P4-billion worth of investments coming to Clark
Posted on September 29th, 2009
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), a government agency mandated to keep aviation facilities safe from structural obstruction near international airport, recently approved the applications of new investors to construct 32 buildings near the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) inside Clark Special Economic (CZES).
Benigno N. Ricafort, president of the state-run Clark Development Corp. (CDC), said they are expecting an additional P4 billion worth of investments inside the Freeport after CAAP lifted the height restrictions of building near the DMIA.
According to Ricafort, the approved applications have been pending since 2007. They range from tourism to Information Technology-related industries: 14 from JB Cresta; six from CPR Palm Resort, 4 from Berthaphil Inc.; 2 from Sutherland Global Services; and one each from CyberCity Teleservices, J&K Global Properties, CAASCI, Oxford Hotel, CEDC, and BBAC.
In March of this year, a team of experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conducted an aerodrome survey of the Clark Airport. Ricafort and chairman Nestor Mangio of the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) said the aerodrome survey covered the identification of maximum penetrations beyond the mathematical limits for height clearances considering the second runway and the proposed third runway.
A Board-approved Memorandum of Agreement has been signed by the CDC and CAAP. Provisions of the MOA state, among others, that CAAP will draft an operational guideline to ensure an acceptable procedure and time frame for future applications and for the conduct of the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLD) so that indicative height limitation values can be determined for every area at the Clark Freeport.
The resolution of the height restriction issue is important to ensure the continued economic development at CSEZ said both the CDC president and CIAC chairman.
CAAP was mandated by the power of the Republic Act 9447 to determine height clearance permits as part of the mandatory requirements prior to erecting any structure or buildings situated within the vicinity of airports.
