n one of the most disaster-prone regions on the planet, a new city has been designed specifically to withstand natural calamities -- and it's being built using remnants of a major disaster. The Philippines has begun building a "back-up" city, from where government offices can still function should capital Manila succumb to a natural disaster such as an earthquake. The proposed metropolis, located 100 kilometers north of Manila, is called New Clark City. With plans to cover 9,450 hectares, it will be bigger than Manhattan and could accommodate as many as 1.2 million people. As well as being able to withstand typhoons, flooding, and earthquakes -- inevitable parts of life for a country located on the Pacific Ring of Fire , an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity -- the city aims to be pollution-free. But how does it intend to achieve such a lofty goal? Vivencio Dizon, president of government owned and controlled Bases Conversion and Development Autho...