The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) has been hogging headlines lately. It has occupied precious airtimes too on national television.
Is it because of its new President and CEO Arrey Perez? Nope, I don’t think so.
Not really because of him, but rather on the plans he has for the 2,200-aviation complex of Clark, of which majority is still under the management and supervision of the state firm.
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He has embarked on 7 Flagship Projects that are meant to make Clark as a transshipment hub. At the same time, complement the operations of Clark International Airport or CRK that is operated by LIPAD.
Arrey, a topnotch leader with Harvard education and a former senior vice president at BCDA, has his bearings well. And they are directed in the way that CIAC must go.
No longer anchored on airport operations, the flagship projects are geared towards a fulfillment of a long-tome promise for Clark – an aerotropolis.
I have first heard of this John Kasarda concept in 2005 during the time of Atty. Emmanuel Angeles as CDC President. That’s almost 19 years ago. This time I see more possibilities for the realization of this plan of the University of Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School professor.
The flagship projects include: a New CRK Direct Access Link; a National Food Terminal; Urban Renewal and Conservation Program; Entertainment and Events Hub; Expansion of Road Networks and Utilities; Detailed Plan for the Second Runway; and a New CIAC Headquarters.
All these, he has presented at News@Hues, the monthly media forum of the Pampanga Press Club at Park Inn by Radisson Clark.
This plan is something that is more practicable. Instead of merely pushing for aviation-related businesses like logistics and warehousing, this is something that has far reaching benefits.
This is something new. Something uncharted. Something ambitious. Something great!
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This is a welcome move as CIAC, whose very existence has been in limbo since LIPAD took over CRK as the government’s partner, is now more definitive with its plans and programs.
It might be seen as ambitious (all told, these may require a whopping USD 40 billion!)
Yes, it may seem that way. But that is a foresight that government think tanks must always have. The same foresight when Noah was asked to build an Ark when there was nary a cloud in the sky. The ark eventually saved humanity. Not that I am saying Arrey is Noah-ish. No, he is far from it (him). But it is careful planning and aspirations like these that would move the government corporation.
Move, as in infuse it with renewed life and redirection.
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Not to denigrate on its past leaders, CIAC has not really made big waves the past few years.
There were even jokes that existed about the corporation — that it should be renamed plainly into Clark International Corporation, with the word “Airport” being dropped there as it does not have an airport to operate. AND IT WASN’T CIAC’S FAULT that it was relegated into a leasing company or a mere maintenance arm for the aviation complex.
In fact, the officers and staff there did not like the move as some of them were even displaced.
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The uncertainties of CIAC’s existence is slowly being answered by its new leadership. The sail is slowly turning ripples into waves onto shores of developments.
One must remember also that Arrey, with his previous positions in BCDA, has contributed in the generation of about P200 billion (yes, that is in “B”) worth of contracts, sales, leases, and joint ventures in the conversion of former military bases to commercial and industrial uses.
The ambitious projects may be gargantuan but they are not unachievable. Just like the Bonifacio Global City, the Mackinley Hills and Newport City, it took years to develop them from their former military usage. Rome was not built overnight, remember?
This journey of Arrey is being made with BCDA top honcho Jake Bingcang and LIPAD president Noel Manankil. The former is an electrical engineer by profession, the latter is one you cannot fool with numbers as he is an outstanding accountant and financial management master. The three of them make a good sail even towards headwinds.
Add in there CDC President Agnes Devanadera, who is a lawyer and long-time top government executive. The three of them bring that ONE CLARK (plus one in the case of LIPAD) battlecry to reality.
