GUANGXI Banking on their strategic locations, San Fernando City in La Union and the Clark Freeport Zone

CFZ! "oth placed their "est #oot #or$ard in a "id to attract the attention o# in%estors #ro& China and other
&e&"er'states o# the Association o# So(theast Asian Nations AS)AN!*
San Fernando City and the CFZ $ere "oth chosen as the +Cities o# Char&, #ro& the -hilippines in the .th China'
AS)AN #o(r'day )/po that "egan on Sept* 01 in the city o# Nanning*
San Fernando 2ayor -a"lo 3rtega in#or&ed in%estor prospects in the +In%est&ent Se&inar'B(siness
3pport(nities in the -hilippines, held at the Nanning International Con%ention and )/hi"ition Center NIC)C! on
Sat(rday that their city4s location $o(ld s(it the needs o# in%estors and %isiting to(rists*
5e said San Fernando is regarded as the +gate$ay to the North, and the +pri&e capital city o# Ilocandia*,
San Fernando in La Union is the ho&e o# the -oro -oint Freeport Zone --FZ! that can "e easily accessed %ia
land, air and sea* San Fernando4s seaport is already classi#ied as +international, since it has "een acco&&odating
cr(ise ships, cargo %essels and "arges in its pier*
6he international seaport o# --FZ has a total land area o# 78 hectares and $ith a possi"le recla&ation area o#
o%er 188 hectares* It has three pier str(ct(res, si/ $areho(ses and open storage areas that are ideal #or %ario(s
types o# cargo*
3rtega o##ered the city to the "(siness co&&(nity here*
+6his is $hat $e o##er, #ast e&erging o# de%elop&ent is the -oro -oint Freeport Zone $herein a si9ea"le portion is
s(rro(nded "y the :est -hilippine Sea,, he said*
5e added San Fernando is "lessed to "e located 0;8 kilo&eters north$est o#2etro 2anila* Fro& La Union, %isitors
co(ld also access other to(rist destinations o# near"y pro%inces incl(ding Bag(io, <igan in Ilocos S(r, Laoag City
in Ilocos Norte, and -angasinan*
San Fernando City Co(ncilor =oseph de G(9&an said their e##orts to pro&ote to(ris& ha%e "een paying o##
"eca(se co&pared to three years ago, there has "een a"o(t a >8'percent increase in the n(&"er o# to(rists*
+6here are already a lot o# ?oreans in the city* 6here are also se%eral Chinese "(siness&en $ho o$n s&all
"(sinesses,, he said*
3ne o# the city4s "iggest and latest attractions is the 6h(nder"ird @esort that has a casino*
A&ong the ti&e tested to(rist attractions in San Fernando City are the 08'hectare "otanical garden, the 2a'cho
6e&ple, and the 0>'#oot stat(e o# Christ the @edee&er at the @eser%oir 5ill*
As #or the CFZ, Clark Freeport -hilippines'&arketing depart&ent &anager @a#ael Gal%e9 $as thank#(l #or the
opport(nity to pro&ote the #ree port, and hoped to catch the attention o# &ore #oreign in%estors #ro& China and
the AS)AN co(ntries*
+:e are &ainly trying to attract &ore people #ro& the B-3 B(siness -rocess 3(tso(rcing!, electronic sector and
IC6 In#or&ation and Co&&(nications 6echnology! ind(stry and the &an(#act(ring sector* Also $e are looking at
co&panies that are a%iation related, those a%iation dependent and co&panies that are open to logistics,, Gal%e9
said*
5e "elie%ed that once "(siness&en ha%e heard o# their proposals and seen the potential o# the CFZ, they $o(ld
serio(sly consider entr(sting the& $ith their "(sinesses*
+:e are also o##ering to #oster "etter relationship $ithin the AS)AN region* Clark has so &(ch to o##er*** and e%en
on the side o# to(ris&* 6here are! &ore lots in Clark and property that are a%aila"le #or e/pansion proAects #ro&
co&panies $ho are looking #or a place that are ideal* Clark #or e/a&ple has an international airport, it has
to(ris& acti%ity and it has an ind(strial park* So it is "asically a place $here nat(re, leis(re and "(siness
intert$ine,, he said*
6hey are also eyeing the s(pplier chain o# the c(rrent "(siness esta"lish&ents in the Freeport 9one*
Gal%e9 added that apart #ro& the incenti%e plans that they $o(ld "e o##ering to inco&ing in%estors, Clark4s
$ork#orce is #riendly and skilled* Co&&(nication is also not a pro"le& since al&ost all Filipinos speak )nglish
$ell*
6he CFZ is also accessi"le to to(rists thro(gh the Biosdado 2acapagal International Airport B2IA!*
+Not$ithstanding co&peting $ith other! pro%inces "(t Clark has &ore international #lights no$ co&pared to
Ce"( #lying #ro& Singapore, ?(ala L(&p(r, 5ong ?ong, Bangkok and ?orea* :e already ha%e daily direct #lights
to ?orea,, he added*
6hey are also hoping to reesta"lish tra%el ties $ith China* Gal%e9 added, +5ope#(lly, there $o(ld "e direct #lights,
to and #ro& China and Clark*
+6here $ere direct #lights "e#ore to China* :e are trying to strengthen that relationship once &ore,, he said*
-laces #eat(red in pre%io(s CA')X-3 +Cities o# Char&, incl(de Ce"(, Bohol, -ala$an, 2anila, Laoag, S("ic Bay,
Ba%ao, Iloilo, Cagayan de 3ro, Za&"oanga City, and -(erto -rincesa*
20 September 2012 - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario recommended to President
Benigno S. Aquino to designate Secretary !ar Ro"as as #is Special $n%oy to t#e &
t#
'#ina-
AS$A( $"po )'A$*P+, -#ic# -ill be #eld from September 21 to 2. in (anning/ '#ina.
'A$*P+/ co-sponsored by '#ina and AS$A(/ is an international e%ent #eld annually since 2000
-it# t#e ob1ecti%e of promoting t#e '#ina-AS$A( Free 2rade Area )'AF2A,. 2#e 'A$*P+ is an
Phl cities charm investors at China-Asean Expo
By )%elyn 2acairan 6he -hilippine Star! Updated Septe&"er 0C, 0810 10D88 A2 Co&&ents 8!
e"cellent platform for cooperation in t#e fields of infrastructure in%estment/ trade/ and tourism/
among ot#ers.
2#e '#inese 3o%ernment #ad earlier requested t#e P#ilippines to send a #ig#-le%el delegation to
t#e 'A$*P+. '#ina4s 5ice President *i 6inping is attending t#e 'A$*P+.
2#e President of !yanmar/ Prime !inisters of 7aos and 5ietnam/ and t#e 8eputy Prime !inisters
of !alaysia and 2#ailand are e"pected to attend t#e 'A$*P+.
Secretary del Rosario4s recommendation is based on t#e P#ilippines being t#e 'ountry of 9onor
in t#e ne"t year4s 'A$*P+. Secretary $d-in 7acierda -as li:e-ise recommended by t#e
8epartment of Foreign Affairs )8FA, to 1oin t#e ot#er members of t#e P#ilippine delegation to t#e
'A$*P+.
2#e 8FA is ma:ing arrangements for Secretary Ro"as and t#e P#ilippine delegation to meet -it#
#ig#-le%el '#inese officials. $(8