“Opportunities on tourism recreational facilities that will complement the development of the Clark airport will be one of the focus in this freeport,” said the CDC in a statement on Tuesday.
CDC President and CEO Noel F. Manankil said tourism recreational facilities are ideal in terms of the size of lands in the freeport as they are supplemental to the on–going expansion of the airport.
“In terms of the size of lands we have, we have more opportunities for tourism recreational facilities. In the meantime, that is the focus. Also, because these types of industries are supportive of the airport development,” Manankil said.
He said they are encouraging more of the tourism related industries as a preparation for the expansion of the airport.
At present, Clark has more than 2,500 hotel rooms available, more than 200 local and international restaurants, theme parks, casinos and golf courses aside from the on-going construction of name-brand hotels.
Widus International Leisure, Inc. President-CEO Daesik Han had just announced recently that Marriot Hotel is set to open in September this year and the infusion of additional P5 billion investments for the expansion of Widus Hotel and Casino, construction of theme park, and convention center to be completed in the next six years.
Marriot Hotel is located inside the Widus complex.
Filinvest Mimosa is also upgrading its facilities as they are preparing for the construction of new hotels, lifestyle malls and theme park among others in the next five to 15 years.
“We are encouraging more tourism- airport driven industries because the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is building a new terminal and I think we are the only freeport zone that has a terminal,” Manankil said.
With the increasing number of tourist going through Clark, Manankil said these industries will be ideal in the freeport. He also cited the advantage of the airport in the creation of more international and local flights.
Currently, there are 158 international flights and 284 domestic flights per week or a total of 442 flights per week or an average of 63 per day with an 11 airlines operating the flights at the Clark airport.
“We have a lot of tourists that come through Clark. The good thing about the airport and I think the airport guys will tell you, we have a lot of local flights now. It provides connectivity for tourists, they fly to Clark and they take their connecting flights and go to their destinations in different tourist spots in the Philippines, because of the entry of the local couriers to Bohol, Davao, Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, Batanes, among others. It also provided the needed connectivity for international tourists. With this set-up, there is no need for them to go to Manila,” he said.
Manankil also said improvements in terms of the facilities and surroundings of Clark are also underway in support of the development of the freeport and the promotion of local culture and arts.
“We’re doing a lot of beautification which includes landscaping. We are also creating a lot of activity that centers and focuses on culture and arts, because this region is very rich in terms of culture and food,” Manankil said.
He added that the growth of Clark will make it more holistic which will offer an inclusive development for its surrounding communities while incorporating culture, arts, food and local products.