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SCTEX: ‘Growth-driver’ thru 3 Logistics Hubs
Author: BCDA
Posted: April 28, 2010 | Category: SCTEX
Hundreds of thousands of jobs and a huge inflow of investible funds have been noted by the managers of the two free ports in Central Luzon – the Clark Freeport Zone and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. This positive economic growth indicator points to one major infrastructure that has been identified as one of the “driving forces” of development in the region: the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
Since its full operations in 2008, the 93.77-km expressway was cited as the “key to the evolution of the mega logistics hub within the parts of the Subic-Clark corridor,” according to a special report on the Subic Freeport, while discussing the legacy of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Presidency.
The growth corridor, as viewed by the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD), has been expanded to include Tarlac. Former SCAD chairman Edgardo Pamintuan earlier said: “One of the features of the SCAD corridor framework is the production-oriented logistics corridor with three equidistant hubs—Subic, with its sea port as the “sea hub”; DMIA as the “air hub,” and Tarlac, “land hub”.
The same report said that these three will make Subic-Clark-Tarlac Asia’s largest logistics hub and this has been made possible by the construction and completion of SCTEX. Some 150,000 jobs have been created so far along the Subic-Clark corridor.
Subic Bay had been earlier transformed as a bustling seaport that has drawn investments from global players which wanted to cash in on the highly developed cargo handling and seaport management capabilities and facilities of the former Naval base of the United States
Clark has now become a magnet for investments in light industries, taking advantage of the presence of the entire expanse of airport facilities in this former US military base.
Tarlac, with its vast agricultural and industrial areas, completes the “troika” of major development forces in Central Luzon.
All three hubs require a road infrastructure that is ideal for cargo movement from Subic Bay and Clark to many destinations, and that is where SCTEX “fits into the picture–to expand and enhance the cargo reach our clients on time,” said one locator.
Overall, SCTEX has positive impact on the economic growth of the entire Central Luzon region which, according to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), is third highest in regional gross domestic product, next to the National Capital Region and Calabarzon.
It was earlier reported that Central Luzon contributes 40% to the country’s Services sector, 35% to the agricultural sector, and 24.5% to agricultural output.
Subic Bay Freeport which boasts of two container terminals with a combined capacity of 600,000 TEUs. This cargo volume is expected to make full use of the modern SCTEX. Subic Bay Freeport has been positioned as “the maritime gateway for Luzon.
Clark Freeport, home to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) and its burgeoning businesses in business process outsourcing (BPO), health and wellness, logistics and port development, food, agribusiness, tourist destination and facilities development and ancillary services and products to locators within the industrial estates.
The increase in passenger volume of the airport in Clark is principally attributable to both SCTEX and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). Regular land trips between Metro Manila and Clark have brought travelers from the northernmost part of North Luzon and the southernmost part of South Luzon.
Tarlac, due principally to SCTEX, has increased economic activity in this province north of Clark.
Indeed, the SCTEX is well on its way into transforming the entire Central Luzon into the country’s newest economic frontier and raising the standard of living of the Filipino people.
