Infrastructure and investment — two pillars of economic growth — have both suffered notable declines since the onset of the flood control scandal. As of October 2025, foreign direct investments (FDIs) had fallen 39.4 percent year on year, while public infrastructure spending dropped by P44.1 billion to P65.9 billion, a 40.1 percent decline from the same period last year.
To counter last year’s downturn, Department of Budget and Management Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo said the national government has earmarked P1.3 trillion in the 2026 national budget for infrastructure. Cabinet officials, economists, and market analysts have repeatedly stressed that efficient and transparent infrastructure spending will be critical in restoring investor confidence and supporting a potential economic rebound in the second half of the year.
At a time when government spending is under intense scrutiny, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has emerged as a standout example of execution and accountability. The government-owned and -controlled corporation capped 2025 as a banner year, investing P70 billion across its economic zones.
At the helm is BCDA president and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang — or “Jake,” as he prefers to be called.
An engineer by training, Bingcang said BCDA’s recent initiatives include a partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to develop new training facilities for national athletes in Baguio.
“We have existing sports facilities in New Clark City, which were used during the SEA Games in 2019, where we emerged as the overall champion at that time,” Bingcang said on the latest episode of DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk.
“As part of the programs of President Marcos to spread out the programs all across regions, we have also identified an area in Camp John Hay for BCDA and Philippine Sports Commission to build training facilities,” he added.
“So, we’re starting with a P150-million budget coming from the Philippine Sports Commission to build indoor sports facilities in Baguio, in Camp John Hay.”
Bingcang stressed that environmental protection remains central to BCDA’s mandate, noting that no pine trees will be cut during construction.
At the heart of BCDA’s long-term vision is New Clark City (NCC) — a master-planned, sustainable metropolis within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Bamban and Capas, Tarlac. Designed to be smart, green, resilient, and inclusive, NCC is envisioned to accommodate up to 1.2 million people.
Bingcang, who joined BCDA in 1996 and was appointed president in 2023, said investment commitments in NCC reached P143.22 billion as of 2024.
He added that NCC will soon host a new training facility for the country’s future tennis stars, targeted for completion before the Philippines hosts the inaugural Southeast Asian (SEA) Plus Youth Games in 2027.
“In New Clark City, we are becoming famous in terms of tennis. So, in New Clark City, we have allocated a 10-hectare area to be the future training ground for tennis sports,” Bingcang said. “There will be more than 40 countries to come. So, we will be preparing our facilities to support the national program of the government on sports development.”
Paving way for sports heroes
BCDA is also set to complete three buildings for the National Academy for Sports, a public secondary school for aspiring elite athletes, with turnover expected within the first quarter of the year.
“And also, I’m going to build a five-story dormitory for the students. Because the students there who are enrolled come from all the regions in our country. I think they have more than 300 students already,” Bingcang said.
Beyond elite sports, NCC also hosts public-facing events such as the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, which will mark its 26th edition next month.
“We’ve built infrastructure, we’ve built facilities, but we want these not just [to] be enjoyed by targeted market audiences like investors, locators, but we want our facilities to be enjoyed by everybody, by all,” Bingcang said.
“So, through these initiatives or programs like the Hot Air Balloon [Fiesta], even ordinary citizens, even public school children, can get to go inside our facilities and see that these are the things that the government are doing.”
Bingcang noted the economic impact of these initiatives on the greater NCC area.
“[These add] to the indirect effect on [the] economy for the hotels, for the restaurants, for the employment around. So, these are some of the big events in tourism as well as in sports, especially when the golf courses open. You have enough hotels and accommodations to support the entry of more,” he said.
Looking ahead, BCDA is targeting an additional P100 billion in foreign direct investments in 2026, particularly in semiconductors, data centers, renewable energy, and information and communications technology (ICT).
Under Bingcang’s stewardship, BCDA has positioned itself as a pillar of effective, transparent government spending — one that translates infrastructure investment into inclusive growth.