THE Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) said the reclassification of the Clark Industrial Estate into a global hub of commerce and industry will hasten regional development especially in the greater Clark area, and Central and Northern Luzon.
President Duterte signed Executive Order No. 81 on June 4 reclassifying the 290-hectare Clark Industrial Estate 5 (IE5) as an international center of commerce, industry, leisure, and recreation, amending EO No. 716 signed in 2008.
“This is definitely a marching order in the right direction and will surely be a boon to regional development especially in the greater Clark area, and Central and Northern Luzon,” CIAC president Jaime Melo said.
The previous EO No. 716 limited CIAC to “only engage in aviation, aviation-related services and aviation-related logistic activities (at Clark IE5).”
The entire 290 hectares of the industrial estate have been reclassified as an international center for commerce, aviation logistics, industry, leisure and recreation.
“With the new EO, CIAC shall now focus its efforts in aggressively expanding aviation-relation logistics businesses and other industrial and commercial ventures inside Clark, towards making Clark a globally competitive industrial and commercial hub in the Asia-Pacific Region," Melo said.
He added that this development will also further boost economic activities in time for the completion of Clark’s new passenger terminal building next year.
EO 81 now states the Clark Special Economic Zone and the Clark Freeport, including the IE5, has attracted international attention and interest as the Asia-Pacific Region’s emerging premiere hub for aviation and international logistics, as well as an international center for commerce, industry, leisure and recreation.