmers and Aetas to till lands in the base lands, regulating the movements of civilians during drills, live firing and other military exercises. The US bases were pulled out after the Senate rejected the extension of the 1947 Military Bases Agreement in 1991.

The Clark Green City, Casanova said, aims to help the agriculture sector.

“Our master plan includes the development of agro-industries that will help our farmers in the region. We are in fact partnering with  Gawad Kalinga for the development of organic agricultural products that will benefit the farmers. We partnered with [Public-Private Partnership] Center to establish the biggest food processing terminal so that our farmers can get connected to the domestic and international food market,” Casanova said.

He said BCDA is in regular consultation with farmers in Capas “to find ways to improve their lives.”

Farmers want BCDA to pay them for the farms, fishponds, houses and other structures they developed, and to resettle them within Capas.

“The Clark Green City is for everyone. It is the biggest opportunity for the Philippines to build a new city and create thousands of jobs and opportunities for the people of Capas and surrounding towns and communities,” Casanova said. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon