US contractor wins bid to upgrade Clark roads

MANILA, Philippines - American contractor 4B Construction Corp. has bagged the deal to improve and rehabilitate 19.4-kilometers of existing roads leading to and within Clark Green City at a cost that gives the government P32.4 million in savings, state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said.

BCDA said 4B Construction’s bid of P45.9 million was declared the lowest. The approved budget for the contract was set at P78.3 million.

“We look forward to having a long standing partnership with 4B Construction Corp. as we build the roads to and within Clark Green City. The sooner we achieve this, the faster we can proceed in developing the country’s first smart, green and disaster-resilient metropolis,” BCDA president and chief executive officer Arnel Paciano Casanova said.

BCDA said eight other firms tendered their respective bids, namely: D.K. Jocson Construction, Haidee Construction, IPM Construction Corp., Leadway Construction, New Kanlaon Construction, Subiccon Corp., Tokwing Construction and WERR Corp.

Casanova said once completed, the road improvement project would provide a greater level of accessibility to the Clark Green City site and allow heavy construction equipment to go to the area even during the rainy season.

“The improved roads will allow all types of vehicles, including heavy equipment, to effortlessly reach the area all year round. The road network will lay the foundation for building the new metropolis,” he said.

Casanova has earlier pointed out the roads will play a vital role in the development of the area, as it will increase its land value and economic potential and attractiveness to interested investors and proponents.

The improved roads will service the development of Clark Green City’s Phase 1 which covers 288 hectares as well as the future site of University of the Philippines campus and other institutional areas BCDA has forged with other government agencies.

Gotianun-led property developer Filinvest Land Inc. has earlier won the contract to be BCDA’s joint venture partner in the development of 288 hectares of Clark Green City.

The contract is expected to be awarded next month, according to BCDA.

The entire Clark Green City is a 9,450-hectare master-planned property within the Clark Special Economic Zone in Tarlac which is envisioned to be the first smart, disaster-resilient and green city in the Philippines.

At full development, Clark Green City will be home to 1.12 million residents, 800,000 workers and contribute a gross output of approximately P1.57 trillion per year to the national economy or roughly four percent share in gross domestic product.