Pampanga is said to be fast approaching its golden days with the avalanche of good and promising developments on its plate. Projects and businesses are mushrooming in its towns in copious numbers, particularly in San Fernando where economic activities are at its starkest. Records from the Department of Trade and Industry attest to such bounty as the government agency documented almost 34,740 new business names registered across the region. The increase in business name registration is only one of the countless indicators; here, we identify more telling indicators of the growing economy in Pampanga.
Clark International Airport Gaining Prominence
Inclement weather is usually the culprit for delayed or cancelled flights, but in our country, air terminal punctuality are becoming more and more of an issue due to the shortage in runways. Nowadays, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), our country’s primary international gateway, cannot adequately hold the amount of flights going in and out of the country, creating dismal problems in air traffic and putting passengers in excruciating travel situations.
This congestion is currently being addressed by the government through the proposed plan of implementing a “dual airport system,” where flights in NAIA will be divided and turned over to another airport outside of Metro Manila. As the area in NAIA is landlocked, which means it can no longer be expanded, the development of Clark International Airport seems not only a likely step but an imperative one for the national government to take as it will definitely be a game changer in the transport expenses of Manila-based terminals and fuel a more efficient air transport system in our country.
Add to that, utilizing the full potential of Clark Freeport Zone and developing Clark International Airport into an international gateway will improve the economy of central and northern Luzon, with the province of Pampanga gaining the highest economic yield.
Filipino & Chinese Airlines Expand to Clark
True to its reputation of being a viable alternative to NAIA, Clark International Airport has sealed a pact with Chinese Eastern Airlines, China’s second largest airline, to start flights between Clark and Shanghai starting October 2017. This partnership will have a positive impact in both the local business and tourism sectors as the Department of Tourism (DOT) regards China as the third largest market of Philippine tourism.
Also jumping on the bandwagon is the first Filipino-owned private airline, Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (INAEC). An air charter company exclusive for business executives, foreign tourists, and high rollers, INAEC expands its operation in Clark Freeport because it sees Clark as a growth area at the crux of inevitable growth.
New and Improved NLEX Interchange
To keep up with the heightened economic activities in Pampanga, the NLEX Corporation has recently enhanced the quality of San Fernando Interchange by building two new bridges crossing the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and widening the interchange ramps to four lanes in both directions.
The 64-km lane was opened to the public to facilitate an easy commute. Alongside the reconstructed San Fernando Interchange is a newly improved bus terminal operating daily for travels to Manila & the North, even including Cavite in the south.
Massive Commercial Developments
Rural progress is becoming more and more manifest in Pampanga, especially with the opening of an S&R outlet in the city of San Fernando. S&R is a membership-shopping club modeled after the warehouse membership shopping chains introduced in the United States.
Another laudable feat for the city is the opening of new franchises at the Event Centre Boulevard of LGC Complex in San Fernando, which includes the Coffee Bean & The Tea Leaf, Pancake House, and Dencio’s.
The city of Angeles is also keeping up with Pampanga’s flourishing business sector with the new strips of local food restaurants in Pampanga, boutiques and beauty & wellness stores like JD Soles, Ledeecia Salon and Skin Care, Oxford Barber Shop, The Optometrist, Ropali Motorbelle, The Reading Station, and Arcadia Spa Massage, among others.
Development of Manila–Clark Railway System
A railway system plan that will connect Metro Manila to Clark Freeport is now underway and is expected to be completed by the last quarter of 2021. To be named Philippine National Railways (PNR) North 2, the Php255 million-project is expected to decongest Metro Manila and bring forth economic growth to regions north of the capital, particularly Central Luzon, where an estimated 11.2 million Filipinos reside and earn a living.
Booming Agricultural Industry
Mulberry trees can only blossom for half a year in Japan because the plant cannot stand the cold biting winter days. As such, Kuwanosato, a Japanese agricultural corporation that makes artisanal tea, ventured in a three-year trial period to grow mulberry trees at the foot of Mount Arayat in Pampanga. The project succeeded and identified Pampanga as a viable region to grow mulberry crops. Mulberry farms are now in vogue in the province with the introduction of mulberry trees as cash crop to Kapampangan farmers and Aeta communities. The president of Kuwanosato said a farmer could earn as much as Php250,000 per hectare annually from the sale of mulberry leaves. Aside from the production of mulberry tea leaves, farmers can also sell mulberry jam, mulberry dried raisins, and mulberry “berries” suited for ice cream, pies, and yoghurts.
Proper Solid Waste Management System
In line with its solid waste management program, 15 towns in Pampanga received new dump trucks from the local government. The recipient towns include Floridablanca, Magalang, Lubao, Guagua, Sasmuan, Sta. Rita, Mexico, Sta. Ana, Apalit, Candaba, Sto. Tomas, San Luis, Porac, and Minalin. The distribution of new dump trucks is to ensure a clean and healthy environment conducive to the growing commercial and economic atmosphere in Pampanga.
Capital Town Pampanga: Megaworld’s first venture into the dynamic Northern province
Megaworld Corporation is once again set to prove its merit as a township pioneer and expert as it takes on San Fernando with a mixed-use development that melds culture and progress: Capital Town Pampanga, the property giant’s first township in the north.
Soon to rise in the former site of the Pampanga Sugar Development Company (PASUDECO), the 35.6-hectare township will be home to residential and business process outsourcing (BPO) components, civic and institutional facilities like schools, event venues, and a heritage museum; malls and retail spaces, and a hotel. Green and open spaces, which include road networks, will make up a quarter of the development.
One of Capital Town Pampanga’s many highlights will be the Shophouse District: rows of neoclassical and art deco-style structures that call to mind the heritage houses of the province. Envisioned as the crown jewel of the township, the six-hectare district will be composed of 276- to 680-square-meter lots aimed for entrepreneurs who wish to live above their business.
Upon its completion, around 250,000 jobs are projected to be generated, which will include direct and indirect employment in sectors like BPO, transport, and retail. As a new central business district in the north that combines the modernity of an advanced town with the history of a traditional site, Capital Town Pampanga is bound to redefine live-work-play in Northern Luzon.
INQUIRE NOW
