“Expansion and enhancement of road networks in this Freeport are among the priority projects of the stateowned fi rm this year,” the CDC said in a statement yesterday.
The statement quoted CDC president-CEO Noel Manankil as saying that “the projects on improving the access points and main roads of Clark are given importance to avoid traffic, given the on-going and future developments here.”
In a recent meeting of the Asian Development Bank here, Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez admitted that under the proposed Package 2 of TRAIN, the special five percent gross income earned (GIE) tax enjoyed by investors at economic zones and freeports would be removed in favor of 25 percent corporate tax that would be applied nationwide.
The special GIE has been used by the CDC and other government corporations in charge of freeports and economic zones to attract foreign investors.
There is yet no information from government on the fate of stateowned corporations such as the CDC should Package 2 of TRAIN be implemented.
Regardless of uncertain fate of his agency, Mananki said “We have expanded a lot of road networks because the thing that we don’t want happening in Clark is traffic. I think one of our biggest selling point is we don’t have traffic.”
“The non-existence of traffic in the Freeport is an advantage in strengthening the ease of doing business here,” he said in the statement.
During the term of Transportation Sec. Arthur Tagade as CDC president, however, the CDC allowed the construction of several buildings in a narrow area between Clark’s main gate along the M.A Roxas Highway and the busy perimeter road in Malabanias, Angeles City amid protests from critics who feared the new structures would finally constrict traffic in the area already often saturated with vehicles during rush hours.
CDC said it has earmarked P2 billion “for the construction and expansion of road networks in Clark in preparation for the influx investment projects, workers, local and foreign tourists to be generated by the on-going expansion of Clark International Airport.”
CDC noted that last year, 2017, it spent more than P1 billion for various infrastructure projects inside Clark.
Clark has 949 locators- investors at present with more than 108,000 workers as of the end of April 30 this year, it reported.
“Even with the development we have right now, we’re very conscious about traffic because it eats up a lot of economic resource wasted on being in traffic,” Manankil also said.
“Clark is comparable with other metropolis in terms of development and industries, but without heavy traffic. Environmental factors such as clean air and clean surroundings are highly valued, in spite the many developments and further projects in Clark,” he added.
Manankil also noted that CDC’s projects “are aligned with the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program of the Duterte administration and as Clark being the showcase of the government.”
He also said that aside from these projects, enhancements in the surroundings of Clark are also in the pipeline.
“We want this to be a work, live, play environment. The necessary amenities, will have to be put in place. We’re doing a lot of beautification. This includes various activities that centers on culture and arts, because this region is very rich in terms of culture and food,” Manankil added.
“People have always looked up to Clark to be an aerotropolis driven (destination) so we want a legacy of employment, of the right mix of locators, and a legacy of infrastructure, worldwide infrastructure that you find in Clark and of course the legacy of having the development here more inclusive in as far as the surrounding communities are concern,” he said.
