In the mid-90s, Southern Luzon, popularized by the acronym CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal) was successfully marketed by the administration of former Philippine President Fidel. V. Ramos as the Philippines investment location of choice in the last decade. It now hosts a wide range of industries led by electronics, semiconductors, machine parts, electrical wiring and garments, mostly focused on exports.
On one hand, the northern half of Luzon outside the congested Metro Manila has been positioned to be the new century’s boom area. These make up the provinces in Central and Northern Luzon of which the province of Pangasinan is at its vortex and the biggest. It was dubbed as the North Quadrangle Development Area or NORTHQUAD
The new growth region is well prepared to assume that role. It now boasts of three international airports opened for cross-country chartered passenger flights and unlimited cargo air shipments. These include the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at the former Clark Airbase in Pampanga being developed as the logistics hub of East Asia, the Subic International Airport inside the Subic Free-port in Olongapo City, Zambales and the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte.
Its two international seaports at the former American Naval Bases of Subic and Poro Point in San Fernando City, La Union can accommodate large cargo ships including oil tankers. These will be joined soon by Port Irene off Cagayan Province being developed as the new international gateway to the Pacific side of Northern Luzon.
In recent years, two large and cost-competitive power plants were built by the Ramos administration, a 1,200 megawatt coal plant in Sual close to the city of Alaminos, and the 350 megawatt San Roque hydro-electric dam in the town of San Manuel, both in Pangasinan.
As host province, Pangasinan, can assure investors reliable and cost-competitive wholesale power rates until the next decade.
The NORTHQUAD area has, since the nineties, a network of the best all-weather road network in the country. The network is set to be expanded and made more efficient with the scheduled completion of the Subic to Tarlac superhighway next year. It has a modern and expanding landlines and mobile telecommunications facilities practically covering all provinces.
These, plus and highly educated, easy to train labor force backed by a network of technical schools and public and private colleges and universities, provide the basic physical and human infrastructure necessary to spur rapid development.
The new development zone took the identity as the Northern Quadrangle Development Area or NORTHQUAD and positioned to be linked up directly to the booming economies of East and South Asia led by Japan, China and India.
In the latest state-of-the-nation-address of former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, it has been dubbed as one of the five super regions that enjoy top priority in the dispersal of industries to the less developed portions of the Philippine Islands.
No other city in the Philippines other than Alaminos, and maybe few in the world, holds the distinction of having a globally known tourist spot, the Hundred Islands.
Alaminos.gov.ph
2 comments:
Nice blog entry about Alaminos,perhaps you could feature scenic town of Bolinao.It is also located at pangasinan,and quite attraction for it's beaches and culture.
Hi there, I think Bolinao has its own site, but were looking to feature more of Pagasinan towns in the future. Thanks for dropping by, drop by more often.
Post a Comment