Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone

{{For|the military use of the area prior to December 1991|Clark Air Base}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Clark

| official_name = Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone

| settlement_type = Freeport and special economic zone

| image_skyline = Angelesjf9605 26.JPG

| image_caption = Main gate of the Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City

| image_flag =

| image_blank_emblem = Clark integrated brand logo.png

| blank_emblem_type = Logo

| blank_emblem_size = 150px

| nickname =

| motto = Clark: It works. Like a dream.{{cite news |title=Clark: It works. Like a dream. |agency=Philippine Information Agency|url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1015468 |access-date=19 August 2019 |date=27 November 2018}}

| image_map = Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone map.svg

| map_caption = Location of Clark Pampanga and Tarlac

| pushpin_map = Luzon mainland#Philippines

| pushpin_label = Clark

| pushpin_label_position = left

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Luzon##Location in the Philippines

| coordinates = {{coord|15.18493|120.5394|type:landmark_region:PH_dim:3000|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_footnotes =

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Philippines

| subdivision_type1 = Region

| subdivision_type2 = Provinces

| subdivision_name2 = Pampanga and Tarlac

| subdivision_type3 = Cities and municipalities {{small|(portions)}}

| subdivision_name1 = Central Luzon

| subdivision_name3 = Pampanga
{{hlist|Angeles|Mabalacat|Porac}}

Tarlac
{{hlist|Bamban|Capas}}

| established_title = Established

| established_date = April 3, 1993

| founder =

| parts_type =

| parts_style =

| p1 =

| government_footnotes =

| government_type = GOCC

| governing_body = CDC Board of Directors

| leader_party =

| leader_title = Chairman

| leader_name = Atty. Edgardo Pamintuan Sr.

| leader_title1 = President and CEO

| leader_name1 = Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera

| area_footnotes = {{cite web |title=Clark Special Economic Zone – Proclamation Map |url=http://maps.gisatclark.com/Sub%20Zone%20Proclaimation.pdf |website=GIS Section |publisher=Clark Development Corporation |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203053528/http://maps.gisatclark.com/Sub%20Zone%20Proclaimation.pdf |url-status=dead }}

| area_total_km2 = 320.6

| elevation_footnotes =

| elevation_m =

| population_total = {{PH wikidata|population_total}}

| population_as_of = {{PH wikidata|population_as_of}}

| population_footnotes = {{PH census|current}}

| population_density_km2 = auto

| population_demonym =

| population_note =

| postal_code_type = ZIP code

| postal_code =

| area_code =

| area_code_type = {{areacodestyle}}

| blank_name_sec1 = Catholic diocese

| blank_info_sec1 = Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando (Angeles, Mabalacat, and Porac, Pampanga)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac (Bamban and Capas, Tarlac)

| website = {{URL|http://www.visitclark.com/}} and {{URL|https://www.clark.com.ph/}}

| footnotes =

| timezone = PST

| utc_offset = +8

| image_map1 = {{hidden begin|title=OpenStreetMap|ta1=center}}{{Infobox mapframe|frame-width=250}}{{hidden end}}

| Administered City =

}}

Clark, officially known as the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC),{{cite web|title=Join Foreign Chamber (JFC) meeting with Clark Development Corporation (CDC)|url=https://www.eccp.com/articles/?id=1700|publisher=European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines|access-date=24 May 2018|date=8 June 2017|archive-date=May 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524221809/https://www.eccp.com/articles/?id=1700|url-status=dead}} refers to an area in Central Luzon, Philippines.

The CFEZ in Pampanga covers portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat, and portions of the town of Porac. The freeport zone's coverage extends to Tarlac, with portions of the towns of Capas and Bamban within its scope.

The CFEZ divided into two areas, the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) and the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ). The New Clark City is part of the Clark Special Economic Zone. The CFZ covers the area of the former United States Air Force facility, Clark Air Base. Most of this air base was converted to Clark International Airport and some remained under the control of the Philippine Air Force. Clark Global City is also part of the Clark Freeport Zone.

Clark forms the hub for business, industry, aviation, education, and tourism in the Philippines as well as a leisure, fitness, entertainment and gaming center of Central Luzon.{{cite web

|url = http://www.travelph.com/resorts/Clark/index.htm

|title = Clark Field Special Economic & Freeport Zone, Angeles, Pampanga Philippines

|access-date = 2007-11-24

|work = TravelPH.com

|publisher = Manila Forwarders Travel and Tours

|archive-date = November 22, 2007

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071122190731/http://www.travelph.com/resorts/Clark/index.htm

|url-status = dead

}}

History

=Establishment of the Clark Special Economic Zone=

The Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992 (Republic Act 7227) authorized the President to issue a decree converting the military reservation in the Clark area covering Angeles City, Mabalacat, and Porac, Pampanga and Capas, Tarlac into a special economic zone. The legislation also created the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to facilitate the conversion process.{{cite web|title=Republic Act 7227: Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992|url=http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno7227.html#.WwZbA-6FPIU|publisher=Congress of the Philippines|access-date=24 May 2018|date=13 March 1992}}

