State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has partnered with the Korean government agency National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC) for New Clark City’s (NCC) urban planning, smart city development, green energy, and smart administrative systems.

In a statement, the BCDA said it signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with NAACC to further develop the 9,450 hectares of land in NCC in Capas, Tarlac.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua Bingcang said that NAACC would facilitate the knowledge exchange and allow exports to help in the city’s transformation.

“Through this MOU, we wish to replicate the successes and apply the lessons learned by Korea in relocating administrative agencies and national research and development (R&D) institutes in its administrative capital, Sejong City,” he said.

According to BCDA, both countries have developed satellite government administrative centers outside the capital to lessen congestion and overpopulation in their metropolitan areas.

Hyeong Ryeol Kim, the NAACC administrator, is hopeful that the MOU would help in NCC’s transformation.

“We hope that Korea’s experience in building the Administrative City will be helpful in transforming your former military base into a dynamic and vibrant new city,” Kim said.

The MOU ceremony was signed during the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) 2024 where the BCDA chief was able to pitch investment opportunities in renewable energy, clean transportation, smart city development, and more.

The BCDA also noted that NAACC has been developing the Administrative City in Sejong since 2007.

“To date, Sejong serves as home to 40 central administrative agencies and 15 national research and development institutes, making it the administrative capital of Korea,” it said.

In the Philippines, the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in NCC would soon host facilities for the local government like agency offices, housing units, and sports facilities.

“The first phase of NGAC includes an integrated government operations center, a government housing facility (The Residences), the Athletics Stadium, the Aquatics Center, the Athletes’ Village, and the River Park,” BCDA elaborated.

Furthermore, the state run enterprise has met with multiple government agencies to set up infrastructure in NGAC such as the headquarters of the Philippine Space Agency, the coin production and minting facility of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the National Academy of Sports, and the Department of Science and Technology for its Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines.