Partnership

Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President Benny Ricafort seems to be in high spirits lately. He has been meeting various organizations, government entities and institutions to present the master development plan for Clark Freeport Zone’s Next Frontier (Sacobia Area).

Last Thursday, Ricafort got the support of the Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce of Industry, Pampanga Chamber of Commerce, Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL), Philexport, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) 600th Air Base Wing, Greater Clark Visitors Bureau and the Clark Investors and Locators Association for the development of the Next Frontier.

Almost all agreed that the 2,000 hectares of land in the Next Frontier would definitely spur new business and job opportunities for the people of Pampanga. The private sector groups also agreed to create a bigger umbrella organization that will serve as a consultative body to CDC.

This is a good sign for Ricafort. Among all the CDC presidents, he is the only one who generated massive support from almost all sectors including the local government units, media, indigenous people and others. I just hope that he will maximize all the CDC resources to transform the development plan into reality.

According to CDC, the Next Frontier is being pursued in consonance with the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) – a contract signed on December 6, 2007 by CDC, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and leaders of Aeta tribes who have inherent rights over certain areas of the Sub Zone under the Ancestral Domain Claims.

While the JMA and the Next Frontier enable CDC to generate investment potentials in tourism, housing, commercial, institutional and light industry projects in the Sub Zone, the undertaking also ensures the recognition and promotion of the overall welfare of the Aeta tribes in the area.

The new Aeta communities shall include modest housing facilities, schools from nursery to secondary levels, health/medical facilities, multi-purpose center, farming area and post harvest facilities, mini commercial centers, churches, recreational parks, utilities including telephony and internet provisions.

The Next Frontier is also expected to bring in fresh investments amounting to P144.78 billion in investments by foreign and local investors that will create about 47,000 jobs.