Urban development. Mayor Pamintuan presents his vision of a new Angeles City before members of the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) at Bale Balita, Clark Freeport Zone. Photo coutesy of Angeles CIO
CLARK FREEPORT – “Angeles City is undergoing a major make-over to claim a rightful place among the emerging modern urban areas in the country.”
Thus, said Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan in last Friday’s weekly Balitaan forum of the Capampangan in Media Inc. (CAMI) at the Bale Balita here.
Pamintuan said if plans do not miscarry, the city’s transformation in terms of wider, accessible roads and bridges, better pedestrian and vehicle traffic management and relocation of informal settlers to safe permanent sites could be wrapped up in the next three years or by 2016.
He said the roads and bridges upgrading projects alone is backed by a P100-million fund from the P5-billion infrastructure program approved by the Regional Development Council (RDC).
The mayor said the program aims to upgrade the major infrastructures (roads and bridges) in the towns and cities around the Clark Freeport managed by the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) which is a reflection of the consensus among Pampanga’s leaders to push the development of the former US military base into a full commercial and industrial hub.
As part of the city’s road-upgrading program, Pamintuan said the widening of the Pandan-Magalang Road, which was deferred due to right-of-way problems, will soon begin. He also said work for the widening of the Clark Circumferential Road is set to begin.
The mayor said he has requested the Public Works and Highways Department to hasten the on-going road widening and drainage canal construction along the MacArthur Highway in the city.
Pamintuan, who is on his second term, expressed optimism that the “city of angels” could eventually evolve into a major tourist destination that highlights its culinary tradition with a modern infrastructure system and amenities at par with those found in other highly urbanized cities like Makati in Metro Manila and even Puerto Princesa in Palawan among others.
Angeles City now operates the City College of Angeles (CCA) accommodating 1,300 students who pay P7,000 in tuition or lower than what is charged by private institutions, the mayor said. He added that about 300 students are full scholars of the city government.
Pamintuan also said he just initiated a drive to raise funds for the personal needs of impoverished but deserving students.
Pamintuan said he recently signed a deal with the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) which binds the latter to provide jobs to graduates of the CCA.
Other than realizing his dream of establishing the CCA, Pamintuan said another project that he is proud of is the construction of a 30-bed modern tertiary hospital that will soon house a cancer and trauma center, and a coronary care unit.
“This will complement the operations of the existing hospital and a city-operated dialysis clinic that houses 19 dialysis machines,” he said.
In the meantime, Pamintuan said the city is implementing a strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations to curb traffic gridlocks in the city and instil discipline among motorists.
He said regulations on wastes disposal, as well as the permanent relocation of informal settlers to safer permanent areas have already began.
