CLARK FREEPORT — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has finally given the go signal to eight investors to put up new structures in this freeport amid delays caused by issues related to height restrictions required around the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here.
Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President and Chief Executive Officer Benigno Ricafort said at a press briefing here that the height restrictions are in accordance with international standards for an aerodrome pattern of ascending and descending aircrafts.
“Eight (building) projects remained hanging since March last year because of height restriction issues, but the CAAP has now given them construction permits,” he said.
Ricafort did not say how many floors were allowed in the proposed new structures, but he noted that only one building project has not been given permit by the CAAP and it proposed 18 floors at the Fontana resort complex.
The parameter used for height restriction was the ground level of DMIA’s runways.
The CAAP replaced the now defunct Air Transportation Office (ATO) in March last year “to update and strengthen the international framework of the country’s civil avaition industry” and meet the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) based in Canada.
The CAAP is an independent regulatory body with quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative powers with corporate attributes, although it remains an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
The granting of construction permits to the eight investors here came after experts from the ICAO arrived here to stuady height restriction requirements amid plans to transform the DMIA into the country’s premiere international airport as declared by Pres. Arroyo in February last year.
This, even as Ricafort also announced plans to allocate some 300 hectares at this freeport’s northern Sacobia area for Taiwanese investors amid shortage of lands in the 4,500-hectare main freeport zone.
The 300 hectares is within the largely undeveloped 10,600-hectare Sacobia area which used to be a US military reservation until it was turned over to the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) when the US Air Force left Clark in 1991. It is located north of the main zone of the 4,500-hectare main freeport and is mostly covered by Zambales and Tarlac.
He said some P18 billion would be needed to build the needed infrastructure and other such needs in Sacobia, as he noted plans to include the cost of development in the package for interested investors.
“Phase 1 covers 2,000 hectares of flatlands in the Sacobia area which we now prefer to call Next Frontier,” he said.
The master plan for Sacobia was finished only recently after two years of study and is set to be presented soon for approval of stake holders in the Clark area, Ricafort said.
Ricafort noted that already, a Taiwanese investor has expressed interest in such arrangement amid its plan to lease some 300 hectares in the 2,000-hectare site under Phase 1 of the master plan for the New Frontier, he added.
The entry of the Taiwanese firm, which the CDC declined to identify yet, is part of the “action plans” identified by the CDC for 2009 up to next year.
Ricafort noted that almost the entire 4,500 main freeport has been leased out to investors, and more are coming in. Thus, Sacobia must be developed as this freeport’s New Frontier.
Latest CDC figures indicate there are now 434 investors at the main zone, with investments worth P68.63 billion. The freeport now provides jobs to 57,000 folk, mostly from Pampanga and Tarlac. This figure is much higher than the average 24,000 Filipinos employed by the US military during their presence at Clark .
Ricafort bared proposals to relocate some already existing 12 villages in the Next Frontier and reduce their number to only five sitios so as to create more space for investments.
Last year, the CDC entered into an agreement with Aeta tribes in the use of their ancestral lands in the Next Frontier. Under the agreement, the CDC would develop and manage their lands for new investments, with 20 percent of the income to be shared with the Aetas.
The Lower House, however, sought a review of the agreement.
Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President and Chief Executive Officer Benigno Ricafort said at a press briefing here that the height restrictions are in accordance with international standards for an aerodrome pattern of ascending and descending aircrafts.
“Eight (building) projects remained hanging since March last year because of height restriction issues, but the CAAP has now given them construction permits,” he said.
Ricafort did not say how many floors were allowed in the proposed new structures, but he noted that only one building project has not been given permit by the CAAP and it proposed 18 floors at the Fontana resort complex.
The parameter used for height restriction was the ground level of DMIA’s runways.
The CAAP replaced the now defunct Air Transportation Office (ATO) in March last year “to update and strengthen the international framework of the country’s civil avaition industry” and meet the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) based in Canada.
The CAAP is an independent regulatory body with quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative powers with corporate attributes, although it remains an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
The granting of construction permits to the eight investors here came after experts from the ICAO arrived here to stuady height restriction requirements amid plans to transform the DMIA into the country’s premiere international airport as declared by Pres. Arroyo in February last year.
This, even as Ricafort also announced plans to allocate some 300 hectares at this freeport’s northern Sacobia area for Taiwanese investors amid shortage of lands in the 4,500-hectare main freeport zone.
The 300 hectares is within the largely undeveloped 10,600-hectare Sacobia area which used to be a US military reservation until it was turned over to the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) when the US Air Force left Clark in 1991. It is located north of the main zone of the 4,500-hectare main freeport and is mostly covered by Zambales and Tarlac.
He said some P18 billion would be needed to build the needed infrastructure and other such needs in Sacobia, as he noted plans to include the cost of development in the package for interested investors.
“Phase 1 covers 2,000 hectares of flatlands in the Sacobia area which we now prefer to call Next Frontier,” he said.
The master plan for Sacobia was finished only recently after two years of study and is set to be presented soon for approval of stake holders in the Clark area, Ricafort said.
Ricafort noted that already, a Taiwanese investor has expressed interest in such arrangement amid its plan to lease some 300 hectares in the 2,000-hectare site under Phase 1 of the master plan for the New Frontier, he added.
The entry of the Taiwanese firm, which the CDC declined to identify yet, is part of the “action plans” identified by the CDC for 2009 up to next year.
Ricafort noted that almost the entire 4,500 main freeport has been leased out to investors, and more are coming in. Thus, Sacobia must be developed as this freeport’s New Frontier.
Latest CDC figures indicate there are now 434 investors at the main zone, with investments worth P68.63 billion. The freeport now provides jobs to 57,000 folk, mostly from Pampanga and Tarlac. This figure is much higher than the average 24,000 Filipinos employed by the US military during their presence at Clark .
Ricafort bared proposals to relocate some already existing 12 villages in the Next Frontier and reduce their number to only five sitios so as to create more space for investments.
Last year, the CDC entered into an agreement with Aeta tribes in the use of their ancestral lands in the Next Frontier. Under the agreement, the CDC would develop and manage their lands for new investments, with 20 percent of the income to be shared with the Aetas.
The Lower House, however, sought a review of the agreement.
