New Clark City

Conceptualization and design

The idea of designing and building a new capital city for the Philippines has been around since the capital was reverted back to Manila in 1976. The most substantial plan, however, was proposed in 2012 by Arnel Paciano Casanova, who served as the president of BCDA, which manages former U.S. military installations in the country, until 2016. Casanova envisioned a new metropolis north of the current capital, within the former site of the U.S. military base of Camp O’Donnell, that would become the country’s first smart and green metropolis, as a substitute for Metro Manila, which faces challenges in congestion, lack of green spaces, and the effects of climate change. A notable aspect of the vision is the discouragement of gated communities, which are prevalent in Metro Manila.

The plan was met with skepticism from the public and some government officials, mostly due to its remote location and the displacement of indigenous people in the area. It was later highlighted by Typhoon Ketsana’s flooding of Metro Manila in 2009 and Typhoon Haiyan’s destruction of Tacloban City in 2013. This prompted the commissioning of the plan, with the national economic board chaired by President Benigno Aquino III approving the project in May 2014.

In 2015, proposals for the master conceptual development plan for the Clark Green City were submitted to the BCDA and screened by a committee composed of local and international urban planners, most notably Jezreel Apelar of Urban Land Institute, Julia Nebrija of World Bank, Grace Ramos of the University of the Philippines, Stephen Gray of Harvard University, Fadi Masoud of MIT, and Mary Anne Ocampo of international design firm Sasaki. AEDEA’s plan was selected.

In January 2016, the BCDA and Filinvest entered into a 50-year contract to develop the 288 hectares (710 acres) of allocated land in the city. During this time, the BCDA also secured partnerships with multinational firms such as the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation, which plans to connect the city to Metro Manila by rail, and the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, which will assist the BCDA in the smart and disaster-resilient aspect of the plan.^[1][2][3] Philippine Congress approved House Resolution 116 in March 2016, in support of the Clark Green City , further strengthening the government's support for the project.^[4]

To build the human capital of the new city, the BCDA made a land grant of 70 hectares to the University of the Philippines, 40 to the Technological University of the Philippines, and 20 to the Philippine Science High School.

Ground breaking, 2019 SEA Games

The groundbreaking of the city, supervised by Aquino and Casanova, was held on April 11, 2016.^[5]

The development of the city was subsequently included in the flagship projects of the succeeding President Rodrigo Duterte, with Vince Dizon assuming the role of BCDA’s president.^[6] The project was renamed to its current name of New Clark City. The Phase 1-A construction began, which includes the government offices and accommodations of the National Government Administrative Center and its sports hub component. The New Clark City Stadium and the Aquatic Center were completed in a record time of 18 months, just in time for the 2019 SEA Games.^[7][8]

In February 2020, as one of the preemptive measure implemented by the national government at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city was designated as a quarantine zone for repatriated Filipinos returning from Hubei, China, with the athletes village used during SEA Games serving as the billeting quarters. ^[9][10]

In July 2020, the Department of Agriculture unveiled plans to set up an agro-industrial hub in the city, aimed at supporting farming communities in the region and strengthening food security in Luzon.^[11]

The Global Future Cities Program of the British government noted issues in the city’s plan, including the absence of provision for affordable housing, the indefinite integration of the existing community of farmers in the area into the development, and the current urban design lacking appropriate streetscape design. In September 2020, the BCDA and the British government signed a memorandum of agreement to include the city in the program and tackle the issues raised. A ceremony for the foundation of the city’s central park, a notable output of the program, was held in July 2021.^[12]

Pax Silica

The Philippines is one of the major source and exporter of raw mineral exports like nickel and copper. 98% of China's imports are from the Philippines, according to a 2014 Financial Times report. The Philippine government initially proposed a ban on raw mineral exports in 2014 through 2030, but the plan was eventually scrapped.^[13][14]

On April 16, 2026, the Philippines joined the United States-led Pax Silica initiative, announcing that an area of 1,619 hectares (4,000 acres) in the New Clark City has been allocated for manufacturing.^[15] The development of a high technology hub in the city supports the government's plan to shift from exporting raw and extracted materials like nickel, elements that are important in creating high value electronic products to countries like China, to processing the materials and manufacture the products in the country instead.

