So said Mayor Edwin Santiago in a breakfast forum last week of his administration’s response to the flood of investments coming to the capital city, which he credits to “location, location, location.”
“By the accident of geography, San Fernando is at the heart of Central Luzon and the gateway to Northern Luzon,” Santiago said. “But we have to supplement that with policies and programs to get the investors in.”
The mayor said the city’s recognition as 2nd Most Competitive (Component) City in the country by the National Competitive Council and being a hall-of-famer in the Most Business-Friendly City awards of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry are “attestations of our success in promoting an environment conducive to business development.”
Santiago though expressed a strong stand against businesses that could “pollute or corrupt” local culture. He cited casinos and adult-themed entertainment as taboos in the city.
“For all the developments coming in, our people have remained steadfast in their faith, culture and the quiet way of life. We would like to preserve that,” he said.
Santiago in effect was pre-empting any plan of a casino for in the reported P30-billion Megaworld mixeduse township in the site of the closed-down sugar mill of the Pampanga Sugar Development Co. in Barangay Sto. Niño.
This, even as he took cognizance of the traffic problem posed by the blue-chip investment as well as in the other parts of the city being settled upon by other investors, notably Azure by Century Properties along Jose Abad Santos Avenue near the North Luzon Expressway toll gate, Bendix Western Hotel at the junction of JASA and MacArthur Highway, Orchids Resort along Lazatin Ave., and the reported SM Aura also along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Telabastagan.
“Kailangan talaga nakasabay ang siyudad sa mga developments na ito para hind tayo ma-choke or ma-congest masyado. Kaya meron tayong three and five year development plans,” Santiago said.
He cited the core programs in the said plans as “road constructions, traffic management, and massive social preparations that will entail relocation of some dwellers and establishments.”
Of investments, Santiago said: “We are ready to consult with our partners like the Pam- Cham [Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.] and the stakeholders themselves on these ongoing and future developments. They are actually a major factor here since the city government does not engage in business but simply facilitates and enables such.”
