CLARK FREEPORT – Pampanga’s Best was given the naming rights to the North Luzon Expressway’s (NLEx) San Fernando interchange for an undisclosed amount during a simple ceremony here on Monday.
The deal was signed by Metro Pacifi c Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and NLEx Corp., president-CEO Rodrigo E. Franco and Pampanga’s Best, Inc. president Angelo D. Hizon, Jr. at the Widus Hotel and Casino in this freeport.
With the signing of the agreement, the junction will now be known as the “San Fernando Pampanga’s Best Interchange.”
The signing also signals the start of the 10- year partnership between NLEX Corp., previously known as Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC), and Pampanga’s Best aimed at creating a strong and positive impact on stakeholders.
The Pampanga’s Best brand will now be added to the interchange structures as well as to the 19 directional signs along the NLEx bearing the name San Fernando.
During his speech, Franco said San Fernando Pampanga’s Best interchange will be “the best interchange of NLEx and the Subic- Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx)” as improvement and widening programs have been undertaken to enhance the road junction.
“We have taken notice of the congestion in San Fernando interchange especially during rush hour. The project has already started and we have allocated a significant sum of money to improve the interchange, widen the bridge and beautify the look of the interchange,” he said.
“There will be signalized intersections in the two ends of the interchange and the landscaping will be further improved,” he added.
“It is only fitting that name that this interchange will carry the best product of Pampanga from one of the best companies Pampanga has produced and that is Pampanga’s Best,” said Franco as he paid tribute to the meat processing company.
“More than just the names and the signages that you will see in this interchange, this partnership cements the legacy of some 50 years from Pampanga’s Best and continue to leave a good legacy in the next 50 years and beyond,” Franco said.
“This partnership will signify that Pampanga’s Best and NLEx are here to stay and will continue to be world class companies,” he assured adding that “the Pampanga’s Best interchange will also be a shining example of two well-run companies working together and generating success for their individual stakeholders.”
“But more than the names, more than the signages, it’s the companies behind the names that matter and that these companies are good, the best companies and the companies that we can truly be proud of,” he remarked.
Renato Ticson, president of NLEX Ventures Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of NLEX Corp., said “Pampanga’s Best Inc. is the first food company to partner with NLEX. Being a catalyst of growth in Pampanga, it suits well for the naming rights to its home city, San Fernando.”
Those who witnessed the signing are Maria Theresa Wells, chief finance officer of NLEX Corp., Romulo S. Quimbo, SVP for corporate communications, and Pampanga’s Best sales and marketing director and City of San Fernando councilor Angelica Hizon and Carlo Hizon.
NLEx Corp. AVP for media and public relations Kit Ventura organized the event.
