The Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (MACCII), one of the leading business organizations in Central Luzon based in Angeles City, has encouraged the Philippine Airlines (PAL) to launch more flights from the Clark International Airport.
“Now that local and international travel are slowly returning to pre-pandemic level, we are appealing to the PAL management to launch more local and international flights from Clark airport, which now operates a modern Terminal with eight million annual capacity,” said Elizabeth Carlos Timbol, MACCII President.
“We hope more flights at the Clark airport will reinforce the bid of Central Luzon to become the country’s next international gateway and a logistics hub.
“We believe that the presence of new carriers and the expansion of operations of existing commercial airlines in our airport will accelerate the economic recovery of the entire region from the pandemic. They will boost the growth of our tourism sector, uncover trade opportunities and contribute to the fight against poverty in Central Luzon,” according to Timbol.
Timbol said the entry of more local and international fights in the Clark airport will further contribute to economic growth not only of Angeles City but the entire country.
The launching of flights in the Clark airport paved the way for the entry of Korean investors that helped create the thriving Korean community in Angeles City and elsewhere.
Timbol is included in the Filipino delegation that accompanied President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his state visit in Singapore where he struck billions of pesos in investments for the Philippines.
Marcos later awarded MACCII as one of the most outstanding chambers of the Philippines for pushing business and environmental advocacies.
Earlier, Kapampangan businessman Reghis M. Romero II, chairman of R-II Builders, predicted a brighter economy for the Philippines this year, anchored on the 7.6 percent GDP posted in the last quarter of 2022.
Romero also said the expected entry of 8.7 million tourists this year bodes well to the economy of the country as it will drive spending and provide livelihood in the countryside.
A commuter railway, which is currently under construction, will connect Clark airport to Bulacan and the rest of Metro Manila.
With the support of all stakeholders, we are confident that CRK will be transformed to more than just a global transport facility. It will be our model of a modern, green, and inclusive connectivity infrastructure.
Clark International Airport or CRK used to be one of the busiest airports in the Philippines before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which significantly affected the travel and tours industry due to border restrictions.