THE Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) will build its headquarters in a one-hectare property in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in a statement yesterday said PhilSA has signed a 50-year lease contract for the property.
The BCDA said the headquarters will host about 350 personnel in the near term, mostly space scientists, engineers, and researchers.
The facilities to be put up are aimed at enhancing the country’s capabilities in space science, technology, and applications by enabling tighter industry, academe and government engagement, and creating opportunities for highly technical jobs, products and services.
The lease contract involves the first phase of PhilSA’s official site development, which includes PhilSA’s headquarters and facilities at the National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City.
The second phase of the development is intended to host further expansion of space research and development and operations infrastructure of the agency.
Currently, PhilSA holds office in Quezon City, and operates ground station facilities in the University of the Philippines Diliman and in Davao city.
The one-hectare property in New Clark City is part of the at least 30 hectares of land in the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and Tarlac allocated for PhilSA, as mandated in Section 17 of Republic Act No. 11363 or the Philippine Space Act.
PhilSA director general Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano, Jr. and BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua Bingcang led the signing on August 29 at the BCDA office in Taguig City.
“Once built, we are confident 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,” said Bingcang.
