CLARK FREEPORT — The president of Clark International Airport Corp. on Tuesday said it sought the assistance of its sister company, Clark Development Corporation, to immediately reconvene a joint technical working group on issues concerning informal settlers.
In a recent letter to the CDC, CIAC President and CEO Aaron Aquino requested the resumption of inter-agency meetings which were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The technical working group is composed of representatives from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, CDC and CIAC and is tasked to formulate a uniformed financial assistance for informal settlers currently occupying development areas in the Freeport.
“The affected areas especially within the aviation complex must be productive and beneficial to the country and must generate revenues for the government (so) we hope to immediately finalize policies, to clearly identify valuation guidelines or of an acceptable appraisal formula, and to finally clear these informal settlers,” the CIAC chief said.
Aquino added CIAC’s efforts at present is to tap the underutilized land at the 2,367-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex, some portions of which are occupied by informal settlers.
For informal settlers with trees, crop or livestock, the computation of financial assistance, if any, involves a tedious process of inventory conducted by CIAC along with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Commission on Audit.
CIAC is geared towards establishing a world-class commercial hub at the civil aviation complex, home to the privately-run Clark International Airport (CRK) as well as the mixed-use business district Clark Global City and around 45 locators engaged in cargo and aviation-related businesses.
