Central Luzon investment hub bill hurdles bicam

A bill creating the Regional Investment and Infrastructure Coordinating Hub (RICH) for Central Luzon has been approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee.

The measure intends to establish RICH, in place of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council, as the body to lead infrastructure development in Central Luzon.

RICH’s mission also includes to “effectively address bottlenecks and decongest Metro Manila, lay the foundation for long-term growth of Central Luzon and increase the productivity of the people.”

The Bicameral Conference Committee, presided over by Senator Richard J. Gordon and North Cotabato 1st district Rep. Jesus N. Sacdalan, adopted and approved on Dec. 10 Senate Bill No. 1997, subject to amendments.

In its last version, the bill proposed that the Central Luzon Investment Corridor Master Plan be developed by the RICH Board of Directors, in coordination with local government units and stakeholders.

CLIC will, among others, incorporate existing plans created for the development of the Subic-Clark and Tarlac area.

The Master Plan will also “include the provision of adequate and affordable housing facilities within the Special Economic or Freeport Zone.”

The measure also proposes to establish a One Stop Shop that will facilitate the registration of enterprises in Central Luzon in coordination with RICH, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Clark Development Corp. and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. (Charmaine A. Tadalan, BusinessWorld)

https://www.bworldonline.com/central-luzon-investment-hub-bill-hurdles-bicam/

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Subic, Clark affirm partnership in regional growth, nat’l development

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) reaffirmed on Wednesday their partnership as global gateways to boost development in the Central Luzon region and to propel national economic growth.

Speaking during the CIAC 2017 Roadshow here, SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma and CIAC President and CEO Alex Cauguiran expressed their continuing commitment to work hand-in-hand towards regional growth and outlined their vision for a more effective partnership.

“President Duterte has always emphasized that he wants to connect Clark and Subic free ports in order to turn Central Luzon into a major logistics hub,” Eisma said in a message read by SBMA Chief Marketing Executive Ronnie Yambao. “And this is how it really should be.”

“As world-class gateways, Clark International Airport and the Port of Subic can and should serve as the twin turbo-engine of growth for Central Luzon, a super duo – if I may call it – that can help alleviate urban blights like vehicular traffic and port congestion in Metro Manila,” Eisma added.

Eisma also pointed out that by coordinating the operations of Clark airport and Subic seaport, CIAC and the SBMA can serve the needs of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMs), as well as large manufacturing industries in the region; spur growth in tourism and the MSMEs and big industries through the efficient movement of people, goods, and services to and from Central Luzon and other parts of the country; and create more employment and livelihood opportunities in the region.

“So as you can probably surmise, our only option is to work effectively, efficiently, and harmoniously together if we are to support and fulfill the President’s agenda for Subic and Clark,” Eisma added.

For his part, Cauguiran emphasized the need for a common development platform between Clark and Subic, as well as the nearby communities, so that they may fulfill their roles in the national development agenda.

“We are promoting not only Clark, but also Subic Bay and the provinces of Bataan and Zambales,” Cauguiran said, adding that this is in line with the vision of President Duterte to decentralize development and disperse growth to different regions in the country.

Cauguiran, who served as member of the Philippine panel that negotiated air service agreement with other countries in the world, said that as early as six years ago, he was already batting to maximize the use of the airports in Clark and Subic because the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila was already overloaded.

“I said that we should open other airports,” Cauguiran recalled saying. “We should make (the Clark and Subic) airports night-rated, give them entitlement, develop their terminal, and develop their runway.”

“And I believe that the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) has entitlement to develop and fully utilize its airport because I always make sure that what will be put in the proposal will include not only Clark but Subic and other airports outside NAIA,” he added.

The Subic Bay Freeport and the Clark Freeport are now considered the prime catalysts of economic progress in Central Luzon and the biggest generators of livelihood opportunities for residents of communities devastated by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 and the subsequent withdrawal of US military forces the following year from the former Subic Naval Base and Clark Airforce Base.

Because of this, Eisma likewise stressed that Subic and Clark “are not competitors, but members of the same national team.”

“As separate entities, we are no doubt expected to accomplish a lot, but together we are also expected to do much, much more,” the SBMA official said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

[1] CIAC President Alex Cauguiran (right) and SBMA Chief Marketing Executive Ronnie Yambao give “thumbs up” signs to show unity between the Subic and Clark free ports in undertaking their joint development roles for the Central Luzon region. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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New SBMA investments reach P111.5 B in Jan-Sept

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has approved P111.5 billion in new investments in the first nine months of the year.

