The country’s race to become a leading investment hub in Asia is making headway with landmark initiatives and accomplishments undertaken at the heart of the Clark metropolis in pursuit of fulfilling the administration banner “Build Better More” and the “Bagong Pilipinas” vision.
Once hosting the US military bases, the venue now houses the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFSEZ), being managed by the Clark Development Corporation, the implementing arm of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in Clark.
More than the revenues generated from the freeport zone is the concern to uplift the welfare of the communities around the area; some of them are Indigenous Peoples (IPs).
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has been vocal of his appreciation to the IPs, even referring to them as invaluable guardians of heritage and worthy protectors of the country’s lands and resources. With this, President Marcos also committed that the government will respond to their needs.
“Drawing from our genuine desire to provide them the honor they rightfully deserve, the government reassures its high regard for the indigenous peoples’ cultural integrity and commits to being responsive to their needs, especially in ways that would preserve their way of life,” he said.
In his message on the on the National Indigenous Peoples Day and the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples President Marcos said: “I thus enjoin everyone to take part in this desire to uplift each person and community in our archipelago, especially our Indigenous Peoples, the first Filipinos, our ‘Katutubos’, who have been integral to the preservation in passing on of our traditional knowledge and values.”
The President expressed hope that the vision of Bagong Pilipinas will encourage harmonious relationships among Filipinos.
“May the Bagong Pilipinas we are now building give rise to more harmonious relationships among different groups, sectors, and communities such that we are enriched by diversity yet are also united by our shared goal of establishing a more equitable, inclusive, and peaceful society,” he said.
For President MarcosThe Bagong Pilipinas concept of government is envisioned not to allow the preservation of the privileged, but inclusivity in fact and in deed and enabling government that reaches out to the people, dismantling structural disablers by enlisting the active involvement of citizens and private groups.
“Good governance is good economy,” CDC president and CEO Atty. Agnes Devanadera said, and they made it a point that Clark is more than just a haven for businesses to boom. “Kasama sa obligasyon ng CDC at lahat ng locators ang mag-set aside ng pondo para sa ating community. Ito ay ang Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),” she added.
One key stakeholder of the CDC are the Aeta communities in Pampanga and Tarlac, and they are currently receiving various skills development programs as one of the strategies to make the IPs feel the inclusivity of development.
CDC has partnered with locators, or companies operating inside the freeport zone, that helped construct five CDC – OB – Bloomberry Family Care Centers in Aeta sitios located within Mabalacat, Pampanga, and Bamban, Tarlac. These are sitios Calapi, San Vicente, and Sto. Nino, Burog, and Marcos Village.
“Napakalaking blessing po para sa mga katutubo ang pagkakaroon nila ng sariling eskwelahan dahil nahuhubog ang kanilang kakayahan,” said Emy, one of the daycare teachers in Sitio Burog.
Emy mentioned that the children, apart from learning, are also enjoying their stay at the facility and are able to exhibit independent learning with the materials that were provided by CDC and its partners.
CDC is also partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and local universities in Pampanga to provide training to students in order to satisfy the demand for a competitive, quality labor force.
Devanadera said they are aggressive in strengthening the local workforce for the aviation and semiconductor industries, noting further that the skills development initiatives are also advocating for beneficiaries to become entrepreneurs.
In one of his engagements, President Marcos encouraged investors to join the frey and try the CFSEZ. “If you are an entrepreneur, a startup, or an industry leader wondering where to place your next big bet, look no further. We have the talent, certainly the determination, and now, the structure to make your boldest ideas a reality.”
In 2023, the CDC posted a total of P932.92 million worth of investments in infrastructure. The economic zone has 1,187 locators, employing 138,364 workers in various enterprises. CDC has also recorded $5.10 billion in exports, or almost P300 billion, and $2.75 billion in imports. All in all, CDC earned a total of P5,75 billion in revenue for 2023 alone.
This year, CDC is poised for more investments, having reported P73 billion worth of investments for the first half of the year. Of this total, P44.39 billion was recorded in the first quarter, while P28.63 billion worth of investments was recorded in the second quarter. These investments came from various industries, such as leisure, transportation, and manufacturing, among others. As of June, Clark’s cumulative investments are pegged at P326.34 billion.
With such an amount, the CDC maintains its resolute commitment to make Clark one of the leading investment havens and tourist destinations in the Philippines. In fact, the agency continues to support the administration’s banner, “Build Better More,” highlighting some of its landmark projects and achievements that would propel economic activities, generate quality jobs, and promote the welfare of the Filipino people.
Devanadera noted that since the agency is an investment-driven zone, CDC has made sure that CFSEZ also conforms with making the country business-friendly and reducing investor qualms on long queues and complicated requirements to start a business. “Nakuha natin sa ating mga locators or investors na ang hinahanap nila sa Pilipinas ay yung ease of doing business,” she added.
Transactions have become faster, more organized, and more convenient for locators with the establishment of the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) for CFSEZ, the only freeport zone in the country with the practice.
CDC also brought government services closer to workers and residents with the One-StopProcessing Center, which also has a mobile version for companies whose workers have documentary requirements from offices like the PhilHealth, Pag-ibig, and NBI.
Clark is becoming one of the countermagnets of Metro, with robust infrastructure developments underway. Devenadera said their infrastructure projects include not just roads and bridges that would connect people and places but are soon determined to host the construction of various structures that would equally support the development of Clark and Pampanga.
Devanadera disclosed that Clark will soon have one of the state-of-the-art medical centers in the country, one that is envisioned to make healthcare services more accessible to Filipinos outside of Metro Manila—the Clark Multispecialty Medical Center. “Kung natatandaan nyo, and First Lady Imelda Marcos ay kauna-unahang nagtayo ng specialty hospitals sa Quezon City. So nagkaroon kami ng desisyon na dapat magkaroon ng replication,” she said.
Clark will also be a new home for the National Museum of the Philippines in the near future, allowing more access for Filipinos in Central Luzon to experience and witness the long history of the country.
While CDC continues to encourage local and foreign investments in Clark, the agency likewise underscores the critical role of advocating for the enhancement of the quality of the lives of its stakeholders, transforming lives and the way we do business as the embodiment of fulfilling the vision for a Bagong Pilipinas.