Clark freeport status okayed
CLARK ECOZONE -- The bicameral committee on Monday approved two pending bills converting the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) into the Clark Freeport Zone.
"It feels like we just won the championship in a world football match. Clark now has the same status with that of Subic," said Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president Levy Laus, who exclaimed minutes after the bicameral committee passed the two measures.
Laus, who has been lobbying for the granting of tax incentives to Clark investors and locators, said Congress' decision "will have a tremendous impact not only on Clark but on the whole of Central Luzon."
"It will be the start of a bigger and far-reaching growth and development for Clark and the whole Central Luzon," he said. "Now we can really say that the future of Clark is so bright you have to wear shades," he added.
CDC vice president for corporate services Pepito Galang confirmed the reconciliation of Senate Bill (SB) 2260 and House Bill (HB) 5064 with the freeport status at Clark, which prevailed over a proposal to declare half of the economic zone under the Philippine Export Zone Authority (Peza).
"It will be the CDC which will still administer the ecozone," he said.
Joining Laus in a celebratory mood were CDC directors, executives and employees as well as members of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham) who trooped to the Senate.
"We are thankful to our good senators and congressmen who have supported the bills and our advocacy from the very start and the people of Central Luzon owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their wholehearted support," Laus said.
Under the present system, the CDC manages and operates 2,200 hectares of the zone, while its subsidiary Clark International Airport Corp. (Ciac) takes care of the other 2,200-hectare aviation complex that hosts the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).
Among those who gave their all-out support were Senators Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Richard Gordon, Mar Roxas, Ralph Recto and Sergio Osmena III, and Representatives Francis Nepomuceno, Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, Rey Aquino and Anna York Bondoc-Sagum.
Recto and Gordon fought for the freeport status of Clark by sponsoring the Senate bills in Congress.
Laus also thanked CDC chairman Rizalino Navarro, CDC directors, executives and employees for their hard work and prayers for the approval of the bills.
"Every one really gave their best for this and we thank God for hearing our prayers," he said.
The Senate version, which sought freeport status for Clark, however, later accommodated a proposal for a Peza take over of half of the economic zone area. The House version, which also largely batted for a status quo at Clark, was authored by then Representative Jesli Lapus who is now the education secretary.
The bicameral committee members also earlier reconciled HB 4900 and SB 2259 granting a one-time tax amnesty to investors at the CSEZ.
The bills were filed after the Supreme Court (SC), in its decision in July, 2005, declared that investors at Clark as well as other former US military facilities that are now economic zones are not covered by Republic Act (RA) 7227 or the Bases Conversion Law.
The same law cites only Subic Freeport as being entitled to such privileges. The High Court affirmed its decision "with finality" last month.
Cila president Frankie Villanueva thanked the senators and congressmen who supported freeport status at Clark as he expressed confidence that this would finally remove "the feeling of uncertainty among current and prospective investors" at the economic zone.
He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to sign the bill into law soon as this would boost her plans to make the Clark-Subic corridor into a major investments hub in the Asia Pacific region. He also lauded the leadership of Laus who had been leading in lobbying efforts for the passage of the Senate bill as initially proposed by Recto.
Since the CDC was created in 1993 to administer the entire CSEZ, 389 foreign and domestic investors have moved into Clark, pumping in P24.33 billion worth of investments. Last year alone, investors here exported worth US$1 billion of various items.
Over 47,000 people, mostly from Pampanga, Tarlac, and Bulacan, are now employed at Clark. By Reynaldo G. Navales - SunStar
"It feels like we just won the championship in a world football match. Clark now has the same status with that of Subic," said Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president Levy Laus, who exclaimed minutes after the bicameral committee passed the two measures.
Laus, who has been lobbying for the granting of tax incentives to Clark investors and locators, said Congress' decision "will have a tremendous impact not only on Clark but on the whole of Central Luzon."
"It will be the start of a bigger and far-reaching growth and development for Clark and the whole Central Luzon," he said. "Now we can really say that the future of Clark is so bright you have to wear shades," he added.
CDC vice president for corporate services Pepito Galang confirmed the reconciliation of Senate Bill (SB) 2260 and House Bill (HB) 5064 with the freeport status at Clark, which prevailed over a proposal to declare half of the economic zone under the Philippine Export Zone Authority (Peza).
"It will be the CDC which will still administer the ecozone," he said.
Joining Laus in a celebratory mood were CDC directors, executives and employees as well as members of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham) who trooped to the Senate.
"We are thankful to our good senators and congressmen who have supported the bills and our advocacy from the very start and the people of Central Luzon owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their wholehearted support," Laus said.
Under the present system, the CDC manages and operates 2,200 hectares of the zone, while its subsidiary Clark International Airport Corp. (Ciac) takes care of the other 2,200-hectare aviation complex that hosts the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).
Among those who gave their all-out support were Senators Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Richard Gordon, Mar Roxas, Ralph Recto and Sergio Osmena III, and Representatives Francis Nepomuceno, Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, Rey Aquino and Anna York Bondoc-Sagum.
Recto and Gordon fought for the freeport status of Clark by sponsoring the Senate bills in Congress.
Laus also thanked CDC chairman Rizalino Navarro, CDC directors, executives and employees for their hard work and prayers for the approval of the bills.
"Every one really gave their best for this and we thank God for hearing our prayers," he said.
The Senate version, which sought freeport status for Clark, however, later accommodated a proposal for a Peza take over of half of the economic zone area. The House version, which also largely batted for a status quo at Clark, was authored by then Representative Jesli Lapus who is now the education secretary.
The bicameral committee members also earlier reconciled HB 4900 and SB 2259 granting a one-time tax amnesty to investors at the CSEZ.
The bills were filed after the Supreme Court (SC), in its decision in July, 2005, declared that investors at Clark as well as other former US military facilities that are now economic zones are not covered by Republic Act (RA) 7227 or the Bases Conversion Law.
The same law cites only Subic Freeport as being entitled to such privileges. The High Court affirmed its decision "with finality" last month.
Cila president Frankie Villanueva thanked the senators and congressmen who supported freeport status at Clark as he expressed confidence that this would finally remove "the feeling of uncertainty among current and prospective investors" at the economic zone.
He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to sign the bill into law soon as this would boost her plans to make the Clark-Subic corridor into a major investments hub in the Asia Pacific region. He also lauded the leadership of Laus who had been leading in lobbying efforts for the passage of the Senate bill as initially proposed by Recto.
Since the CDC was created in 1993 to administer the entire CSEZ, 389 foreign and domestic investors have moved into Clark, pumping in P24.33 billion worth of investments. Last year alone, investors here exported worth US$1 billion of various items.
Over 47,000 people, mostly from Pampanga, Tarlac, and Bulacan, are now employed at Clark. By Reynaldo G. Navales - SunStar
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
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