MABALACAT -- Mayor Marino "Boking" Morales asked Kuwait Gulf and Links (KGL) officials to prioritize the hiring of Mabalacat residents once 167-hectare Global Gateway Logistics City becomes operational.

Morales recently met Dennis Wright, president of Peregrine Development International, at the logistics complex designed to provide a world-class logistics and services hub in the Asia Pacific region.

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Wright said the project is expected to generate 70,000 jobs for Filipinos.

"We are taking advantage of this great employment opportunity. I asked GGLC officials to prioritize the hiring of Mabalaquenos," said Morales.

This town has a pool of English-speaking and highly talented workforce that can fill up jobs at the GGLC, according to Morales.

The development of a logistics and services hub in Clark is being supported by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who graced the groundbreaking for the $1.025 billion Global Gateway Logistics City at the 2,500-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex.

The logistics project will complement the National Government's plan to develop a logistics and services hub in the Subic-Clark Corridor and the development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

The first stage, which includes roads, lights, fence, landscape, sidewalks, utilities, and access points, cost $25 million.

The second stage, on the other hand, will cost about $1 billion for the construction of facilities and buildings.

The KGL project is an aviation-related business, which includes warehousing, distribution, multi-nodal logistics, light manufacturing and others to support activities within the Clark airport.

KGL will occupy at least 167 hectares of land within the civil aviation complex at the Industrial Estate Five near the Yokohama Tire Philippines and other Japanese firms in the area.

KGL operates in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Tunisia, Oman, Namibia, Morroco, Pakistan, Germany, Ireland, Cayman, Mauritius and Egypt.