CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “Clark is a prime candidate simply because it is ready.”
Thus said business tycoon Manuel “Manny” Pangilinan as he pushed for an international airport at Clark “with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila reaching its saturation level in about three years.”
This as he expressed “interest” in developing the Clark International Airport, referring to it as “the mother of all investments” in his keynote speech as the guest of honor and speaker at the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards (MOKA) here Sunday night.
“It’s clear that an alternative international aviation gateway is needed sooner rather than later,” said Pangilinan, chairman of Smarts Communications Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
Pangilinan, however, stressed that “of course, the relevant improvements in facilities and avionics as well as expansion of terminal buildings are required.”
“As well as an express train to transport goods and people between Clark and Manila quickly,” said Pangilinan.
The express train, he added, can make use of the North Luzon Expressway median which he also owns, thereby eradicating social engineering and right-of-way costs.
In an SMS text message on Tuesday, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano said the Clark airport will achieve double-digit growth in 2011 compared to 2010 in terms of number of passengers with 750,000 passengers compared to 600,000 last year.
“We are on target to exceed one million passengers in 2012. In October of this year, we grew by 40 percent compared to October of 2010,” he added.
OTHER AREAS
In his some 15-minute speech, Pangilinan said Clark “as a great opportunity to be the center for call centers and business process outsourcing (BPO) services.”
He added that “as well as the hub for information technology for Central Luzon – much like Chenai and Bangalore in India, and Silicon Valley in California.”
He cited four other areas where he can help aside from helping develop the airport built by the United States government for its military. These are education, power water and hospitals.
Pangilinan disclosed that they are planning a public-private partnership for the development of the Pampanga River as a bulk water source. His plan was also designed to help minimize flooding in the province.
Pangilinan likewise announced his desire to establish a tertiary hospital in the province, “to upgrade medical services to the Kapampangan.”