These new investments are expected to create more than 55,000 new jobs.

Read more here: http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/11/11/1642430/new-sbma-investments-reach-p111.5-b-jan-sept

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Lawmakers push Subic modernization

LAWMAKERS are urging the Duterte administration to prioritize the modernization project of the Subic Container Port to decongest Metro Manila and ease the traffic jams in the capital which have caused productivity losses of at least P2.4 million a day.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said Saturday goods and commodities intended for Central and Northern Luzon no longer need to pass through Metro Manila if Subic’s operations are optimized.

“It is indeed a great idea. It is about time we discussed the Subic Port modernization project,” Albano said.

Albano’s statement followed a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency which showed that Subic, given its strategic assets, is equipped to acquire a higher share of the country’s growing container cargo volume.

Subic’s location will also ensure a shorter point of entry for cargoes arriving from or going to Singapore.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone also said prioritizing the Subic port modernization project in the government’s menu of solutions to the traffic woes in Metro Manila will also spur economic growth across Central and North Luzon.

“I fully support such proposal. It will greatly help decongest Manila,” he said.

“Anything that will lessen the movement of people and vehicles in Metro Manila is a welcome development,” Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting himself added.

The Subic Container Port is a significant component of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD) strategy, which includes the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTex), and the Clark International Airport to form a global logistics hub and international gateway for Central Luzon.

However, the port, which can easily absorb northbound cargoes, has remained underutilized.

The Jica study showed there is a capacity shortage of 14 million 20-foot equivalent units or TEUs (the capacity unit of container ships) for the Pacific Region, with Singapore already reaching its limit and Hong Kong remaining severely silted.

Subic Container Port has a capacity of 600,000 TEUs, but by 2012, the volume remained at less than 40,000 TEUs.

Albano stressed that a fully modernized port in Subic means that there is a sufficient volume at Subic Port that is worth marketing to vessel lines.

There is also cost advantage ranging from $100 to $200 per TEU for shippers from Pampanga and Zambales to ship through Subic rather than from the traffic congested Manila ports, he said.

A 2014 Jica study has warned that productivity losses could reach P6 billion a day in 2030 if the traffic mess is not solved.

Lawmakers have cited this as basis for proposals to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic problem in Metro Manila. (Maricel Cruz, Manila Standard)

PHOTO:
Overview of Subic Bay's port facilities- a legacy of the former US Naval Base, with the New Container Terminals 1&2 developed recently by the SBMA through JICA.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/215819/lawmakers-push-subic-modernization.html

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SCADC renews push for Clark, Subic expansion

The Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) is pursuing plans to expand the areas of the neighboring Subic Bay and Clark free ports to attract more investors and help solve the problem of congestion in Metro Manila.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia, who is also chairman of SCADC, said on Monday that council members have agreed to develop new industrial estates within the corridor between Subic and Clark.

“Accordingly, there are about 100,000 hectares of land suitable for development on both sides of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway [SCTEx],” Garcia said in a media briefing here.

“Initially, we’re looking for a 1,000-hectare pilot area. We’d allow Japanese or Korean investors to construct facilities there at their own expense to convince others that it’s beneficial to locate along the Subic-Clark corridor,” he added.

Garcia said that plans for the expansion of the Subic and Clark free ports have been in existence since the administration of former SBMA Chairman Felicito Payumo and former Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Rufo Colayco, but these did not push through.

The integrated development of Subic and Clark, as well as the vast corridor of flat lands between them, had been set as the objective of SCADC, which also seeks to harmonize programs and policies pertaining to Clark and Subic.

SCADC is composed of representatives from the BCDA, SBMA, Clark Development Corp., Department of Trade and Industry, Clark International Airport Corp. and, lately, North Luzon Railways Corp.

Subic, which has a total land area of 67,852 hectares, and Clark, which has 4,500 hectares, had since been developed into separate but complementary economic zones connected by the 94-kilometer SCTEx.

However, Subic, in particular, increasingly suffered from lack of space, as most of its mountainous territory is designated as a nature preserve and only less than 3,000 hectares have been put up for lease to business locators.

Garcia said that with the worsening traffic situation in Manila, as well as the diminishing space for industrial and commercial use in Subic, there is a need to find alternative investment sites to sustain economic growth.

