Clark sees P4-B investments with less building restrictions

Over P4 billion worth of investment commitments on big-ticket tourism developments and information technology-related industries would be infused in this Freeport zone following the government’s lifting of the building height restrictions.

CDC President Benigno N. Ricafort said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has already approved 32 building and expansion applications filed by various locators here. CAAP, formerly known as the Air Transportation Office, is a government agency mandated to keep aviation complexes safe from structural obstructions.

Ricafort said the applications range from tourism to information technology-related industries which were stalled following the issuance of building height restrictions about two years ago.

Among the projects identified were 14 applications submitted by Korean property developer JB Cresta, which plans to build condominiums and executive town houses here. The Korean company has committed to put up a housing and leisure town, including villas, a club house, a water park and other ancillary facilities. The firm aims to attract Korean tourists and expatriates in the country and investors visiting the economic zone.

Another Korean firm, CPR Palm Resort, has applied to develop a retirement village and health resort for its plan to promote medical tourism inside Clark zone.

Ricafort said that several companies engaged in ICT industry were also among those applicants to benefit from the lifting of the building height restrictions.

These include six project proposals of Berthaphil Inc., which is currently operating the Berthaphil Business Park , an integrated industrial park which offers a complete solution to businesses seeking a low-cost, incentive-rich environment.

Also included among investment pledges are the four expansion projects of Sutherland Global Services, a multinational IT-enabled and business-process outsourcing (BPO) company.

Two project applications were submitted by CyberCity Teleservices, a leading provider of targeted offshore contact center and back-office services for the direct marketing and call-center industry, while two other Clark-based companies such as J&K Global Properties and Oxford Hotel likewise have pending applications.

The CDC president said the issue on height clearance permits inside the Freeport has been pending since 2007. He said that in March this year a team of experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conducted an aerodrome survey of the Clark airport.

Ricafort 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.

“After I assumed the CDC presidency, I have prioritized this issue by tasking it to the office of the Assistant Vice President for Permits, Licensing and Monitoring,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort said the CDC and CAAP signed a board-approved memorandum of agreement assigning CAAP to draft an operational guideline to ensure an acceptable procedure.

The agreement also includes the setting up of a time frame for future investment applications, and for the conduct of the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) so that indicative height limitation values can be determined for every area in Clark.

“Resolution of the height restriction issue is important to ensure the continued economic development in Clark,” Ricafort said.

Following its creation by virtue of Republic Act (RA) 9447, the CAAP included a height clearance permit as part of the mandatory requirements prior to erecting any structure or buildings situated within the vicinity of airports. Rey Garcia