CLARK FREEPORT – Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President-CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova announced yesterday the plan to move out seven units othe Philippine Air Force (PAF) from this freeport, mid the slated turnover of an initial eight hectares to take in more investments.
In an interview during the inauguration of the P12.8-million rotunda at the Bayanihan Park towards this freeport’s main gate, Casanova said the initial eight hectares would be turned over to the state-owned Clark Development Corp. which is BCDA’s implementing arm here.
Casanova said this development was auspicious amid plans of the Nanox firm to expand. “Nanox needs space for expansion which could be accommodated in the eight hectares. Otherwise, the Nanox had planned to move elsewhere,” he added.
Nanox is a Japanese firm which has been Clark’s biggest exporter of semi-conductor products. Seven units of the PAF are based in some 300 hectares of lands within this freeport under an agreement between the Department of National Defense (DND) and the BCDA which owns lands formerly occupied by US military bases here and at Subic.
Casanova said that the BCDA is in continuing negotiations with the DND to fully carry out the transfer of the PAF units here to other areas. In view of the plans to transfer the PAF, aircraft bought by the PAF from South Korea would be flown and based in Subic, instead of Clark, he added.
The government has bought FA-50 light attack fighter jets based on the T-50 trainer jet. It can handle air-to-air and air-to- ground operations as well as taking on gunboats.
The purchase would reportedly cost $650 million. Amid shortage of lands to lease to new investors here, Casanova expressed confidence that more lands would be open to investors in its Green City project within the Sacobia lands BCDA also owns north of this freeport in Tarlac.
“The Department of Public Works and Highways has been doing access roads to the site costing about P300 million and we plan to go even more full blast in the needed infrastructure within this year,” Casanova said.
He compared the project to its Global City project in Taguig, but noted the project here would be even more environment friendly.