“Foreign investors no longer find Manila attractive because of the traffic congestion,” Garcia pointed out. “But there’s no congestion, no truck ban and no flood in Clark and Subic.”

Garcia said it would be ideal for new investors to locate near Subic and Clark to make use of the distinct advantages the two free ports can offer.

“If investors need to deliver materials fast, there is Clark with its airport; and if they need to bring in heavy machinery, then there is the port of Subic,” he added. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/scadc-renews-push-for-clark-subic-expansion/

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Subic-Clark’s 11% GDP contribution cited

The Subic Bay Freeport and the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga remain to be major contributors to the country’s economic development, as their combined export values last year provided about 11 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In a report to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia, SBMA acting deputy administrator for business group Ronnie Yambao said that the contribution of the two neighboring special economic zones to the Philippine GDP was between 10 and 11 percent.

“Clark's and Subic’s combined export value last year of US$6 Billion is very significant to the gross regional domestic product (GRDP), which contributed 11 percent to our GDP,” said Yambao.

Yambao added that according to a report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Philippine GDP’s growth rate remained at 6.1 percent as of 2014.

Referring to the updated World Economic Outlook, Yambao also said that the IMF sees the Philippines to still become the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia this year after it was able to maintain its 6.1 percent GDP, outpacing Vietnam and Indonesia.

For Subic, Yambao said that among the major growth contributors is the South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation (HHIC), which now has 29,000 direct workers.

“For this year, Hanjin is projecting to complete at least 17 ships worth over US$1.6 billion. This would mean hiring additional workers,” Yambao said.

Meanwhile, Yambao also named five new investment projects that the SBMA Board of Directors has approved this year. These include Harbor Star Subic Corp., which proposed a US$4.5-million investment for marine-related ancillary service operation, such as harbor assist, towage, oil spill, and underwater services.

Another project, Nanofixit Ventures Inc., will open a $5.32-million rebottling and packaging company for water-based liquid screen protector, while Subic Superfood Inc. will infuse $920,000 for a food processing plant that will use local pili nuts from the Bicol Region and Himalayan salt for the manufacture of so-called “super foods.” (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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Manila Ports’ Decongestion Moves Up

The Subic-Clark Alliance Development Council has thrown its support behind a new set of policy proposals aimed at decongesting traffic to and from the Manila ports, saying such policy mix will give a major boost to the underutilized Subic and Batangas ports to where spillover container cargoes would be rerouted.

The proposed policy mix is contained in a study funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and includes, among others, new pricing strategies such as reduced wharfage, berthing fees and vessel-related charges in Batangas and Subic ports; and a six-year delay in capacity-expansion investments at the South Harbor and Manila International Container Terminal (MICP).

“The JICA-funded study validates what we have been saying all along: That we should learn from Laem Chabang experience and that the already congested Manila ports should stop accommodating more shipments and allow the active use of both Subic and Batangas ports,” Felicito Payumo, SCAD Council chairman, said as he recalled the Bangkok port experience that led to the rise of nearby port of Laem Chabang.

Manila is equidistant at 110 kilometers from both Subic up north and Batangas down south, nearly the same distance between Laem Chabang and Bangkok.

“By way of comparison, the Laem Chabang port in Thailand was built to decongest the Bangkok river port – the same reason we built Subic port to decongest Manila. Both Bangkok and Manila ports were doing two million TEUs (20-footer equivalent units) then. Now, Laem Chabang with six berths is doing three million TEUs while Bangkok is limited to just one million TEUs,” said Payumo, a former chairman and administrator of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which owns two container terminals in Subic freeport, and now board chairman of Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

“The policy mix that JICA study is endorsing to decongest port and road traffic in Metro Manila augurs well for both Subic and Batangas ports, the capacities of which are presently underutilized,” Payumo said. “If adopted and carried out, this policy mix can stimulate the development of Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon regions.”

The JICA-funded study, which was conducted by Transport and Traffic Planners Inc., said port usage in Subic in 2011 was 5.6 percent of its actual capacity and port utilization in Batangas, 4.2 percent. The Manila ports, it added, handled 98.2 percent of total volume of container traffic passing through these three major ports (Subic, Manila and Batangas).

Payumo noted that although both Subic and Batangas ports had begun adjusting their pricing strategies, there were still adjustments to be done, like changes in vessel-related charges.

