Atin Ku Pung Singsing
Et me read you my Affidavit of welcome.
AFFI DAVI T
LI, ATLEE T. VIRAY, of legal age, married and a resident of City of San Fernando, Pampanga, after having been duly sworn to in accordance with las, depose and state:
l. That I represent the people of San Fernando, Pampanga in rejoicing over the construction of the new Paskuhan Vill age;
2. That the whole area of the Paskuhan Village was donated by the family of our vice mayor, Jimmy Lazatin, whose father Jess Lazatin was known for philanthropy and patriotism;
3. That because of the Paskuhan Village, San Fernando was known and became the Christmas Capital of the Phi l i ppi nes;
4. That the national government thru Tieza sold the entire property to Premier Central, a subsidiary of the SM Group of Companies;
5. That in the exercise of the right of first refusal, the City of San Fernando filed Civil Case No. 14636 for Annulment of the Contract of Sale with the joint initiative of the Solicitor General;
6. That on January 20, 202, the parties thru the endorsementof the Solicitor General came outwith anacceptable compr omi se:
a. That the SM Group would separate and donate 5,000 square meters of the Paskuhan property to San Fernando;
b. That the SM Group is to construct free of charge, a two storey building which we are about to ground break with a floor area of 500 square meters.
7. That we are here today to witness the historic reconstruction and rebuilding of this iconic heritage;
8. That long after the administration of Mayor Edsa Santiago, he would be remembered as the father of the new Paskuhan Village;
9. I want you to revisit - the words vernacular song, Atin ku pung Singsing;
“Atin ku pung singsing
Metung yang timpukan
Mewala ya iti,
Ekukamalayan
Translated –
“I have a ring
It’s one of a kind
It was lost
Without my knowledge.
10. That ring is our culture. The ring is the home of our lanterns. The ring has been found; The ring found in the Paskuhan Village.
11. That I am proud to welcome you to this historic occasion for the reconstruction of our culture, the reconstruction of the Paskuhan Village.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of February, 2021 at City of San Fernando, Pampanga. ATTY. ATLEE T. VIRAY
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to in accordance with law.
SGD. ATTY. CORNELIO TALLADA
Notary Public
*Welcome remarks delivered by the columnist on February 4, 2021 on the occasion of the ground breaking of the New Paskuhan Village of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
SET
of the Pampanga
your hooks on how data sets from two research bodies correspond. Singapore, which places third in Transparency International’s (TI) 2020 Corruption Perception Index, places 13th in Lowy Institute’s pandemic response ranking. Malaysia, on the other hand, ranks 16th on Lowy’s record and is at the 57th spot in the corruption perception index.
“Covid-19 is not
just a
This is in response to the column article of Ric Sapnu in Sunstar Pampanga with headline “Korean nationals invaded Pampanga?” which was published last February 1, 2021.
Clark Development Corporation (CDC) would like to clarify that the Clark Freeport Zone will always be a destination that reflects Filipino ingenuity and culture. Complemented by its rich history and potentials, it is a preferred investment hub ready to host investors and their businesses who would like to be a part of economic upturn and shape their future in the Philippines.
This also includes investments by foreign companies. Under “Foreign Investments Act of 1991” (FIA), all investments and business enterprises that have located and are operating operations in Clark are allowed.
A home to various businesses led and established by individuals of different colors and races, Clark does not only cater to Korean-owned companies.
Numerous investments of diverse nationalities are currently present in the Freeport. However, out of its 1,226 total number of locators, 67-percent or 827 firms of this are still owned and led by Filipino nationals. Meanwhile, there are 108 Korean establishments present in Clark which only constitute to about 8% of the entire locators’statistics in the Freeport. This proves that investments from native stakeholders are still predominant in Clark.
Locally-owned business enterprises in the Freeport include; 365 firms involved in Commercial business, 221 establishments under Servicerelated activities, 54 Industrial companies, 34 establishments under ICT industry, 30 Logistics agencies, 29 Tourism-related ventures, 28 Aviation-related enterprises, and 20 under Utility services and 2 on Agro Industrial business.
Other industries in the Freeport are run and managed by individuals from USA (49 firms), Australia (46 firms), Japan (42 firms), China (20 firms), Hongkong (20 firms), Canada (6 firms), British Virgin Islands (13 firms) and shareholders from other Asian (43 firms) and European (43 firms) countries. In turn, these ventures have all significantly contributed to our country’s socio-economic development, and provided jobs and opportunities for many Filipinos.
Under the FIA, anyone, regardless of nationality is allowed and welcome to do business and invest in the Philippines, in almost all areas of economic activities. As stipulated in this act, foreign investors are allowed up to 100% ownership in both export and domestic market enterprises so long as their products and services, is not prohibited or listed in the “Foreign Investment Negative List” (FINL). FINL as defined in Section 3 of the said law is “a list of areas of economic activity whose foreign ownership is limited to a maximum of forty percent of the equity capital of the enterprises engaged therein.”
With these, we ensure the public that the establishment of business enterprises and their operations in Clark, whether by local or foreign investors, are in accordance with the law. Rest assured that Clark Freeport Zone will remain a source of pride for every Filipino for it is a place where people of diverse cultures can dream, develop, grow and live harmoniously.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
NOEL G. TULABUT
Manager
CDC Communications Division