LOCAL officials in the City of San Fernando lauded the opening of the 16th Megaworld-owned McDonald's outlet, the biggest in the entire Philippines, stressing that its opening is a welcome signal for investors to continue pursuing investments despite the ongoing pandemic.
Third District Representative Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. lauded the opening of the store as a come-on for local investors to continue investing despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
"This is the time to invest, it may be a challenging thing since there is so much uncertainty, but investments like this are very much needed by the local economy. More investment means for jobs," Gonzales said.
Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin said the City Government has programs to support local investors who are willing to try their luck in the city.
He added that the city has programs to ease the process of doing business, as well as incentives for big ticket investments in the city.
"The opening of this store is a welcome development especially during this pandemic. Health restrictions should not mean that even the gears of our local economy should be put on hold. Now, more than ever, we need our local economy to keep running smoothly," Lazatin added.
The new McDonald's store sits on a 2,200-square-meter lot inside the township Megaworld project Capital Town, which is just a few meters from the Pampanga Provincial Capitol.
McDonald's Philippines President and CEO Kenneth Yang said that McDonald's had also been affected by the pandemic but they remain bullish of the local economy, adding that there has been some rebound from the economic effects of the pandemic.
Yang added that the store is a first for McDonald's in the country as it features a modern McCafe, a no-touch drive through facility, alfresco dining, self-ordering kiosks, a meeting room and a dedicated party area.
The two-level, free-standing Next Gen store features more than 1,000 square meters of floor area, the biggest in the Philippines.