Clark opens 3-hectare container depot

Map of Clark, Pampanga / Wikipedia Photo

MANILA — Clark Freeport Pampanga opened a three hectare container depot in a bid to decongest the Port of Manila and several ports in Central and Northern Luzon.

Started last Friday, the operation commenced with the signing of the lease agreement by Clark Development Corp. president and chief executive officer Arthur Tugade and CargoHaus Inc. chairman Alberto Lina and president Rudy Fulo.

“This is the first container yard ever in an eco-zone, and this is the first time in the history of CDC that we will be addressing issues on clogged ports and traffic congestion apart from settling the concerns of our locators,’’ Tugade said.

He also added that the mandate on the use of the Freeport to store containers coming from Subic to Manila, Northern, Southern and Central Luzon, is indicated in the lease.

This substitution is seen to ease the traffic experienced in Metro Manila by 10 percent.

It is also expected to double the savings of importers coming from Clark, Bulacan and other areas in the region.

“We at BCDA take pride that our family in Clark is doing well in uplifting our economy. You have seen how Clark has grown so fast and achieved a historical target that is not known before. Hopefully others will follow suit,’’ Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) president Arnel Paciano Casanova said.