AN UNOCCUPIED barn house at Clark Freeport Zone is now being prepared to serve as headquarters of a prestigious Capampangan media group whose members are mostly top editors and columnists of leading national daily newspapers.
Public Affairs Manager Angelo “Sonny” Lopez Jr. of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) said the state-owned firm’s Engineering, Construction and Maintenance Department (ECMD) has already inspected Bldg. 2019 at Clark zone that will serve as field office of the Capampangan in Media Incorporated (Cami) and new CDC Press Center.
Lopez said the ECMD is preparing its recommendations for the rehabilitation of Bldg. 2019. The recommendations would be submitted soon to the CDC management for approval. The building is one of the barn houses built by American soldiers here in the mid-1940s.
It will be recalled that the barn house was personally endorsed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to CDC President Benigno N. Ricafort during Cami’s induction of officers held last January 20 at the Fontana Convention Center here.
Lopez said the former CDC Press Center – Bldg. 2435 - will be used by the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) for its operations. Earlier, the CDC and PVB signed a lease agreement for the development of a commercial building that will house the bank’s permanent banking facility, a food court and canteen for CDC employees, and office spaces that would be open for lease.
Lopez said the existing CDC Press Center will continue to operate until its new site has been fully equipped with the necessary communications facilities like telephone and Internet connections.
The CDC Press Center has been rehabilitated several times since it was provided to cater to the needs of the media during the term of former CDC President Rufo Colayco.
Built during the full operations of the former Clark Air Base, the CDC Press Center has been rehabilitated time and again for termite control and other structural defects. The recent power outage at the press center was due to the old electrical system of Bldg. 2435, the ECMD reported.
“The CDC has always been supportive to the needs of our friends in the media which is why we provide them the necessary facilities they can use to pursue their profession,” Lopez said.
Certain groups identified as close friends of the media in Pampanga have offered to help the Cami field center to provide it with some furniture and office equipment even as CDC has promised to rehabilitate the barn house with necessary equipment.
Meanwhile, Governor Panlilio’s elder brother Gerry urges him to stay calm and wait for the final decision of proper authorities on the ruling of Comelec unseating the governor-- “Kaya natin ito.”
He added that “the truth will prevail whether I really cheated in the last elections.” He quoted the governor who claimed that his conscience is clean because he was “raised as a very religious and honest person.”