CLARK FREEPORT - The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) officials said Thursday they have offered alternative sites to home the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) office.
CDC president Benigno Ricafort said that CDC provided the DFA a retention plan offering several areas in Clark that included a portion of the Clark Expo's Global City, a vacant lot behind Puregold Duty-Free, and three vacant buildings formerly occupied by duty-free mall operators as alternative sites.
Ricafort said the move aims to help the DFA maintain its operations inside the Clark Freeport.
The lease rates for these alternative sites were pegged at very reasonable prices.
Ricafort said in May 2008, the CDC formally offered then DFA Regional Director Ernesto Belardo two strategic areas as suitable relocation sites but Belardo did not respond the offer nor sent a letter of intent.
Ricafort said several meetings likewise took place in 2008 through the initiatives of former CDC President Levi P. Laus and CDC Executive Vice President Philip JB Panlilio to discuss CDC's offer of possible relocation sites and to address issues affecting the DFA operations in Clark like the lack of passport processing machines and maintenance of the DFA leased premises.
All these were done in response to sustain the DFA's operation of their regional consular office here, Ricafort said.
Ricafort said on several occasions, he also reiterated the available sites in Clark for DFA's relocation.
In 2009, the DFA head office brought to the attention of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the need to relocate their regional office to San Fernando in view of the department's regionalization program, which aims to put DFA Regional Offices in government centers in regions across the country.
But despite the planned relocation, the DFA gave its assurance that a satellite office shall be maintained in Clark.
In response to the instruction of President Arroyo for a DFA Satellite Office in Clark, CDC offered a space in one of its buildings for the DFA satellite office but its head office has yet to make a decision on the offer.
Clark locator Berthaphil on October 2009 submitted a quotation to the DFA for a proposed site for their satellite office inside the Berthaphil III Business Park, which is adjacent to the district office of the Bureau of Immigration.
Ricafort said newly-appointed DFA Regional Director Asuncion Florentin submitted Bethaphil's proposal to the agency's main office in Manila. The main office has yet to announce its decision on Berthaphil's proposal.
The CDC president has also assured the public and some government officials that the DFA regional consular office will still operate a satellite branch here in its effort to help the DFA make its services available to Clark stakeholders and constituents in adjacent towns.
Ricafort gave the assurance in the wake of concerns raised by some government officials and other members of the private sector who claimed that the move was disadvantageous to Clark and residents of nearby communities of the Freeport.
"It is regretful that CDC was accused of not doing anything to convince DFA to retain its regional consular office here in Clark," Ricafort said.
On Tuesday, Mayor Marino Morales said the CDC "should have worked out an acceptable rate for the DFA." The mayor also lamented that the consular office's transfer has affected many small businesses and public transport drivers in his town.