ANGELES CITY — The City Council here has passed a resolution requesting the immediate transfer of a P2.9-billion fund intended for the development of the Clark International Airport from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
The City Council, led by its presiding officer, Vice Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno passed Resolution No. 7663, S-2017 citing Angeles City as one of the primary beneficiaries in the country of the development of the Clark Freeport Zone especially the modernization of the Clark International Airport (CRK).
President Rodrigo Duterte has declared that the development of CRK, as the premier airport of the North and a viable alternative to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), will serve as an impetus to the distribution of economic progress from Metro Manila to northern and central parts of Luzon.
The budget was appropriated by the Congress in 2015 and 2016 for P800 million and P2.09 billion respectively, for CRK.
CIAC and DOTr have already entered into a Memorandum of Agreement for the transfer of said funds for three horizontal civil works, which are components of the whole CRK project, but for some technical reasons, the release of the Fund was placed on hold.
The resolution further expressed the urgency as it stated that “the process in building the new CRK Terminal Building must start at the soonest time possible for Clark airport, to reach its potential, increase passenger traffic, create job opportunities and spur business activities in the surrounding localities especially in Angeles City.
The resolution was sponsored by Councilors Alexander Indiongco, Edgardo D. Pamintuan, Jr., Jesus Sangil, Carmelo Lazatin, Jr and Danilo Lacson. It was seconded by Councilors Joseph Alfie Bonifacio, Joseph Ponce, Jae Vincent Flores and Carlito Ganzon. It was unanimously approved by all members present.