PRC Chairman Richard Gordon with City of San Fernando Councilor Jimmy Lazatin and Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo. Photo by Joey Pavia
CANDABA, Pampanga – Former Tourism Secretary and Senator Richard Gordon of Zambales joined calls for the full development of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) as the country’s premiere airport.
This, even as he twitted the Aquino government for “losing steam” in developing it.
Gordon, who was interviewed over the weekend in a disaster preparedness seminar for village officials organized by Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, said “it’s practical” to develop the CIA and its 2,367-hectare aviation complex due to its twin runways constructed by the United States military.
The runways can handle the largest commercial and military planes ever built.
Gordon, who is in the senatorial ticket of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), said Metro Manila will be decongested once the CIA becomes “another international airport.”
”I am even batting for Clark to be our premiere international airport,” stressed Gordon, citing the countries of South Korea, Hong Kong (under China), United States of America and Thailand which established their main international airports outside of crowded cities and metropolis.
According to the 2010 population report, Metro Manila comprising 16 cities has a population of almost 11 million and is the 11th most populous defined metropolitan areas in the world.
But Gordon said the development of the CIA should include the improvement of Metro Manila and the Subic of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SMBA). Gordon was a former SMBA chairman.
Gordon said the CIA as premier airport would decongest Metro Manila. He added that it will allow properties in Bulacan Pampanga and Zambales to be developed and increased in “land value.”
But Gordon said that zoning should be properly “planned and implemented.”
City of San Fernando vice mayor bet and Councilor Jimmy Lazatin showed support to the project of Gordon as chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
Lazatin is the official standard-bearer of the UNA led by Vice President Jejomar Binay.
