Cong. Lazatin: Choose congressman wisely

“Angelenos must choose wisely, dapat piliin nila ang congressman na alam ang ginagawa niya,” said Representative Carmelo Lazatin (1st district, Pampanga) following statements made by Pampanga Vice-Governor Joseller Guiao assailing Lazatin during a flag raising ceremony in the Angeles City Hall held last March 18.

Lazatin said: “Sabi ni Vice Governor Guiao sa flag ceremony, napakatagal na nakaupo ng congressman ng First District pero wala man lang nakaisip na gawing authority ang Clark Development Corporation.”

“Hindi siguro alam ni Vice Governor Guiao na nagfile na tayo ng ganitong batas noon pang taong 2011,” he added.

Lazatin is referring to House Bill No. 4843, otherwise known as “An Act Creating the Metropolitan Clark Freeport Zone and its governing body, The Metropolitan Clark Freeport Zone Authority, replacing Clark Development Corporation”, which was filed by Lazatin on June 8, 2011 and is currently pending approval from the House Committee on Economic Affairs.

“Sa isa pang naging talumpati ni Vice Governor Guiao, sinabi rin niya na kapag naging congressman siya ay isusulong niya ang cityhood ng Mabalacat at ang pagiging unibersidad ng Pampanga Agricultural College,” he said.

Lazatin added: “Nagawa na natin lahat ng sinasabi ni Vice Governor Guiao habang tayo ang nakaupo bilang kongresista, ano pa ang gagawin niya kapag siya ang naupo sa kongreso?”

Republic Act No. 10164, which provides for the conversion of Mabalacat into a component city, was authored by Lazatin and approved by President Benigno Aquino III last May 15, 2012.

House Bill No. 4450, which seeks to convert Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC) into a State University, was filed by Lazatin on July 15, 2010 and was approved on its third and final reading last February 4, 2013. The bill is currently awaiting ratification.

“Ang payo ko kay Vice Governor Guiao ay mag-aral muna siya ng leksyon bago siya magsalita tungkol sa mga gagawin niyang programa kapag siya ay naging kongresista,” Lazatin said.

by: Reynaldo G. Navales

Clark workers to get more jobs

 Congressman-wannabe Francis Nepomuceno said he is in talks with union leaders of the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) in a bid to give more jobs to some 70,000 CFZ workers of the city.

Nepomuceno said he will provide livelihood opportunities, which will come in the form of cooperatives, to the Clark workers through their respective unions such as the Samahang Manggagawa ng DMIA (SMD), Association of Concerned CDC Employees (ACCES), and Association of CDC Supervisory Personel (ACSP).

“Nais po nating pangalagaan ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa Clark Freeport Zone dahil sila po ang mga bayani na nagtataguyod sa ekonomiya hindi lamang dito sa Pampanga kundi sa buong bansa,” Nepomuceno said.

The Clark Development Corporation (CDC), earlier, reported that the number of CFZ workers reached more than 70,000, an all-time high employment record.

The CDC-Customer Service Department added there are now 70,097 workers, an increase of 3,874 from June to July of 2012.

Nepomuceno said more workers will be needed as more business firms are to be located in the Clark Freeport Zone. Tourism-related projects in Clark are also expected to increase employment opportunities, not only for the residents of the Metro Clark area, but also in the provinces of Tarlac and Pampanga.

He said several business process outsourcing (BPO) and industrial firms have plans to expand their operations in Clark and this will generate more jobs.

by: Rey Navales

Angeleños Favor 'DMIA' Over 'CIA'

"Angeleños favor the retention of the Clark airport name as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport or DMIA," said Pamintuan, who downplayed reasons given by proponents of the name change.

Through the sponsorship of Councilor Edu Pamintuan, the City Council passed on Tuesday two resolutions supporting the retention of the current name of the DMIA One resolution expresses disapproval to renaming the airport back to "Clark" while the other enjoins Congress to enact a law officially naming it as the "DMIA."

Pamintuan said that renaming the DMIA would be a disservice not only to the Kapampangans (people of Pampanga) but more so to the historical heritage of the country.

"Dropping DMIA in favor of 'Clark' is not justified by the claim that aviation players know the airport more to be 'Clark' than 'DMIA' and that the airport is tagged by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as 'CRK,' while the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) retains its name when it is still referred to as 'Manila airport' or 'MNL' by IATA," Pamintuan said.

He said that international airports all over the world often have long and unfamiliar names and, altogether, a different IATA code as a "very acceptable practice."

Pamintuan cited the airports in Rome, Italy which was named after their national treasure - Leonardo da Vinci while in New York, USA, the airport was named after former President John F. Kennedy.

Here in Asia, he said Hong Kong which is known as Chek Lap Kok Airport has "HKG" as its IATA code while Singapore's Changi International Airport code is "SIN."

"The practice has been accepted widely and no foreign pilots seem bothered by it," the councilor said.

Pamintuan added: "Changing the name of DMIA to Clark International Airport shall have no significant bearing on the airport's current operation, capacity and potential as a premier international gateway airport."

Clark International Airport was renamed DMIA in 2001 during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

This was pursuant to Clark Development Corporation's (CDC's) Board Resolution 07-08 approved in July 2001, renaming the Clark airport as DMIA on the occasion of the 91st birth anniversary of the late former president, Diosdado Macapagal, on Sept. 28, 2001.

Although the Clark airport was changed to DMIA in 2003, its international code remains CRK.

Both resolutions stated that: "The basis of the name DMIA is important to the people of Pampanga as it honors one of its respected leaders, Diosdado Pangan Macapagal, who is the ninth President of the Philippines, the 'poor boy from Lubao, Pampanga' who became the first Kapampangan President, and 'Father of Land Reform' of the country."