In June 2026, Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer of iPhone, was reported to be the first company in the advance stage of locating in New Clark City.^[16]

Zoning

About 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) of the total 9,450 hectares (23,400 acres), or about 60% of the total land area of the city will be developed as green space.^[21] The river park system is currently under development, in addition to the World War II and Bataan Death March memorial, the Capas National Shrine,^[22] located at the entrance of the city,^[23] and the planned 44 hectares (110 acres) Central Park at the center of the city, which is set to become one of the largest public parks in the country.^[12]

Climate

Under the Köppen-Geiger classification, New Clark City has a tropical monsoon climate (Am). In May, the warmest month, the average temperature reaches up to 28.2 °C (82.8 °F); in January, the coldest month, the average temperature is 24.1 °C (75.4 °F). January also sees precipitation level plunging to 31 mm, making the city arid during this month, in contrast to July, when precipitation reaches its peak at an average of 353 mm.^[33]

Government

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is currently constructing a new campus in New Clark City which will contain a new currency production facility. The 31.1 ha (77 acres) campus is expected to open by 2028.^[57][58]

A regional office and judiciary center for the National Bureau of Investigation and the Supreme Court, respectively, will be constructed in the city.^[59][60]

The Philippine Air Force has also broken ground for a facility within the city.^[61]

Transportation

New Clark City is connected to other areas in the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone through the Clark Loop, a bus rapid transit system serving the city, the Clark International Airport, and other developments in the economic zone.^[62] It was opened in time for the 30th Southeast Asian Games.^[63]

The North–South Commuter Railway of the Philippine National Railways will connect the city to Metro Manila through the future New Clark City station.

New Clark will also be served by the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway and Central Luzon Link Expressway specifically through the 6.98 km (4.34 mi) six-lane access road which will connect the city to the greater MacArthur Highway.^[64] One major access point to the city is the Sacobia Bridge in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.^[65] The structure crosses over the Sacobia River, and is part of the One Clark Boulevard which connects New Clark with the rest of the Clark Freeport Zone.^[66] The North Luzon Expressway has an access to this city via SCTEX.

In 2023, the BCDA signed a memorandum of agreement with Japan-based Zenmov, Inc. and Philippine-based MC Metro Transport Operation, Inc. for a demonstration of an energy-efficient and smart public transportation system that will run within New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac and the rest of Clark Special Economic Zone.^[67][68] In September, 2024, the country's first smart autonomous self-driving bus which uses Smart mobility Operation Cloud was launched in the city. It will run thereat, Clark Freeport Zone and Clark International Airport.^[69]

Utilities

One notable feature of New Clark City is its underground utility corridor, which, unlike most Philippine cities with overhead lines, utilizes a common underground service channel for power, water, and telecommunications. This design improves resilience against disasters, streamlines maintenance without road excavations, and preserves the city's aesthetic overall.^[70]

For the electricity, the power distribution is managed by a consortium comprising Meralco and the Japanese firm Marubeni Corporation.^[71] The city also operates on the Philippines' first fully "smart" power grid, a system that utilizes real-time energy consumption monitoring to improve reliability for locators. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is also constructing the Capas substation, providing a dedicated power connection to support the industrial hubs of the city. BCDA has also allocated 37 hectares for a large-scale solar farm, while a waste-to-energy plant capable of processing 600 metric tons of solid waste daily and generating 12 MW of power is currently under construction.^[72] Meanwhile, the water and wastewater services of the city are provided by a consortium led by PrimeWater and managed by K-Water.^[73][74]

New Clark City also employs an open-access fiber model for its internet infrastructure, meaning the BCDA builds and maintains the passive infrastructure and leases it to multiple internet service providers to get the most competitive retail for residents and businesses, as well as to avoid redundant construction.^[75]