Thursday, November 08, 2007 Arroyo okays 3 interchanges for SCTEx in Pampanga By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ended Tuesday the dispute over the proposed Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) interchanges in Pampanga as she approved the construction of entry and exit points in the towns of Floridablanca and Porac and inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
This development, which was revealed during the resumption of meetings on proposed interchanges for the soon-to-be-opened toll road at the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) conference hall in Malacañang, however spelled certain end to the request for interchanges in Barangay Manuali in Porac and the Anunas-Friendship area just outside Clark.
The 15-minute meeting was an offshoot of the recent media “battle” for interchanges among groups that submitted proposals for the construction of interchanges at the expressway’s stretch south of Clark. It was presided over by PMS director general Cerge Remonde.
Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio, Subic-Clark Area Development Council chairperson Edgardo Pamintuan, Presidential advisers Lorelei Fajardo and Rene Diaz, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president Narciso Abaya, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president Levy Laus, Clark International Airport Corporation (Ciac) president Victor Luciano and San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez and lawyer Filmer Abrajano, chief of staff of Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid, attended the meeting.
The approved interchanges, as per the guidelines of the President are the one at the Basa airbase in Floridablanca; one at the Hacienda Dolores in Porac, which was proposed by Lapid; and one at the Clark Logistics 2 inside the Freeport Zone.
The proposed Manuali interchange was being pushed by the Advocacy for the Development Central Luzon (ADCL) while Pampanga Representative Carmelo Lazatin is the main proponent of the proposed Anunas-Friendship interchange.
The Clark Logistics 2 interchange was meant to serve the then proposed central business district (CBD) inside the freeport. It was recently shelved when Malacañang expressed reluctance in pursuing the planned CBD.
The BCDA said President Arroyo ordered them to finish all the approved interchanges, which will be constructed through funding to be obtained from supplemental loans with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), by March next year.
Abrajano said the senator has already earmarked about P30 million of his Priority Assistance Development Fund (Pdaf) for 2007 to fund construction of access roads for the Porac interchange, which is expected to spur development to the second district town.
The Department of Public Works and Highways has also been tasked to prepare program of works and source additional funds for the access roads.
