Manila to turn Clark into aviation, business center
Manila to turn Clark into aviation, business center
MANILA (AFP): The Philippines unveiled over the weekend an 8. 1-billion-dollar development master plan to turn the former U.S. Clark Air Base north of Manila into a bustling aviation and business center in the next 28 years.
The state-run Clark Development Corp. said the plan would be centered on the construction of an international airport and aviation complex, equipped with a new 4,000-meter (13,200-foot) runway and a terminal capable of handling 50 million passengers a year by 2025.
It said the airport and a modern rapid railway and road network connecting Clark to the capital, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, would cost about US$6.6 billion.
The 2,220-hectare (5,483-acre) aviation complex aims to replace Manila as the Philippines' premier international airport.
Development of the rest of Clark's 4,440-hectare (10,967-acre) fenced area into a residential, business and tourism enclave is projected to cost $1.5 billion, the agency said in a statement.
The blueprint, drawn up by a consortium led by the US-British firm Tarmac, Black and Veatch (TBV) Aviation, was presented to President Fidel Ramos on Friday at the presidential palace. An official at the palace said the plan was approved.
"The masterplan for the main zone is an adaptable framework that maximizes functional viability of Clark and phases the development of Clark as the site of the country's premier international airport," said Clark Development Corp. head Romeo David.
Aside from the physical plan, the development blueprint also contains a "business plan that is seen to generate a total of $70.6 billion in income in the next 30 years," the statement said.
U.S. troops abandoned Clark Air Base, home of the U.S. 13th Air Force, in 1991 because of damage sustained by the eruption of nearby Pinatubo volcano.
The strategic air base played a key role for U.S. bombers during the Vietnam War. It also contained a sprawling bombing range extensively used for training by U.S. pilots.