Tokyo guv sees bright future for Clark Airport

By Reynaldo G. Navales

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) will be the premier gateway in the Philippines due to its location, said Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara.

Ishihara expressed optimism over the current developments in the Subic Freeport-Clark Freeport Zone, a vital corridor that will provide development of a world-class megalogistics and services hub.

"It is very good that this (DMIA) is being developed into a premier airport and logistics hub of economic activities not only for the Philippines but for the entire region of Asia," he said as told by an interpreter after a brief visit at the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) office.

Ishihara arrived here at 11:30 a.m., accompanied by Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando and other government officials to get a glimpse of the on-going developments at DMIA in particular the entire 2,500 civil aviation complex.

He was met by CIAC President Victor Jose Luciano, Executive Vice President Alexander Caugiran, and Subic Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan. Clark Development Corporation Executive Vice President Philip Panlilio was also there to welcome the Tokyo governor.

During a briefing at the CIAC boardroom, Ishihara was impressed by the various ongoing developments at DMIA and at the entire 4,400 hectare Clark Freeport Zone, saying that DMIA is headed for economic opportunities as it becomes the next gateway of the Philippines.

Pamintuan informed Ishihara who was also a close friend of the late senator Benigno Aquino that Clark is a bastion of Industrial Economic activities with more than 400 locators employing close to 50,000 workers coming from the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.

Pamintuan said President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo envisioned Clark especially DMIA to be next Mega Logistics Hub to compete with other countries such as Singapore, HongKong, Malaysia, China, and Thailand.

Luciano also told the foreign official that DMIA has two parallel runways, which can accommodate even the largest aircraft in the world. He added that there is enough space for a third runway to accommodate more aircrafts in the near future.

He added that by January 2008, the P130-million Terminal Expansion would be completed to accommodate at least 2 million passengers annually. The runways are being catered by Low Cost Carrier airlines plying the route of DMIA in Clark Freeport.

Among the air carriers are Tiger Airways, Air Asia, Asiana Airlines, South East Asian Airlines (Seair), and Cebu Pacific. DMIA average at least 35 flights per week since operations started in October 2003.

Luciano said the second Phase of the project is called the Premier Gateway Terminal. It would accommodate 5 million passengers annually.

DMIA is also equipped with the state-of the art navigational equipments such as the Instrument Landing System, Doppler VHF Omni-Directional Range, Terminal Radar Approach Control, Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radar and Non Directional Beacon, Airfield Ground Lighting System, Precision Approach Path Indicator.

It has a Crash, Fire and Rescue Equipments. These are requirement set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for a Category 1 airport.

He also informed the Delegation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that the P21 billion Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) will be completed by March 2008.

Travel time would only be 30 minuets from Clark to Subic.

The Tokyo Delegation also includes Tadateru Yamada senior director in charge of Policies of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Hitoshi Kuwabara Special Police for the Governor, Mariko Nagai Interpreter, Hiroki Tomita of Tokyo Metropolitan Television, Shigeru Hyodo Special Political Assistant, Toshiyuki Taga Chief Protocol, Nagatoshi Nakamura Senior Director for the International Joint Projects, Masahiko Endo Senior Director in charge of policies, Yoshi Makino Senior Staff of International Joint Projects, Keiichi Sato , and Japanese Journalists.

Jason Paul Laxamana's Kapampangan blog

Aside from this blog, I have launched a separate blog that shall contain my attempts in Kapampangan writing and other forms of literary production.

The title of the blog is Kulang King Yumu. In English, that can be translated as Not Sweet Enough.

The title is inspired by my belief that the young ones ignore the Kapampangan language--their Amanung Sisuan (language from which one suckled)--because it has failed to ride with the times, in topic, in form, and in diversity.

This, if left as it is, will be hazardous to the perpetuation of the Kapampangan language, aside from the false nationalistic ideologies that preserve the inferiority of Kapampangan.

Here is a sample of my poetry.

Ket Na Ning Asu

Dona, alang balu
King yatu, king yatu
Meniglo king asu
King banyu, king banyu

Dona, sasakildap
Sulilap sulilap
Kilub na ning ulap
Bala na paninap

Dona, pakasáya
Kitnan ing indu na
Nung nanu’ng ikit na
King banyu ra keta

Dona, miglarawan
King asulilapan
Lalawit palalam
Tatalakad misan

Dona, abalu na
Ing abatiawan na
Ngana ning indu na
Siguru asu ya

Dona, mitutundu
Migkera king kuartu
Linub ya ing asu
Kinet ne king salu

Dona, pakakera
E makasiwala
Mituluanan wawa
Ala neng agawa

Dona, pangayabak
E man minyukle buak
Lupang mengawakwak
Salbag salbag utak

Dona, míkabalu
King yatu, king yatu
Keplasan ya kanu
King ket na ning asu

Dialogo's 'Atsing Rosing' on GVFM

Dialogo, one of the participating bands in the RocKapampangan Project, guested in GVAM today. In the course of the show they were guesting in, their rock rendition of Atsing Rosing was played.


Sadly I missed it.

But no worries! Dialogo said it will be replayed tomorrow (Saturday) on GVFM 99.1, three in the afternoon. Let's catch it!

