By Ashley Manabat | Correspondent
ANGELES CITY—The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) has lamented the recent developments on the growth of the Clark International Airport, noting that “despite six years of the Aquino administration, we are now back to zero.”
PGKM Chairman Ruperto Cruz said the National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda) rejection of the design made by Aeroports de Paris (ADP) on the Clark airport after two years of planning has spelled doom for its full and immediate development.
Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President Emigdio Tanjuatco III, the Neda, chaired by Aquino, has deemed too big the design made by ADP and wants it downsized. But ADP refuses to make a smaller design and said it will back out if the Neda will not use its original design.
Because of this development, Tanjuatco said bidding for the preparation of a new design costing P500 million will be done before the end of the month. The money will be culled from the P1.2-billion airport fund from 2015, he said.
But even if by the end of the month a new designer or consultant will be hired, Tanjuatco said, it will take at least six months by conservative estimate to finish the smaller design and only then can the construction for the new design can be bidded out.
“We are back to zero,” Cruz lamented.
“Alang pagasa cang P-Noy. Ala ya talagang balac gawan ing Clark airport magumpisa canita [There is no hope under P-Noy. He had no plans to develop the Clark airport since the very beginning],” Cruz said.
“The talk to develop the Clark airport and the money dangled before us is all lip service just to silence the critics,” he said.
“The rumor that Aquino is anti-Capampangan is becoming apparent. His anger against GMA [former President Gloria Arroyo] has affected all Capampangans. Diname no ngan deng Capampangan pati reng atiyu Tarlac basta maka pag-bengansa ya mu [He included all Capampangans, including those in Tarlac to exact vengeance],” Cruz said.
There is no development in Tarlac. It’s a pity,” he added.
“The plan of Ciac to hire another designer is like throwing money down the drain because another administration will be coming in by July,” he noted. “Ala na murin malyari [Nothing will be done (under the present administration)],” he added.