(Photo courtesy of RTVM)
MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to submit completion and opening schedules for pending investment projects in Clark, Pampanga, to ensure that promised developments translate into jobs and economic opportunities.
Marcos issued the directive during the inauguration of the United Parcel Service (UPS) International Air Hub at Clark International Airport on Thursday, October 15.
The President emphasized the need to prevent delays in major investment projects and ensure that companies fulfill their commitments.
“Big investments like this, however, (are) often announced but slow to finish. But this is being changed. When an investor promises a project, it is our job to ensure it opens on schedule,” Marcos said.
“This one certainly did,” he added, referring to the newly opened UPS facility.
Marcos said he had instructed the BCDA and DTI to provide a report identifying all unfinished investments in Clark, along with their expected opening dates.
The newly inaugurated UPS air hub represents an investment of more than USD 80 million and covers approximately 30,000 square meters, making it 15 times larger than the company’s previous facility in Clark.
The logistics center can process up to 15,000 packages per hour and is projected to handle an average of 46,000 packages daily.
Its operations are expected to support 170 weekly flight segments connecting Clark to major markets in the Asia-Pacific region, India, Europe, and the United States.
The expanded network could also reduce delivery times by up to two days on selected routes serving China, Southeast Asia, and India.
The facility features automated sorting equipment, temperature-controlled areas, and UPS Premier radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology designed to handle sensitive shipments, including medicines and high-value healthcare products.
Marcos said major logistics investments could generate employment and business opportunities outside Metro Manila, particularly in areas where access to skilled jobs remains limited.
He also highlighted government initiatives aimed at improving the country’s supply chain infrastructure, including the DTI’s Supply Chain and Logistics Center, which assists businesses in identifying suppliers and logistics service providers.
The President likewise cited the proposed Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway, an infrastructure project intended to connect major ports through an integrated freight transportation network.
Marcos stressed that improving logistics efficiency is essential to reducing the high cost of transporting goods across the country.
He noted that logistics expenses can account for as much as 27 percent of business sales, with port congestion, inadequate road networks, and limited cold-chain facilities contributing to delays and higher consumer prices.
The President said efficient transportation and distribution systems are particularly important for an archipelagic country like the Philippines, where the timely delivery of food, medicines, and other essential commodities remains a challenge.
He added that reliable logistics networks become even more critical during natural disasters and possible supply disruptions associated with the projected very strong El Niño.
Marcos encouraged businesses to continue investing in the Philippines, assuring them that the government would pursue improvements in infrastructure, logistics connectivity, and the overall business environment.