“There is also a need for shipment consolidators as there are enough export volumes in the Subic hinterlands which still pass through the Manila ports. This is the only way to break the ‘chicken or egg’ situation for the Subic port, where few ship calls are attributed to lack of volume shipments, and where the lack of volume shipments is blamed on few ship calls,” he said.

JICA earlier estimated that the provinces of Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan, Bulacan and Pangasinan generated a combined cargo volume of 1,572 TEUs per week, which would total to 786,000 TEUs a year, a volume that exceeded the combined capacities of two container ports in Subic. (Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat, Manila Bulletin)

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SCAD to harmonize policies with Subic, Clark freeports

The Subic- Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD) is set to speed up harmonization of policies and regulations between the Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) and Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ).

SCAD chairman Nestor S. Mangio said this came on the heels of a recent meeting of the Central Luzon Regional Development Council (RDC-III), where a draft of the Central Luzon Medium Term Regional Development Plan 2011-2016 (MTRDP) was presented.

The plan, he said, underscored, among others, the need for integrated land, air and sea transport modes. SCAD has been a member of RDC-III since 2006.

In a statement, Mangio said the need for a transport mode interconnecting the two freeport zones was one of the strategies identified and included in the MTRDP draft, to ensure sustainable growth that would effectively reduce poverty in Central Luzon.

“In the past we have coordinated the completion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, SCTex Pampanga Interchanges and Access Roads, New Container Terminals in the Port of Subic Bay, and the Passenger Terminal of Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark.

“These infrastructures have been serving the locators and the general public. This year, we will be coordinating more with growth partners and the private sector with regard to policy structures to find ways to further harmonize policies and regulations between the two freeports to attract more investments,” Mangio said.

Under the draft, SCAD is in charge of developing a “Global Gateway Program” aimed at strengthening the linkages between Subic, Clark and Tarlac’s industrial estate.

SCADC is a government office mandated to rationalize resources and harmonize policies and strategies that shall ensure an integrated and coordinated approach to the development of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Corridor as a world-class mega logistics hub and global gateway to the Asia-Pacific Region.

It is composed of the Department of Trade and Industry, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Clark Development Corporation, North Luzon Railways Corporation, and Clark International Airport Corporation.

Covering five kilometers on each side of SCTEx, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Corridor is a vast expanse of 98,000 hectares straddling between and across 10 municipalities of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac, and the cities of Olongapo, Angeles, and Tarlac. (U.S. News Agency / Asian)

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Free ports to adopt e-cargo transfer system

The three adjoining free ports of Subic, Clark and Bataan will start utilizing high technology this month to ensure the fast, safe and secure transfer of cargo to their registered business locators as well as to thwart smuggling and diversion of imported goods.

According to the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD), officials from the three free ports of Central Luzon recently met with SCAD and Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials “to tie loose ends” before the Sept. 16 implementation of the Enhanced Automated Cargo Transfer System (e-Acts), which is touted to improve the country’s import shipments system.

The free ports summit was attended by officials of the SCAD and the BOC, and representatives of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (Afab).

“All concerned agencies vowed to exert greater efforts in responding to the call of President Benigno S. Aquino for a better business environment and a more favorable investment climate in the Philippines that will lead to a better way of life for Filipinos,” the SCAD said in a statement.

The e-Acts was designed to provide for a more efficient movement of imports from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port Terminal to the various export producers located in Subic, Clark and Bataan free ports.

The new system reportedly stands out compared to previous systems because it utilizes modern technology to provide a faster, more economical and simpler process of documenting and processing of clearances, as well as the transfer and admission of foreign merchandise from ports of discharge.

And because e-Acts substitutes electronic or Internet protocols for face-to-face transactions, it is expected to help stamp out corruption in import transactions and to cut overhead costs among free-port locators by allowing the immediate delivery and use of transit goods.

With its built-in antismuggling or antidiversion feature, e-Acts will serve as a showcase of the BOC’s “intention and commitment to put a stop to the abuse of the importation privilege of some unscrupulous free-port zone export producers,” said Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez.

Speaking for the free ports, Afab chairman and administrator Deogracias Custodio said the implementation of the e-Acts “will be a reflection of the constant efforts of the Philippine free ports to improve the level of services that they offer to their locators in order to become the free ports of choice in the world.”

