NEW CLARK CITY, Tarlac: Officials of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) paid a familiarization visit to the United Kingdom in their bid to win the support of its government and investors for the financing and implementation of two major sustainability projects in this rising metropolis.

The mission was facilitated by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development (UK FCDO) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua Bingcang presented to various UK government entities and investors about New Clark City (NCC) and its pipeline of projects to be implemented.

The discussion focused on the financing and delivering sustainable infrastructure projects, which centered around the NCC Central Park — a 44.8-hectare open recreational space envisioned to become one of the largest public parks in the Philippines and the proposed 33.89-hectare mixed-income housing project.

The conceptual plans and feasibility studies for both projects were spearheaded by the UK FCDO under the Global Future Cities Initiatives Programme.

"As we now move forward with the next stage of implementation for both projects, we once again urge the government, as well as the private sector in the UK to consider helping us finance and execute these projects to achieve a truly inclusive and sustainable community in New Clark City," said Bingcang.

To maximize the visit, the Philippine delegation also met several other agencies in the UK, including DBT, the UK Export Finance, Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Transport for London, and Crossrail International.

They also had the opportunity to meet infrastructure companies, real estate developers, and other private sector investors.

Aside from meetings and roundtable discussions, the BCDA also joined familiarization tours to benchmark and study UK's best practices on sustainable urban redevelopment and transit-oriented developments.

"This outbound mission served as a venue to learn more about London's sustainable initiatives, including the establishment of TODs around London's stations. These will guide us as we pursue our own TODs in Bonifacio Global City and in Clark," Bingcang added.

Both delegations expressed optimism that the business mission helped establish connections between important infrastructure players in the Philippines and UK and forged avenues for cooperation between the two countries.

It followed the investment roadshow initiative organized by BCDA and UK FCDO back in 2022 that aimed to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and urban resilience in 19 cities across the world, including NCC.