ADCL seeks urgent completion of Panday Pira

Without a direct access, motorists from Subic would have to use Mabalacat Exit in Barangay Cacutud and pass through McArthur Highway before they could enter Clark Freeport Zone.

Group seeks urgent completion of Panday Pira Road in Clark

ANGELES CITY -- The Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) on Friday called for the urgent completion of Panday Pira Road, the direct access of Clark Freeport to Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

Renato "Rene" Romero, ADCL chairman, said Panday Pira Road is connected to the Clark North Interchange, the only SCTEx interchange that will directly serve Clark Freeport Zone. The recently approved Clark South Interchange (in the CBD area near SM City Clark and Yokohama) has yet to be constructed.

At present, SCTEX has only two interchanges in Clark, the Clark Logistics Interchange in Mabiga and the Clark North Interchange in Dolores, both within the area of Mabalacat.

The Clark Logistics, however, is just a "loop road" connecting SCTEx and Nlex via Spur Road. It has no "ingress and egress" to Clark Freeport Zone. This makes Clark North Interchange as the only direct access inside the freeport zone. But since the connecting Panday Pira Road was deferred, Clark North Interchange cannot be used.

"This would mean that once SCTEx opens in April or May, Clark will have no direct access to the expressway. We are appealing to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to finish the Panday Pira Road in Clark North Interchange in time so Clark Freeport Zone and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) will be directly linked to Subic and Tarlac," Romero explained.

Romero added that without a direct access, motorists from Subic would have to use Mabalacat Exit in Barangay Cacutud and pass through McArthur Highway before they could enter Clark Freeport Zone. On the other hand, motorists using SCTEx from Tarlac will have to exit at the Clark Logistics Interchange going to Nlex Angeles exit and re-enter Angeles City via Don Bonifacio or Dau via McArthur before they could reach Clark's main gate.

He further explained that there are two classes of motorists who will use SCTEx: the regular motorists and the industrial cargo trucks.

The regular motorists can use the old Clark Mabalacat gate from McArthur, but cargo trucks are required to enter via the main gate in Balibago.

Romero said ADCL recently received reports that BCDA is planning to construct an "emergency road" linked to the Clark Logistics Interchange that will end at the SM City Clark area.

"We learned that this plan is being pushed to lessen the negative impact of SCTEx's slated opening without a direct access in Clark. We, however, believe that instead of the emergency road, BCDA should complete Panday Pira first since the Clark North Interchange is already there," Romero said.

ADCL vice president Sonny Dobles Jr. meantime said the failure of BCDA to complete Panday Pira Road, which is linked to Clark North Interchange is also "a failure on the Arroyo administration" because it defeats the very purpose of SCTEx -- that is to directly linked Subic Bay seaport and Clark's airport to boost economic activities in Central Luzon by making Subic and Clark as logistics hubs.

Doble added that National Government agencies, which are supposed to oversee SCTEx and other major infrastructure for the development of Subic and Clark, should have assured that Clark Freeport Zone and DMIA would directly benefit as soon as SCTEx opens.

The ADCL has been monitoring SCTEx since the start of its construction in 2004. The core group of ADCL is among the many private sector groups who supported and advocated for the Global Gateways program then pursued by former CDC president now BCDA president Rufo Colayco. By Reynaldo Navales - SunStar