CLARK FREEPORT – “I would like to suggest to the provincial government that we should have more pocket industrial parks or industrial estates in the province.”
Thus, said Rene Romero, president of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (PamCham), during the Balitaan media forum organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp. at the Bale Balita here last Friday.
Romero said another industrial park in the Macabebe- Masantol area that can focus on marine/ aqua culture should be considered by the provincial government.
“This has been my advocacy but it was cut short when I was replaced by Jim Jimenez as president of the chamber,” he said.
“At present we have three – the Angeles Industrial Park in Calibutbut, Bacolor where light industries are located; the area where the TIPCO is located in Mabalacat City; and along Quezon Road in San Simon where heavy industries are located,” he pointed out.
However, in the San Simon Romero noted a problem in waste disposal and some violations of the National Building Code and almost all the locators there are Chinese. “But it’s good that the industrial site there is up for review especially now that there is a new mayor there JP Punzalan.”
Romero said the provincial government should also consider putting up industrial sites in Apalit and Candaba towns and another in the province’s third district in Arayat.
Romero explained that the ideal concept would be for a worker to just take the bike to work or even walk to the job site which should be only about 15 minutes away. “So, the worker will not contribute to the traffic congestion and will not shell out fare money anymore,” he said.
“Like in Macabebe, we already have some property in mind. But the government should be the one to initiate and consolidate the lot owners so that it can create more or less 200 hectares for the industrial site,” he said.
“The provincial government should make the access roads to these sites,” he added.
According to Romero, he had initially talked to provincial board member Atty. Jun Canlas who told him the idea is “very, very possible since the provincial government has the money.”
He said industrial parks should be interconnected via two or four lane circumferential roads so that they will be connected through easy access with each other. If these happen, industrial parks can relate with each other.