SCAD chairman Nestor Mangio expressed optimism that the new system would create a better business environment in Clark and Subic that would, in turn, result in more investments and more jobs for local residents.

“Needed revenues to fuel the local economy will increase. Entrepreneurship potentials for local suppliers will be developed. Even local tourism will be favorably affected,” Mangio added.

The implementation of the e-Acts will be the latest in a series of cooperation programs between the BOC and the free ports in Central Luzon to curb smuggling and plug revenue leaks from goods imported into the free ports and later sold outside the special economic zones.

On July 15 the SBMA and the BOC began using the electronic Gatepass Management System (GMS) for shipments brought into the Subic Bay Free Port to ensure that only “legal goods” would exit the gates here.

Like the e-Acts system, the GMS was designed to make it even harder for smugglers to use the port of Subic, as well as to reduce the time and cost of doing business in this free port. (Henry Empeño, Business Mirror)

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Subic, Clark best projects of Arroyo govt.

LAWMAKERS have complemented the top projects of the Arroyo administration, which include the development of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zones.

According to Rep. Danilo Suarez of Quezon, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight, said the two freeport zones were able to attract foreign investors and generate employment ever since their conversion from military bases to bustling investment destinations.

The Quezon legislator stressed that Subic and Clark ecozones’ development was given impetus when it was identified as one of the agenda that shall be addressed by the Arroyo administration.

To facilitate this goal, the President created in 2006 through Executive Order 504 the Subic-Clark Alliance Development Council, a coordinative body to oversee the development of Subic and Clark. It has focused on establishing a single, contiguous and economic growth corridor providing world-class logistics infrastructure and services such as the multi-modal transport hub, favorable environment of investors and additional land for future expansion.

According to the plan, Subic and Clark will be developed as a world-class mega logistics hub that will provide a seamless delivery of goods, services, people and information to and from the production, manufacturing and trading centers of the country.

The hub will not only be a gateway for locators within the Subic and Clark, but will ultimately become the country’s main gateway to the world.

At its inception, the Subic-Clark development council concentrated primarily on the harmonization and improvement of the policies and programs governing the Subic and Clark Special Economic and Freeport Zones, following the rationale that ease of doing business will be a major factor in attracting the major players of the Asia Pacific Supply Chain to choose the two zones as their primary points of destination.

As of May 2009, the total investments in Subic reached $6.053 billion, more than double the $2.561 billion registered in 2004.

The Port of Subic Bay has two new container terminals with a combined capacity of 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent units annually.

In the meantime, Clark has successfully attracted investments worth P79.8 billion from P31.78 billion in 2004. In 2008, total exports were valued at $950 million, 7.51 percent higher than in 2007.

The report further stated that as of the first quarter of 2008, 48 new contracts were signed, with investment commitment valued at P1.43 billion. (Jomar Canlas, Manila Times)

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SCADC consults building, zonal officers on SCTEX billboards

A business with no sign is a sign of no business.

For the development stakeholders of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), there is no better sign that they mean serious business than the panoramic view of the mountains, rivers and the countryside that they are seeking to preserve.

In keeping with its mandate to oversee and direct policy development, the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) met with building and zoning officials of all the local government units along the expressway corridor for a consultation on the drafting of Additional Rules and Regulations (ARR) on Signs and Signboard Structures.

As presented by Director Teresito Tiotuyco of the SCADC Directorate for Utilities and Infrastructure, the proposed additional rules and regulations are further amplifications of Rule XX of Presidential Decree 1096, also known as the National Building Code of the Philippines, and Section 5 of Administrative Order No. 160. Specific provisions have been inserted to address the particular need to preserve the SCTEX panorama along the “view corridor,” that Clark-to-Subic segment that has been identified as most scenic by stakeholders.

The objective of the addenda is to keep the most scenic views of the expressway free from any advertising structure or signage, such as those currently found along the major highways of the country, more notably, EDSA. This would afford people the opportunity to behold nature’s beauty and rustic landscapes while travelling in comfort and safety. At the same time, it will be synchronized with the long term goal of transforming the corridor into a mega logistics hub that is competitively at par with the best in the Asia Pacific region.

However, locations will be identified where service providers can put up signs and structures according to specifications detailed in the ARR. Engr. Tiotuyco observed that in certain places, billboards may even help add to landscape aesthetics, and provide illumination as well for night drivers.

