CLARK FREEPORT – Officials of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) have pushed for the integration and interconnection of telephone lines in four Central Luzon provinces, including its two Freeports, to rapidly increase economic activities in the area.
CDC President and CEO Benigno “Benny” Ricafort, in a statement yesterday, said the interconnection of landlines in Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan and Tarlac would improve the business climate in the four provinces and make them more investors-friendly.
“Not to mention that it will save millions of pesos benefiting businessmen and residents,” said Ricafort. He added that the interconnection of lines in this Freeport and Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) will realize “the dream of President Arroyo to make them globally competitive and a catalyst for development.”
CDC public relations chief Angelo “Sonny” Lopez disclosed that “the CDC saves about P2 million annually due to the interconnection of lines in Pampanga and Clark.” He was the head of the task force in 2001 which eventually convinced major telecommunications lines in Pampanga to interconnect.
In the recent meeting of the Metro Clark Advisory Council (MCAC), Lopez was again called to lead the new task force which will work for the interconnection of lines in the said area. The other members are Ricafort, CDC Director and MCAC Technical Working Group head Frankie Villanueva, Mayors Reynaldo Catacutan of Capas and Marino “Boking” Morales of Mabalacat, who will both represent the local government units (LGUs).
“We hope to do it again, mainly for the benefit of the public in general,” said Lopez. He gave the credit for the successful interconnection in Pampanga to Mayor Morales and Clark investor Dennis Uy.
“Mayor Boking, Dennis Uy and other silent heroes will definitely help us as we venture into a new challenge,” he added.
The Resolution
The MCAC, in the same meeting, adopted a resolution “to work for the interconnection and integration of telecommunications facilities/franchises in Clark and with Tarlac, Subic and Zambales.”
Villanueva said they had wanted to include Bataan because of its economic zone.
“The development and improvement of infrastructure facilities, including the establishment of the state-of-the-art telecommunications in Clark and the surrounding communities add to the viability of Metro Clark as a choice investment destination,” said the MCAC resolution. It added that “in the course of doing business in the Metro Clark Area, the provision of telecommunications facilities, particularly interconnected telephone exchanges, is vital in minimizing costs to investors and the clientele that include government offices.”
“This (MCAC resolution) is pursuant to the vision of PGMA to make the Clark corridor to be truly a seamless haven for logistic and industrial hub. Together with that is seamless communications lines,” said Villanueva.
“It might not be productive to the giant phone firms in the first few years. But in the long run and overall, it will be beneficial to them because of the increased in subscribers,” added Villanueva.
