Marcos: Clark airport ‘very strong signal’ to world on PH economic recovery

This artist’s rendition of the new passenger terminal of the Clark International Airport shows some giant Christmas lanterns. (Courtesy of LIPAD)

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the grand opening Wednesday of the new passenger terminal at Clark International Airport (CRK) in this freeport, calling it a “very strong signal to the world” that the Philippines is open for business.

Speaking before unveiling a marker, the President also called the CRK Terminal 2 project a “perfect example of what the government and the private sector can do together.”

Marcos said the government thrust now is to open regional airports outside Manila to boost travel, tourism, and investment, citing a previous discussion with Tourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Garcia-Frasco.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said CRK is “critical to the rebound” of the economy.

Frederick Go, chair of the private consortium Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) that won the bid to operate and maintain CRK, said it was a “challenge” to finish CRK during the two years of the pandemic.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Department of Transportation, and LIPAD spent P19.25 billion to build and furnish the 110,000-square-meter terminal designed to serve eight million passengers.

CRK welcomed 434,214 passengers from January to August, with 363,878 flying to overseas destinations and 70,336 going to domestic areas, LIPAD chief executive officer Noel Manankil said last month.

CRK has flights to Cebu, Caticlan, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, Incheon, Pusan, and Yangyang. INQ

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