Wednesday, June 27, 2007 PamCham backs Cebu Pacific plan to establish hub in Clark By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PamCham) has aired support Tuesday to the plan of Cebu Pacific Air to put up a hub in the Clark Freeport.
PamCham president Rene G. Romero told reporters that the plan of the Gokongwei-led airline to make Clark its home jibes with the vision of making the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) a premier international airport.
Cebu Pacific Airs executives earlier said their planned hub inside Clark is to take advantage of growing capacity and the presence of aviation-related businesses in the area.
Romero said Clark, which boasts of its vast open area suitable for world-class airports that could accommodate even the biggest aircraft, is really designed for aviation.
Clark is designed mainly for aviation and not for industries, Romero said.
In a few years time the Cebu Pacific hub may be operational, as the company already flies Airbus jets to and from Clark.
Though earlier reluctant to assign a hub in Clark, the Cebu Pacific management, with its most recent pronouncement boosted the potential of DMIA as the preferred international gateway in the region.
Romero said the business sector in the province is excited of this development as they are looking to a more energetic commerce and tourism in Central Luzon due to the increase in activities in DMIA.
Romero also underscored the need for the immediate signing and implementation of Executive Order (EO) 500B, which in essence will allow low cost carriers to hub into the DMIA, as another move to further tap the full potential of the Freeport zone.
The impact on the economy and business in Pampanga of the implementation of EO 500B is remarkable because it will render our province accessible to both local and foreign investors, tourist and of course, factoring in the immense benefit of the cheaper airfares to our overseas Filipino workers, Romero said.
DMIA is being managed by the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
In relation to this, CIAC is also planning to expand the airports terminals thereby increasing the facility’s potential to cater flights of ever-growing aircrafts.
