Propery developer Megaworld is building a sprawling township in Pampanga, including a two-hectare Rainwater Park that could serve as a model for similar communities throughout the country bedevilled by flooding problems.
In a Facebook post over the weekend, Kevin Tan, CEO of conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc. , highlighted the success of the Rainwater Park in Capital Town, a 35-hectare township developed by Megaworld in Pampanga, which is both a catchment basin and recreational space.
“Before we started developing the area, when it rained, the area around the capital building would flood, Tan said. “The flooding would reach waist high, and it would take a week for the water to subside.”
“When we started planning this township, we took that into mind and we wanted it to be a solution to that problem,” he revealed.
Harold Geronimo, PR and media head of Megaworld said in a statement Sunday, that the two-hectare Rainwater Park is part of the company’s three-pronged contribuition to the City of San Fernando. “We’re not just developing buildings — we are building communities.,” he declared.
Rainwater Park, Geronimo said, is designed to prevent flooding. and promote ecological n balance. “The park includes a jogging paths, bike racks, play areas. This reflects the city’s commitment to sustainable urban developmnent,” he said..
Because of the Rainwater Park, Tan claimed the area around Capital Town no longer experiences flooding.
“When it rains around the city, water is actually collected by our box culverts and brought here to this Rainwater Park. When it stops raining, the sun comes out, the water slowly drains into our river systems,” he explained..
Tan said the water retention facility holds 3.7 million gallons of water. “This water retention facility is connected to the entirety of San Fernando City. Other water retention facilities are normally underground, but what we created is a facility above ground, and turn it into a lagoon where people can enjoy water activties like kayaking, fishing and other things,” Tan said.
“This is a model we intend to build in many of our townships,” Tan vowed.
“The next township we will be buiding will be in Marilao and Bocaue in Bulacan. We also plan this in our townships in Cavite, and other areas where flooding is a concern.”
Boosting employment, tourism
Aside from Rainwater Park, Geronimo said Megaworld has opened township roads to help decongest traffic in San Fernando. It is investing in developments like the newly launched Bryant Parklane residential condo and the upcoming Pasudeco Tower office building to boost employent and tourism.
“We aim to draw not only investors and homeowners, but also tourists, by creating spaces that are both functional and visually appealing,” Geronimo pointed out.
The Pasudeco Tower, once completed, is projected to accommodate over 3,000 office workers, further integrating the township into the city’s economic and labor growth, he added.
