CLARK FREEPORT — The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) has suspended the ₱1.00
per liter regulatory royalty fee on petroleum fuel deliveries into the Freeport to help ease
costs for locators and workers.
CDC President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera announced the measure during a town hall meeting, attended by nearly 300 locators on April 6. The suspension, approved through a Board Resolution pursuant to Memorandum Circular No. 110, s. 2026, took effect April 1 and will run for two months.
Atty. Devanadera clarified that the suspension “does not waive government revenues and retains regulatory oversight within the zone, but is intended to help ease operating costs and support business continuity.”
She also confirmed that Petron Corporation has committed to allocate fuel for Clark locators, with talks ongoing with other suppliers. Petron outlined a prioritized allocation system based on operational criticality, classifying locators into essentials, support services, and others, guided by survey results and validated consumption data.
“We were able to monitor in our social media and the news that the biggest fuel that already arrived from Russia will be, or has been, unloaded at the Petron [Corporation] refinery. So, in our meeting with Petron [Corporation], we asked them exactly the logistical requirements here, and because they have stations here, they will be supplying through the Petron stations,” she said.
“However, as we said even earlier, all the other stations, gas stations, may open provided
that they have their supply. So right now, since it’s only Petron that has supplied here, then it
will be through the Petron gas stations,” she added.
CDC Vice President for Business Development and Business Enhancement Group, Atty. Noelle Mina Meneses urged the locators to join the ongoing survey to help determine requirements and guide allocation.
She also encouraged work‑from‑home and compressed work arrangements to manage fuel use, while maintaining stable transport operations within the Freeport, including unchanged Clark Loop fares and routes.
Vice President for Legal Affairs Atty. Gloria Victoria Yap‑Taruc presented measures to
strengthen energy resilience, such as promoting solar rooftop installations, facilitating net‑metering and distributed energy programs, and exploring electric vehicle charging and low‑carbon mobility options.
The CDC chief said the state‑run corporation will continue to monitor developments and
coordinate with stakeholders. It will also implement measures within its authority to sustain operations and protect investments and jobs in the Clark Freeport Zone. A follow-up town hall meeting will be conducted to provide updates and gather further inputs from locators.
