Local gov't units told to plan for economic boom
By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) said Friday with Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) expected to be completed by the end of 2007, local government units (LGUs) should already start mapping out for economic boom in Central Luzon.
BCDA president and chief executive officer (CEO) Narciso Abaya said the planning should ensure that no LGU will be left out from the socioeconomic benefits that comes with the country's longest toll road to date.
Abaya said that once the 93.7-kilometer SCTEx becomes fully operational, the toll road will link the Subic Port in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Luisita Industrial Park in Tarlac.
The SCTEx, he said, will serve as the backbone of a new and highly competitive economic corridor of the country in the Southeast Asian region.
"We expect investors to take notice of the convergence of air, sea and land transport and eventually put up shop in CSEZ, SBMA, other economic zones and industrial parks in Central Luzon including those that will be established along the Subic-Clark corridor," Abaya said.
He said LGUs in Central Luzon should start evaluating their land use plan to address the needs of investors who will be putting up shop in their areas. He hinted that there may be a need to rezone and reclassify land from agricultural to industrial and commercial.
Abaya also said that there is a need for LGUs to coordinate with each other to plan a holistic and integrated approach in planning their areas to ensure a win-win scenario among themselves.
"What we don't want to happen is for LGUs to be competing for the same investors and locators leading to cut throat competition. We want each LGU to identify their investment niche be it agri-industrial or service-sector led investment havens," he said.
Abaya also noted that with the opening of SCTEx, an increase of local tourists will start trooping to Central Luzon and will significantly boost the tourism industry of the area.
He said LGUs should start developing their tourism and tourism-related industries to take advantage of the benefits of SCTEx.
Once the SCTEx is operational, it would only take some 30 minutes to travel from Clark to Subic and vice versa. Likewise, it would only take 20 minutes to travel from Clark to Tarlac and vice versa.
The SCTEx is a flagship project of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and is espoused under the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).
At 93.7 kilometers, SCTEx will be the longest toll road of the country.
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) said Friday with Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) expected to be completed by the end of 2007, local government units (LGUs) should already start mapping out for economic boom in Central Luzon.
BCDA president and chief executive officer (CEO) Narciso Abaya said the planning should ensure that no LGU will be left out from the socioeconomic benefits that comes with the country's longest toll road to date.
Abaya said that once the 93.7-kilometer SCTEx becomes fully operational, the toll road will link the Subic Port in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Luisita Industrial Park in Tarlac.
The SCTEx, he said, will serve as the backbone of a new and highly competitive economic corridor of the country in the Southeast Asian region.
"We expect investors to take notice of the convergence of air, sea and land transport and eventually put up shop in CSEZ, SBMA, other economic zones and industrial parks in Central Luzon including those that will be established along the Subic-Clark corridor," Abaya said.
He said LGUs in Central Luzon should start evaluating their land use plan to address the needs of investors who will be putting up shop in their areas. He hinted that there may be a need to rezone and reclassify land from agricultural to industrial and commercial.
Abaya also said that there is a need for LGUs to coordinate with each other to plan a holistic and integrated approach in planning their areas to ensure a win-win scenario among themselves.
"What we don't want to happen is for LGUs to be competing for the same investors and locators leading to cut throat competition. We want each LGU to identify their investment niche be it agri-industrial or service-sector led investment havens," he said.
Abaya also noted that with the opening of SCTEx, an increase of local tourists will start trooping to Central Luzon and will significantly boost the tourism industry of the area.
He said LGUs should start developing their tourism and tourism-related industries to take advantage of the benefits of SCTEx.
Once the SCTEx is operational, it would only take some 30 minutes to travel from Clark to Subic and vice versa. Likewise, it would only take 20 minutes to travel from Clark to Tarlac and vice versa.
The SCTEx is a flagship project of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and is espoused under the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).
At 93.7 kilometers, SCTEx will be the longest toll road of the country.
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
11:52 AM
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