I served as a member of the Clark Development Corporation board and concurrently as director of Clark International Airport Corporation nine years. You might want to ask who among the personalities who held positions of chairman and president I admire and respect? I am free to make an declaration of my choices. First on my list was the late Chairman Rizalino ‘Roy’ Navarro. Very learned, very congenial and kind. Among presidents, I have in my list the incorruptible Babes Singson and Noel Manankil. The latter is also good on numbers and very graphic in presentation of financial statements. He improved the aesthetic beauty of the Freeport. ( Sorry to say Madam Devanadera apparently nobody is keeping Clark beautiful. Nangamatay ang mga halaman sa middle aisle of the roads.
Have you been to Clark Freeport recently? The last administration headed by General Manny Gaerlan failed to complete their road network program. (Pagmasdan ang M.A Roxas road. May portions na incomplete, kalahati aspaltado, kalahati sementado. May mga kanto na butaspa ang gilid. Ano ba yan? Dami ng perang koleksyon sa renta ng mga locators ah!)
This I remember. Some years ago there were many road projects undertaken in preparation ASEAN minister meeting. The freeport was one of the venues. Next question. Why government has to wait for an Asean event to do the roads? The answer. It is because funds were only made available by the national government in support of the appropriations budgeted by Clark Development Corporation (CDC) for all the infrastructures needed.
Even some big houses are being rushed by that lucky contractor Mr. Cuerpo. They will be used as temporary quarters for the delegates. My friends, CDC President Noel Manankil and Vice President for Engineering Alveen Tabag have rolled sleeves in monitoring the progress of the constructions.
Some roads in Angeles City are also being widened to complement the construction inside Clark. For sometime now the Friendship road which in early years was only a two lane road, now it is being widened as a six lane road. Hopefully the expanded road will not be used as parking areas for the several business establishments on both sides of the road.
While the subject is about roads, haven't you asked yourself who is in charge in maintaining the roads of subdivisions? There are several gated and open subdivisions in your neighborhood and possibly you've noticed that they are now in miserable conditions. For the uninformed, subdivision roads are suppose to be donated to the local government where it is located. And there is a process in donating the roads. The donation should pass through the municipal/city council for discussions,and possibly a public hearing to deliberate upon if to accept or not.
Legally subdivision roads are considered open spaces and if not donated to the local government, real property taxes should be imposed. But when the subdivision oowners/developers will offer the spaces for donation, the roads must be in good conditions before the acceptance. Otherwise, the council will outrightly refuse the deed.
As at is now, so many subdivision roads are in miserable state, like what many discovered when detours were initiated during the widening of the roads.