Aesthetics is not the only subject considered in the ARR. Mr. Audey Orleans of the Ads Standards Council gave an overview of their vetting process in approving advertising content. He said that community standards, discretion, truthfulness of claims and even size are taken into account for every advertisement submitted to them. He noted that giant billboards are of particular concern, because their size tends to amplify dimensions of images.

Commenting on the proposed additions, Director Emmanuel Cuntapay of the National Building Code Development Office stated that the SCADC initiative has moved the Department of Public Works and Highways to fast-track its move to formulate its Implementing Rules and Regulations covering billboards and signs along expressways and other similar thoroughfares. He also enjoined the officials to be always on the watch for violations of existing laws and regulations.

For its pro-active resolution totally prohibiting any construction or posting of advertising structure, the Sangguniang Bayan of Floridablanca was praised by resource speakers and attendees. Floridablanca lies within the “view corridor,” and boasts of the picturesque Palacol River.

SCADC is planning more future consultations as more issues are raised and consensus is built. According to Arch. Armando Alli, land utilization consultant, “this is an opportunity to plan the future with foresight. Having learned from our own sad experiences, and from the benchmarks set by other countries, we hope that the SCAD Corridor shall become a showcase of the Filipino’s capability to be the best.” (SCADC)

Photo Caption : Director Emmanuel Cuntapay of the National Building Code Development Office stresses a point during the SCADC Consultation Meeting on Signs and Signboard Structures held at the Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga last August 12, 2009.

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SCADC completes consultations for Subic-Clark corridor land use plan

The Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) has concluded its three-part consultative meetings with local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders with a forum held at the SBDMC Conference Hall in this free port recently.

SCADC chairman Edgardo Pamintuan, who led participants in discussing various concerns on the Subic-Clark growth corridor, said the consultations were aimed at updating stakeholders on the ongoing developments at the SCAD corridor, particularly on how LGU development plans were incorporated into the SCAD Corridor Conceptual Land Use Plan (SCoLUP).

In particular, SCADC officials and planners discussed various concerns in the development plan for the corridor, including environmental and ecological issues, waste management, the accessibility of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), as well as flood control and drainage systems.

Pamintuan, who is also the development champion for the Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region, said several development projects already in the pipeline are expected to have the greatest impact on the SCAD corridor.

These include the Tarlac-Zambales Tollway, Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Pampanga Circumferential Tollway, Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Pampanga-Bulacan Radial Road, and, possibly, the Zambales-Pampanga-Bulacan Coastal Viaduct, said Pamintuan.

He added that the final version of the conceptual land use plan for the 98,020-hectare SCAD corridor will be presented during the LGU Summit in July, which will also serve as the culminating activity for the series of stakeholder consultations.

In his speech during the Subic consultation, Pamintuan emphasized that President Arroyo’s multibillion-peso infrastructure development program has helped save the day for the Philippine economy by creating millions of jobs and opening more areas for investments.

As a result, “while the world economy is suffering from the impact of the global economic crisis — with the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore registering negative growth outlook, the Philippines still registered a 1 percent growth in the first quarter of this year,” Pamintuan added.

The SCADC executive also said that his agency’s concern has lately expanded from infrastructure projects to “programs that would result in more efficient production, multi-modal product delivery system, industrial and agricultural projects, and better tourism facilities.”

The SCADC is also concerned with education and manpower training, human development centers, human settlements and retirement villages, and green corridors, Pamintuan said.

“One of the features of the SCAD corridor framework is the production-oriented logistics corridor with three equidistant hubs,” Pamintuan explained, referring to Subic, with its sea ports as the sea hub; Clark, with the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport as the air hub; and Tarlac, with its vast agricultural and industrial areas as the land hub.

“Connecting these three hubs is the 94-kilometer SCTEx that would serve as the backbone in the transformation of the area into the SCAD Mega-Logistics Hub,” he said.

“This is where the role of the provinces of Bataan and Zambales come into play, as they are the LGUs which will greatly benefit from the developments within the corridor,” Pamintuan added.

SCADC held the first stakeholders forum in Clark on May 15, and followed it up with the Tarlac consultation on May 22. The Subic forum, which was the last leg in the series of meetings with stakeholders, will be followed by the LGU Summit next month. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: Sec. Edgardo Pamintuan explains the benefits of high-impact infrastructure development projects for the SCAD Growth Corridor during a stakeholders meeting in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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