Note the following days:

December 5: GVAM, RocKapampangan radio guesting
December 23: SM Clark, Christmas Promotional Concert (free)

Mental Floss performs 'Ing Lugud Ning Indu'

Mental Floss performs Ing Lugud Ning Indu on the cable TV show (for ACCTN subscribers) Kamalayan, hosted by Bong Alvaro.



The Mental Floss band is one of the five national finalists of the Red Horse Muziklaban Roch Challenge 2007. Visit www.redhorsebeer.com for details.

The RocKapampangan album, in which Mental Floss is a contributor, will be featured on GVFM on December 5, 2007. Tune in!

Angeles City Band: Red Horse Muziklaban Finalist

Mental Floss, an Angeles City-based rock band, is a Finalist in the Red Horse Beer Muziklaban Battle of the Bands! They are expecting their kabalen's support!


Mental Floss is also part of the RocKapampangan album. They will do a remake of the pulose Ing Lugud Ning Indu (Love of a Mother).

Biggest movie prod facility in Subic and Clark

[As a film enthusiast, if ever this pushes through and film schools start sprouting to serve these film studios, I'll be a very joyful Kapampangan.]

Funtasia Entertainment - Philippines plans to have studio facilities with a combined area bigger than that of Hollywood

By Anthony Bayarong, Correspondent

SUBIC BAY Free port: A group of Filipino movie production executives is eyeing the Subic Free Port and Clark as a location for the biggest movie production facility in the country.

The plan according to Catherine Jimenez, Funtasia'’s assistant executive producer, is for Funtasia Entertainment Philippines to have Universal Studio-type facilities with a combined area bigger than that of Hollywood.

“What we plan for Subic and Clark are gated-type studio facilities that will serve as world-class location sites for local and international film producers,” Jimenez said in a meeting last week with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza.

“Location wise, Subic and Clark have many beautiful places and facilities. And as [Viva Entertainment President] Vic del Rosario said, some of the sets made here are like those produced in Hollywood,” she said.

Two other movie production executives accompanied Jimenez, along with Ambassador Marita Magpili-Jimenez, a director of the Asian Development Bank, who was also conducting consultation visits in key growth areas in the country.

The Funtasia blueprint indicates gated studios in the Subic and Clark facilities will be managed by different companies.

In particular, Subic will serve as a location for filming, studio offices, and a water sub-stage for shooting underwater scenes, Jimenez said.

The tank for water sub-stage will be an environment- friendly, open sea-type with an area of 3,000 square meters.

In Clark, Funtasia will be utilizing the Sandigan Expo and other historical attractions, as well as the global city and fun zone.

Jimenez also revealed that Funtasia already has three foreign movie production outfits on its list of prospective clients, besides companies engaged in television and video production.

"These three foreign outfits are so eager to start their location shooting in the Philippines, that is why we were in a hurry to scout for the most suitable locations in the country," she said.

In the end, Funtasia settled for Subic and Clark because they meet all the company’'s requirements, Jimenez added.

Arreza, meanwhile, assured the movie executives that Subic “will be more than willing to accommodate your requirements,” and pointed out possible film location sites like the Nabasan Point, Hidden Beach, and the APEC Villas.

"Subic has lots of suitable places for film location sites, that’s why it has become the setting for many local and international movie productions even during the time when it was still a US naval facility," he said.

Our Trip to Pampanga Bay in Masantol

Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious as well as to nature seekers. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on local culture, wilderness adventures, volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Sustainable development needs to social, economic and environmental needs all together to occur. (Wikipedia)


Last Friday, I, together with Mike Pangilinan (Kapampangan researcher and former TV Patrol Pampanga news anchor), Sonny Dobles of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL), his son Diego, a member of the RocKapampangan band Asthma, and Bajun Lacap, Vice Mayor of Masantol, went to Masantol to donate some plants.





Then we took a look at the Pampanga Bay, which, if you read my 19 October entry, is a potential ecotourism spot for Pampanga.

Before I've seen Pampanga Bay and its neglected Kabakawan (Mangrove forest; bakawan - mangrove; bako - duck-like birds), I thought Pampanga didn't have anything to offer as regards ecotourism.

Having a friend from Palawan who says Palawan's main offering is its ecotourism, I thought one day: does Pampanga have a natural sanctuary (aside from Mt. Arayat) which can boost Central Luzon's ecotourism?





Seeing the Kabakawan along Pampanga Bay, the place can indeed attract nature-lovers and bird-watchers, and can be developed into a beach for summer outings.






One of these days, we will return to plant more!

ArtiSta. Rita's 'Siwala' on YouTube

Way back in February, I was fortunate enough to be admitted as guest by Sir Andy Alviz of ArtiSta. Rita in their first staging of the musical Siwala (Voice). I was able to capture several musical sequences on video, and so, feast your eyes on some of 'em:

Ortelanu
Oyan Na Ing Papel
Alalan Da Ring Asan
Abe, Pakakalale
Pamanuli (Acoustic)
Bulung Lara
Siwala
Ing Malsinta / Beria


Currently, ArtiSta. Rita is busy recording their fourth album and preparing for their US Tour.