CLARK FREEPORT — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. officially opened the New Passenger Terminal Building of the Clark International Airport Wednesday morning.
Marcos Jr. unveiled a marker at the airport “signifying a milestone for Philippine air travel,” and for Central and Northern Luzon connectivity with the terminal’s megastructure enabling an annual 8 million passenger capacity, which is double that of the old terminal.
The president walked through the facilities of the modern terminal that earned global citation for its “aesthetic melding of a deep sense of place in its design to achieve ease, comfort, and safety for a pleasurable passenger experience.”
In his message, he called the airport’s grand opening as a distinctly important event, citing two reasons: how to leverage assets of government, and how to leverage partnerships with the private sector.
“This is a perfect example of what the government and private sector can do. This is exactly the kind of partnership that we need to encourage,” he said.
Funded in 2015 and breaking ground in December 2017, the project has a total cost of P19.25 billion.
CRK’s management and operations were awarded to the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp., a private consortium composed of Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Services Inc., Changi Airports Philippines (I) Pte. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Changi Airports International.
Massive benefits are foreseen from the project. It improves the attraction of the airport as the main gateway in Northern Luzon serving Regions 1, 2, 3, and the Cordillera Administrative Region, with the Camanava area. It also helps decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport by providing a more convenient and accessible alternative while accommodating the growing traffic through North and Central Luzon.
Present in the program were Department of Transportation Secretary Jamie Bautista, Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, Bases Conversion and Development Authority Chairman Delfin Lorenzana, BDCA President Aileen Zosa, Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, Pampanga Vice-Gov. Lilia Pineda, Tarlac Gov. Susan Yap, LIPAD Chairman Frederick D. Go, and LIPAD directors Jonathan T. Gotianun and Jefferson Cheng.
“Today, we have this modern, state-of-the-art terminal that will immensely improve the way Filipinos travel–a terminal where all travelers will feel like they are VIPs. This is not just a distant dream anymore, it is our reality,” BCDA chair Lorenzana said.
Added BCDA president Zosa: “We are proud to say that the Clark International Airport is a game-changer, as it will bring immense benefits to the economy. Aside from boosting the tourism industry, this new terminal, which is a joint project of the BCDA and the DOTr, will help further strengthen the Subic-Clark Corridor’s position as a major logistics hub in the country, making this region more attractive to local and foreign investors. The presence of this airport is also expected to create 150,000 new jobs for Filipinos, spanning different sectors and supporting industries, such as the hospitality, food and beverage, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors, just to name a few.”
Valuable cooperation and masterful coordination among parties, government agencies, and LIPAD leaders during the challenging first two years of the pandemic was a fitting testament to Filipino will to push forward the goal of readying the new terminal that leads not just to more economic growth, but the uplift of the national spirit.
Addressing the President in his welcome speech, LIPAD chairman Go said, “We are so grateful that His Excellency is inaugurating this new terminal today and signal to the Philippines and to the World that the new CRK is open for business. Our goal is to continue working towards expanding our network above pre-Covid levels, connecting Clark to more domestic and international points. CRK has started to chart new growth rates, with the recent return of international and domestic travel.”
LIPAD director Gotianun shared three things that the CRK represents, which he calls the 3Ps – “promise fulfilled through the full commercial operations of the airport, partnership which is LIPAD’s investment in CRK representing the company’s participation in nation-building, and finally, the passion of the men and women who remained steadfast and kept the wheels running despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic.
The opening rites were closed with a feast featuring Central Luzon cuisine, highlighted by delectable Pampango dishes, which distinctively put Pampanga among the best places to be visited and experienced by travelers.
