BCDA chief says no merger plans for Clark gov’t firms

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Duterte Administration has no plans to merge two government-owned companies that are turning the former United States Air Force base in Clark, Pampanga province into an economic hub, according to a ranking official of the government agency in charge of converting former US and Philippine military lands to commercial and business complexes.

“There are no discussions of a CDC and CIAC merger,” said Vivencio Dizon, president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), referring to the Clark Development Corp. and Clark International Airport Corp.

The two bodies handle the development of in the Clark Freeport, which spans 4,400 hectares.

Created in 1992 by Republic Act No. 7227, BCDA oversees various agencies developing former US bases for civilian economic uses.

The CDC began in 1993 as a subsidiary of the BCDA. CIAC was established in 1994 as a subsidiary of CDC and in 1996, under BCDA.

CDC and CIAC first merged in 2001 but CIAC got tossed between BCDA and CDC four times.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No.14 put CIAC back to the BCDA and under the operational control of the Department of Transportation.

The airport’s operation and maintenance have been privatized, reducing the areas and income of CIAC.

Dizon has belied reports of a new merger plan which some claimed as the reason for the resignation of some officials, including CDC president and CEO Noel Manankil last week.

“There is no truth to it,” said Dizon who is also presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects, and deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19.

Manankil said he left the CDC to take care of his mother.