Plan to build P400-M Clark airport fence hit

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines– The Clark International International Airport (CIAC) came under fire over an supposed plan to secure the airport here with a fence costing P400 million.

“It seems to be a case of the fence costing more than the house,” said the multi-sectoral group Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM), which has long been batting for the conversion of the Clark International Airport into the country’s premier gateway.

CIAC vice president for operations Reynaldo Catacutan earlier had announced that the construction of the “double security” fence would start on Jan. 2 next year.

He said the fence would ward off informal settlers and would be about 25 kilometers long to enclose the airport complex.

Ruperto Cruz, PGKM chairman, said only P360 million was allocated recently for the expansion of the airport terminal here, lower than the cost of the fence.

“CIAC officials have lost their sense of priority as they will be spending for another project that has no immediate impact on the airport which already has an existing fence. On top of that, there is the security force guarding the airport,” Cruz said.