The promised land

My fondest memories of growing up were the times I spent summer in my family’s hometown of Angeles City. I would spend my entire summer with my cousins Biyat and Vit Vargas. One of the thrills I got from biking around was going through Friendship Highway, the road directly adjacent to Clark Air Base, which, at that time, was still being run by the US military. Whenever we’d bike there, we’d stop and watch the F-14 fighter jets take off and land. Deep inside, I longed to sneak into Clark Air Base, check out the place, and hop into the planes. But at that time, Filipinos couldn’t just enter into the base. You needed a special permit to enter.

Subic was pretty much the same. During that time, the words "Subic" and "Clark" meant a lot of positive things: American PX goods, scenic surroundings, and the coolest military warfare and gadgets.

Fast forward to 1991. Pinatubo erupts. Boom. In an instant, Clark and Subic were transformed into a vast wasteland of volcanic ash. The Americans were out in a flash. What the nationalistic politicos couldn’t do for decades, Pinatubo did in a couple of days.

But out of the ashes came hope. Sometime in the mid-’90s, during the booming Ramos years, I was invited to emcee the launch of the Clark International Airport. On that day, Garuda Airlines was going to have its inaugural flight into Clark. It signaled the dawning of a new era – the rising of Clark from the ashes – with Filipinos now at the helm. At that time, Subic was making a lot of noise, too, with the indefatigable Dick Gordon leading volunteers to raise Subic out of the lahar. The mid-’90s saw the rising of these two promised lands. At breakneck speed, industrial companies started jostling for position, reserving areas in these two economic zones. Golf courses and hotels started sprouting like mushrooms. In the late ’90s, I had the privilege of being a part of a major project in Clark – we brought Tiger Woods to Clark for a one-day exhibition game held at the Mimosa Golf and Country Club in Clark.

But then, 1997 came and the dreaded Asian crisis gripped the entire region. The peso sank from P26 to the US dollar to P46 to a dollar in a matter of weeks. And just like that, Subic and Clark’s promise sank like the Titanic. Projects went on hold. Money stopped pouring in. Developers found themselves holding empty bags.

Then, President Joseph Estrada took over. On Day 1 of his presidency, Subic became the center of controversy. The Clark and Subic fairy tale suddenly became a soap opera. Turf wars ensued. Lawsuits were filed. In no time, Subic and Clark deteriorated. Duty free shops closed. Construction projects were left half-finished. From the land of milk of honey, Subic and Clark became the poster boys for the term "unfulfilled promise."

Hope Floats

Slowly but surely, Clark and Subic are beginning to emerge once again. With the recent widening of the North Expressway, the promise and potential of the north, particularly Subic and Clark, can now be seen in the horizon. Investors have started to come back. Low-fare airlines like Tiger Air and Jet Asia started coming up with juicy offers – like the $100-round-trip tours to Singapore.

Upon the recommendation of my good friend Pato Gregorio (who, for a while, worked in the Subic-Clark Development Program), I decided to go to Clark for a weekend with my wife to check things out. When I got there, I had a pleasant surprise. It was booming. There were hundreds of tourists there, mostly Koreans. And there was a hustle-and-bustle feel that’s been missing for quite some time. I stayed in the beautiful Montevista Estate villas.

"We’re pretty excited with the prospects here in Clark," said Cecile Flores-Sanchez, hotel manager of the Montevista Villas at the Mimosa Golf and Country Club. "We’re doing a lot to improve things. Personally, I decided to relocate here. The place is beautiful.Clark is an ideal family place. And it’s a great investment area for business." With SM Clark having opened last Friday, they now have everything they need there in Clark.

The following weekend, I went to Subic and stayed in the beautiful Delta Bldg. of the Subic International Hotel. I also had a nice chat with the hotel’s general manager Mike Wilson and resident manager Danny Tan.

Mike, a British national, came to the Philippines in 1984. "The Philippines, particularly Subic, has so much to offer. There’s a lot going on here. If you’re a nature-tripper, this is the place. And the people here are disciplined. People follow traffic lights. And the security is the best."

I also chatted with SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza. This man is an asset to this country. He totally believes in the promise and potential of Subic. He was one of the bright boys of then-Subic chairman Dick Gordon – a volunteer during the post-Pinatubo years. He left to study abroad for awhile, but when he came back to the country, he went back to Subic to fulfill his dream: make Subic the corridor of economic hope for the country."

Last week, we signed 13 new companies – an investment of $28 million," he said matter-of-factly. "We just signed Hanjin, a Korean firm that will be investing $1 billion here. They reserved a 400-hectare area here for a shipyard. It will be the second largest shipyard in the world. They will need 7,000 workers. So that’s 7,000 new jobs for Filipinos."

Armand said that his goal is not limited to making Subic a great investment place. "I want the neighboring cities around Subic to be corridors of development as well. To me, that would be the ultimate goal – and that would be the real contribution of Subic to the country’s economy. There must be a spillover effect to these towns. It’s a challenge for sure. But we’re working on it," says Armand.

It’s tempting to go abroad and look for greener pastures (and greener bucks). And yes, you could help the country if you remit dollars to the country. But if you can’t go for one reason or another, and you still believe in this country, check out your opportunities in Clark and Subic. The financial rewards may not be immediate, but the other rewards, such as the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the country, are priceless. If you want to help make Clark and Subic reach their full potential, and help the surrounding regions as well, spend your vacations there. Support the industries there. Manila is too congested anyway. Let’s spread out the development. Believe me, it’s worth the trip.

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Thanks for your letters! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.