PhilSA to lease one-hectare property in New Clark City

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) will initially lease a one-hectare property at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, under a 50-year contract inked with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Thursday.

The contract involves the first phase of PhilSA’s official site development, with the agency’s headquarters and facilities housed at the National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City.

The headquarters will host 350 personnel, most of whom will be space scientists, engineers, and researchers. It will also be home to facilities that enhance the country’s capabilities in space science, technology, and applications (SSTA).

“This milestone is about growth and collaboration. As we continue to build on PhilSA’s progress over the past five years, we are strengthening not just the space agency but also the domestic ecosystem, our Yamang Kalawakan,” PhilSA director general Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. said in an emailed statement.

“We are pleased to be building in New Clark City with BCDA as we seize opportunities in the global space economy together,” he added.

The PhilSA, an attached agency of the Office of the President, is the central government agency tasked to address all national issues and activities related to space S&T applications.

Under the Philippine Space Act or Republic Act 11363, at least 30 hectares of land in the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and Tarlac have been set aside for PhilSA.

“Once built, we are confident that the Philippines will have one of the most modern space centers in Southeast Asia, and what better place for this to happen than in New Clark City, the first smart and disaster-resilient city in the Philippines,” BCDA president and chief executive officer Engr. Joshua Bingcang said.

The second phase of site development will involve further expansion of space research and development and operations infrastructure of PhilSA, which currently holds office in Quezon City and operates ground station facilities in the University of the Philippines Diliman and Davao City.

Under its mandate, the BCDA is tasked to help strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), while building cities. It also engaged in public-private partnerships to boost public infrastructure such as tollways, airports, seaports, and major real estate developments. —NB, GMA Integrated News