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

Angeles, Mabalacat main manpower source for Clark

By Ian Ocampo Flora - SunStar

CLARK FREEPORT -- Owing to their close proximity with the former US base, Angeles and Mabalacat are still the leading source of manpower from the 75 percent domicile records from Freeport registered locators.

From the total registered 50,855 employed manpower manning the different sectors ranging from industry and telecommunications within the Freeport, 75 percent come from the Pampanga area. From this number 22.05 percent of which hail from Angeles and 21.98 percent come from nearby town of Mabalacat. The western part of Porac have contributed a staggering 3.33 percent while the remaining 27.64 percent is shared by the City of San Fernando and the towns of Mexico, Magalang, Arayat and Sta. Rita.

According to Peso Mabalacat administrative aide Alma C. Pontillas, the local Municipal Government had been dynamically refereeing names into the different employers within the Freeport. However, the main hindrance that they see in the increase of employees is the early age limit bracket that sectors in the production business are implementing.

“The Peso office has been doing a round of Job Fairs here and we have been constantly referring names into the Freeport employers. The problem that we see now is the age limit for manpower in the production side. Some employers no longer accept applicants beyond the age of 26,” Pontillas said.

Despite this, the Peso office in Mabalacat is confident that more and more people from Mabalacat would benefit in the steady growth of employment in the Freeport and other opportunities that the Clark-Subic road would bring when it is fully operational.

On the other hand, manpower in the Freeport is still dominated by females according to reports. The Freeport had also recorded as of June 30 this year a total of 47.43 percent (or 24,120 employees) who are males while the females have netted 52.57 percent (or 26,735 employees) of the total workers.

GMA says ‘no’ to Clark trade hub

Business district to affect DMIA dev’t into top int’l airport

By FRED ROXAS - Manila Bulletin

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – President Arroyo has disapproved a controversial plan for the establishment of a Central Business District (CBD) near the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

"They won’t get it," President Arroyo told top officials of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), referring to the 300-hectare DMIA property which Clark Development Corp. (CDC) intends to use for its CBD project.

The President made the remarks during last Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Malacañang.

CIAC officials led by its chairman Nestor Mangio, president Victor Jose Luciano and executive vice president Alexander Cauguiran were in Malacañang to brief Cabinet members on DMIA’s development into the country’s next main international gateway and as an anchor of the President’s vision of competitive regional services and logistics hub for the Clark and Subic Freeport zones.

The proposed location of the controversial CBD in Clark ecozone is a 300-hectare area known as Industrial Estate 5 (IE5) which is adjacent to DMIA’s twin runways.

Through Resolution No. 98-07-67 approved in July 1998, the Bases Conversion Development Authority set aside some 2,500 hectares as CIAC’s territory covering a "contiguous area in the main zone" of Clark ecozone, including the IE5 site.

Earlier, local leaders led by Pampanga 1st district Rep. Carmelo ‘Tarzan’ Lazatin expressed apprehension over the planned CBD, saying this may adversely affect DMIA’s position as the country’s premier international airport.

Former CDC president Emmanuel Y. Angeles and Ruperto Cruz of the Angeles City-based civic group Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement have also written the President to inform her of their opposition to the construction of CBD near Clark airport.

Similar observations were also made by Seretary Romulo Neri, the erstwhile director general of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) who warned that "DMIA could lose its chances of becoming the country’s premier international gateway if it repeats the mistakes of NAIA in allowing residential and commercial interests to eat into and encroach on its area."

The presence of high rise structures near DMIA’s runways will downgrade its international rating that would enable it to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft.

During a meeting of the Metro Clark Advisory Council (MCAC), CDC president Levy Laus described the CBD projects as "something that would fit a regional CBD, a combination of malls, high-rise hotels with casinos and financial centers."

Declaration of Mt. Pinatubo as tourist spot proposed

ANGELES CITY -- Pampanga first district Representative Carmelo Lazatin has filed House Bill (HB) 1613 declaring Mt. Pinatubo as an official tourist destination.

Lazatin said the bill will not only boost tourism in all adjacent communities of Mt. Pinatubo, but will also create livelihood means for nearby residents.

Under the proposal, the Department of Tourism (DOT) will enact the declaration and endorsement of Mt. Pinatubo as one of the major tourism spots in the country.

Lazatin said the DOT will likewise allocate a budget in the establishment and maintenance of tourism areas in Mt. Pinatubo.

The bill will also mandate the Zambales Provincial Government and nearby towns to create a tourist point to parallel the declaration of Mt. Pinatubo as a tourist destination.

To recall, Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991 and devastated Central Luzon after nearly 600 years of being dormant.

Sixteen years after its eruption, Mt. Pinatubo has become a favorite hiking destination. In fact, many groups and government leaders have organized Mt. Pinatubo treks, where after five hours of walk, hikers can swim in the Mt. Pinatubo crater.

"Once feared, Mt. Pinatubo is now regarded for its beauty, enticing every adventurous tourist," Lazatin said. By Reynaldo G. Navales - Sun Star