ANGELES CITY -- Lance Gokongwei, the chief executive officer of JG Summit Holdings, Inc., and Bryan Nepomuceno, this city’s incumbent vice mayor, have vowed to work together for the full development of Clark International Airport (CRK).
During their recent meeting, the duo have shared their vision that Clark airport will continue on its path of becoming the country's major international and domestic hub.
“We both agreed that Clark airport must continue to develop as a major hub in the region, and one of the best ways to do this is a strong partnership between the airport management and city government,” said Nepomuceno, the official candidate for mayor of the local dominant party Partido Abe Kapampangan in the coming May 2019 elections.
Nepomuceno was invited by Gokongwei for a meeting last Thursday morning at the Robinsons Equitable Tower in Pasig, the corporate headquarters of JG Summit.
JG Summit is part of the North Luzon Airport Consortium (NLAC) which signed with government-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) a 25-year concession agreement for the operation and maintenance of the CRK.
Gokongwei is also president and CEO of Cebu Pacific airlines, a subsidiary of JG Summit that already operates at CRK international flights to Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, and domestic routes to Cebu, Davao and Tagbilaran and to Caticlan starting March 31.
“Through our close partnership with the airport operator, with the entry of more airlines and arrival of more tourists at Clark airport, Angeles City and its people stand to benefit from more business and employment opportunities,” Nepomuceno said.
If elected mayor, Nepomuceno vowed to work on programs to ensure that tourists in the city enjoy safe transportation.
“It is very important for tourists to feel safe as they go around the city and not worry about being hustled or overcharged. We can help ensure this through our Angeles City-Accredited Safe Tourist Transport Providers program,” Nepomuceno said.
The consensus frontrunner in the mayoral race likewise vowed to continue to help attract more investments into Clark similar to the $25 million business jet aviation center of Hong Kong-based Metrojet Ltd.
Nepomuceno and his wife, bar topnotcher Erika Jimenez-Nepomuceno, provided the needed legal services that finally convinced Hong Kong-based lawyers of Metrojet to accept Philippine legal standards contained in their 50-year lease contract with government for their hangar project inside Clark airport.
“Aside from their $25 million investment at Clark airport, Metrojet’s business aviation center will generate high paying jobs for our people as well as provide them additional training in aircraft maintenance that is in high demand all over the world,” Nepomuceno said.
Metrojet is part of the Kadoorie Group owned by on Michael David Kadoorie, one of Hong Kong’s richest billionaire who also owns among others the international chain Peninsula Hotels.