The Clark metropolitan area in Pampanga is fast becoming the next major metropolitan area in Luzon, with recent developments clearly showing it is set for rapid development in the next few years.
For one, the development of the Clark National Mega Food Hub project is being pushed, with the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) partnering with the University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation (UPPAF) for technical assistance to develop the facility inside the civil aviation complex.
Also, Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) has plans to invest P8 billion to expand its operations in Clark, a move that will compliment the company’s existing 23-hectare technical base and hangar at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City.
On the mega food hub project, CIAC President Arrey Perez said the facility is anchored on the Marcos administration’s priority investment and economic policies under food and agriculture sector. CIAC and UPPAF have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the matter.
“The MOU is our initial move in answer to [Malacañang’s Investment and Economic Affairs] Secretary [Frederick] Go’s advice to President Marcos, to boost agriculture production, increase post-harvest facilities, improve the food logistical chain which the mega food hub in Clark will soon provide,” he said.
UPPAF is a beneficiary of a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for its Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND) Project, a policy regulatory reform program in the Philippines to support the promotion of regional development.
On the plan of LTP to invest in Clark, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said this investment pledge from LTP is on top of the $4 billion commitments presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a business forum in Berlin.
“This facility in Clark will complement LTP’s existing 23-hectare technical base and hangar at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, built in the 1980s,” the DTI said.
At the launching of LTP Hangar 1A at the MacroAsia Special Economic Zone in Villamor Airbase, Pasay City in August 2022, LTP vice-president for marketing and sales Rainer Janke said the company has reached the maximum capacity of its Metro Manila facility and needs to search for new locations for expansion.
Janke then mentioned that the Clark Special Economic Zone is “very attractive” for LTP’s next investment.
Moreover, the DTI mentioned that LTP will be leasing 2 hectares of land in Clark for the new hangar that can accommodate at least two Airbus A380 aircraft.
The construction of its second hangar will span for two years, the DTI said, and is expected to employ an additional 400 workers.
NEW ROAD DEVELOPMENT
The government is optimistic on the development of Clark as a major investment and tourism destination, especially now that the New Clark City Access Road (ANAR) is being completed.
Marcos has also directed the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to ensure the completion of the remaining works for the 20-kilometer ANAR.
The 20-kilometer ANAR, with a total cost of P8.42 billion, serves as a dedicated access road to enhance connectivity across Luzon, revolutionizing travel and trade between Central and Northern Luzon, Metro Manila, and Clark International Airport. The project includes a 900-meter bridge over the Sacobia River in Bamban, Tarlac.
It aims to ease traffic congestion and spur economic growth by improving travel efficiency across Luzon, connecting major urban centers and transportation hubs, ultimately reducing travel time from New Clark City to Clark from one hour to 20 minutes, and fostering progress in surrounding areas.
ANAR is also aimed at enlarging Clark’s profile in the global investment map.