President Fidel Ramos issued Proclamation No. 163 on April 3, 1993, creating the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and transferring the administration of the area to the BCDA. The proclamation included the Clark Air Base and portions of the Clark reverted base lands not reserved for military use to the CSEZ.{{cite web|title=Proclamation No. 1035, s. 2006|url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2006/03/10/proclamation-no-1035-s-2006/|publisher=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines|access-date=24 May 2018|date=10 March 2006}} The Clark Development Corporation, a subsidiary of BCDA was founded to oversee the development of the area in the same year.{{Cite web|last=de Villa|first=Kathleen|date=2019-04-13|title=From a military base to an economic hub|url=https://business.inquirer.net/268646/from-a-military-base-to-an-economic-hub|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414123344/https://business.inquirer.net/268646/from-a-military-base-to-an-economic-hub |archive-date=2019-04-14 |access-date=2021-01-29|website=Philippine Daily Inquirer|language=en}} The Metro Clark Advisory Council (MCAC) was also formed shortly as a mechanism for the CDC to coordinate with local government units in the area.{{cite news |last1=Cervantes |first1=Ding |title=CDC head: No plans to scrap Clark advisory council |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/11/15/1256724/cdc-head-no-plans-scrap-clark-advisory-council |access-date=29 January 2021 |work=The Philippine Star |date=15 November 2013}}

The following year, President Ramos declared Clark as the future site of a "premier" civilian international airport with a 14-million passenger capacity by 1998 but this plan did not come to fruition as projected.

On June 14, 1996, the CSEZ was expanded with the addition of the Sacobia area, which includes lands from Mabalacat, Pampanga and Bamban, Tarlac, through Ramos' Proclamation No. 805.

The CSEZ was placed under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority on March 10, 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo through Proclamation No. 1035 granting tax and duty exemptions to export company locators operating within the CSEZ. The Clark economic zone lost these exemptions in 2005 after a Supreme Court ruling that these exemptions under the BCDA charter are exclusive to the Subic economic zone.{{cite news|title=Perks restored to Clark locators|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/content/2476/perks-restored-to-clark-locators/story/|access-date=24 May 2018|work=GMA News|date=22 March 2006}}

=Creation of the Freeport Zone=

The Clark Air Base area, also known as the Clark Main Zone was declared a Freeport Zone and was separated from the special economic zone through Republic Act 9400 of 2007.{{cite web|title=Republic Act 9400|url=https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2007/ra_9400_2007.html|publisher=Congress of the Philippines|access-date=24 May 2018|date=20 March 2007}}

Since then the Freeport Zone and the Clark Special Economic Zone were considered as separate areas but collectively they are occasionally referred to as the "Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone".

=Further reorganization=

In November 2018, the BCDA and the Clark Development Corporation grouped four developments within the CFEZ namely the Clark Freeport Zone, Clark Global City, Clark International Airport, and New Clark City as "districts" under one brand dubbed as "Clark: It Works. Like A Dream".{{cite news |last1=Dizon |first1=Romeo |title=BCDA, CDC launch new Clark brand, identity |url=http://manilastandard.net/lgu/luzon/281569/bcda-cdc-launch-new-clark-brand-identity.html |access-date=27 November 2018 |work=Manila Standard |date=27 November 2018}} Six years later, it was announced that the planned central business district is set to rise in the area as Clark Central Business District and it will create more than 170,000 jobs.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-02-21 |title=BGC-type business district eyed in Pampanga with new highway project |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/898227/bgc-type-business-district-eyed-in-pampanga-with-new-highway-project/story/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=GMA News Online |language=en}}

CDC Board of Directors

The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) consists of a Board of Directors whose members are appointed by the President of the Philippines, based on the recommendations of the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG).{{Cite web |title=GOCC Profile - Integrated Corporate Reporting System |url=https://icrs.gcg.gov.ph/profiles/cdc/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=icrs.gcg.gov.ph}}

class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.20em; font-size:100%;"

|+Members of the Clark Development Corporation{{Cite web |title=Clark Development Corporation |url=https://www.clark.com.ph/?Category=DIRECTORS |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.clark.com.ph}}

!Position

!Name

Chairman of CDC

| style="text-align:center;" |File:Edgardo Pamintuan Sr.jpg

Atty. Edgardo Pamintuan Sr.

President and CEO of CDC

| style="text-align:center;" |Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera

rowspan="9" |Members of the Board of Directors

| style="text-align:center;" |Atty. Ana Liza A. Peralta

style="text-align:center;" |Atty. Helen Nicolette M. Henson-Hizon

style="text-align:center;" |Atty. Bryan Matthew C. Nepomuceno

style="text-align:center;" |Atty. Paul Christian M. Cervantes