Local officials from the three districts of Negros Oriental went on a two-day tour of the Clark Freeport Economic Zone in Pampanga.
The tour was upon the invitation of Clark Development Corporation President and CEO, Atty. Felipe Antonio Remollo, who wanted to expose the local officials to the economic benefits of having a special economic zone.
“Negros Oriental is full of potential since it has two natural ports — Bais Bay and Tambobo Bay in Siaton. As of the moment, MEPZA (Mactan Export Processing Zone) in Cebu is full and multi-national corporations are looking at other locations,” Remollo said.
Rep. Josy Limkaichong said Negros Oriental is ripe and ready for this challenge as the workforce can easily entice investors and there are numerous tourist spots for rest and recreation in the province.
Bais City Mayor Karen Villanueva said they had submitted the plans for a new port in 2009. “In the future, we forsee Bais City to be a sustainably developed special investment destination because of its strategic location in the province and the region.
Siaton Mayor Albert Ator, for his part, said he is preparing Siaton as the “Visayas Gateway” for investments coming in from Mindanao. “Siaton plays a key role in connecting Visayas and Mindanao through RORO due to its proximity to each other. In fact, hundreds of international yachts have been docking for years in our waters because of our natural harbor. (PR)