Global City to rise at former Clark air base

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – A budget airline would soon operate out of Clark, the former US air base that would soon host a “Global City,” President Aquino said.

The envisioned Global City would include a state-of–the-art hospital, Aquino said Wednesday in a dialogue with soldiers presently conducting military exercises here.

The President told the soldiers they should keep their faith and loyalty to the government as their efforts and sacrifices were not going to waste.

Aquino held the dialogue after witnessing the Balikatan military exercises here between the Philippines and the United States.

He told them that his administration would need stability and not adventurism so reforms and developments would continue.

Aquino encouraged the soldiers to speak up and share their thoughts.

He said the airline, which he refused to name, would start operations in August, but would begin flights in December.

It was the same airline that boosted tourism in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, he added.

Aquino recently issued two executive orders to pave the way for pocket open skies policy to bring much-needed tourists to the Philippines.

He said a much larger tourism industry would be good for the economy.

The Philippines generated 3.5 million from three million tourists last year.

He was confident that this would increase significantly with the government’s efforts, Aquino said.

It would be President Aquino himself who will deliver the good news directly to the people.

After witnessing the Balikatan 2011 at Fort Magsaysay yesterday morning, he found comfort in the company of tricycle drivers and local officials in Mandaluyong later in the afternoon, where he turned over 20 electric tricycle units.

The crowd turnout seemed to belie the lower survey approval ratings he has been getting, he said.

“It seems like in Mandaluyong it (survey rating) has been increasing but maybe they just don’t see it,” he added.

He was seated beside Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos, whose constituents Aquino said kept faith in democracy even during martial law.

Before ending his speech, Aquino could not help but again take a swipe at mainstream media, whom he accused of highlighting negative news. So that now he has decided to become the bearer of good tidings himself.

Aquino explained what Environment Secretary Ramon Paje had informed him, that pollution in Metro Manila has tremendously improved – from a worst 166 micrograms cubic meter in June 2010 (based on a normal 90 figure) to a mere 120 last February.

This is what he called “total suspended particulates,” or the normal level of air that people breathe, based on international standards.

Aquino said it has been a very significant improvement from 166 to 120 micrograms cubic meter, in a matter of eight months.

He highlighted the importance of e-trikes which is a substitute for gasoline-fed motorcycles, especially at this time when unrest in the oil-producing countries in the Middle East and North Africa has not yet settled down.

Abalos said these e-trikes only need P45 for a three-hour charging of batteries, compared to the P250 gasoline consumption (fuel cost) for an eight-hour drive of a regular tricycle, and which is much more advantageous because of its 24-hour usability.

The cost of boundary alone for drivers is already P150 a day, which only means that if e-trikes will be plying the routes in cities and municipalities, then drivers will have a bigger take home or net pay.

On a computation of P250 daily (P7,500 monthly, P90,000 yearly) fuel cost on regular tricycles, e-trikes that cost P45 daily (P1,350 monthly, P16,200 a year) will be able to save as much as P205 per day, P6,150 a month or a total of P73,800 per year.

E-trikes donor is the Asian Development Bank, the operator is the local government unit in Mandaluyong City and the beneficiaries are the drivers.