Establishment of 3 transfer stations eyed in Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – As the province generates 1,034.15 metric tons or 76 truckloads of waste per day, Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda and Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) Chief Executive Officer Rufo Colayco are eyeing

million per year once completed and operational. Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President Vince Dizon said the new passenger terminal is the first of the five development phases which can accommodate 80 million passengers upon its total completion.

“That will be at par with the biggest and most modern airports not only in the region but the world. This has been the vision for Clark and this has been the potential of Clark which is now being realized under the Build Build Build program of President Duterte,” Dizon said.

The BCDA chief said it took the government decades to implement this big ticket project which is expected to spur economic development in Pampanga and Central Luzon.

“We are very proud and very happy that we are now seeing this becoming a reality,” Dizon said.

The official also presented the unique architectural design of the terminal which wooden materials were transported from Austria by Megawide.

“This would actually be the highest airport structure in the country today. If I am not mistaken this is 22 meters in height, this is higher than Mactan (airport) which is only 16 meters,” Dizon said.

The new passenger terminal provides a beautiful view of the surrounding areas including the Sacobia mountain ranges to the West and the pride of Pampanga and Tarlac which is Mount Arayat to the East, according to the BCDA head.

“So whether you eastward or westward, you have the beautiful views of the mountains which was actually the inspiration of Architect Royal Pineda when he designed this soon-to-be beautiful airport which will open next year,” Dizon added.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Clark airport new terminal building is the first of the Duterte Administration’s hybrid infrastructure project under the Build Build Build program.

“This is also the fastest [project] to be implemented by the national government and incidentally by the private sector setting the template for all other projects of our strategic infrastructure program,” Dominguez said.

The project is more than 50 percent finished and it will be inaugurated in the middle of 2020, according to the Finance secretary.

The Duterte Administration is committed to complete the project as soon as posible in order for the people to benefit, according to Dominguez.

“When projects are delayed, the ones who suffer are the people. So it should be PPPP, private-public partnerships for the people,” Dominguez said.

“We expect this new city to become the next investment Asia,” he added.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade for his part stated that the first warehouse was established during his term as head of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) more than four years ago.

“During that time, no one was flying over Clark except from UPS and the bats and the birds at night,” Tugade said.

He lauded President Duterte for the realization of the project which will benefit the people of Pampanga and Central Luzon.

Tugade also bared plans to build a second and third runway which are included in the original plan prepared by the Aeroport de Paris.

Clark airport is expected to draw millions of passengers in the coming years and the existing terminal will reach its capacity of 2 million per year, according to him.

“Let us not plan for today but for tomorrow,” he said. Other officials and businessmen who graced yesterday’s event include senators Joel Villanueva and JV Ejercito, Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (PamCham) Chairman Levy Laus, Megawide Construction Corporation President Edgar Saavedra, Filinvest Development Corporation President Josephine Gotianun

Yap, Lipad Consortium President Bi Yong Chungunco, UDENA President Dennis Uy, Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines Gerard Ho, Clark Development Corporation President Noel F. Manankil and others.