Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Aurora Expressway

Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 21 Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Aurora Expressway

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Tarlac-Aurora highway sought


By Tonette Orejas
Central Luzon Desk
Last updated 10:47pm (Mla time) 09/13/2007


CABANATUAN CITY -- Business groups in Central Luzon have linked up to push the government to build the Tarlac-Nueva

Ecija-Aurora Expressway to transform the region’s eastern side into a gateway of trade, commerce and tourism through

the Pacific Ocean route.

The Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon presented to the Nueva Ecija Chamber of Commerce and Industry the

features of the proposed 60-km expressway.

It starts from La Paz in Tarlac, goes on to the towns of Zaragoza and Sta. Rosa, up to Cabanatuan City and

Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija.

From an interchange in Pantabangan, the options are to extend the road to Dingalan and to Baler, the capital town of

Aurora.

This road can shorten travel time to Dingalan to 40 minutes, ADCL Chair Rene Romero said during a briefing here on

Wednesday night.

Important road

The road seeks to transform the region’s eastern corridor into trade routes to and from North America via the

Pacific Ocean, he said. The cost of building the road is being studied.

On the other hand, the soon-to-be finished 94-km, P27-billion Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) along the

region’s western boundary provides an access to Southeast Asian countries through the seaport and two airports at

the Subic and Clark free ports in Bataan, Zambales and Pampanga, he said.

Potentials

“These inter-connected structures will strengthen the potentials of the Luzon Urban Beltway,” Romero said, referring

to Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila that President Macapagal-Arroyo and government economic planners

have clustered as a “super region” in July 2005.

The ADCL is also pushing the extension of the SCTEx to La Paz, Tarlac, and to Rosario, La Union.

While the Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Aurora Expressway was not stated in the Central Luzon Development Plan (CLDP), which

the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Department of Trade and Industry had completed in September 1995,

the CLDP cited the need to create a “parallel development of the North Luzon Expressway and the Sierra Madre

Expressway (SME).”

Arroyo plan

“NLEx would encourage economic development in Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union and further northern provinces along the

coastal lines [of the South China Sea]. On the other hand, the SME would open up Cagayan Valley and Aurora,” the

CLDP said.

The ADCL took that idea on when it presented the “Global Gateways” master plan to Ms Arroyo in 2004, Romero said.

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Senator Edgardo Angara recently vowed to support the proposal of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) for the putting up of an expressway linking Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Aurora provinces.

In a series of meetings with Angara, ADCL officers led by its president Renato Tayag Jr. presented the proposed expressway that will be connected to the last section of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) in Lapaz, Tarlac.

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"The senator is very excited on this project. He is planning to visit Clark in November to meet with the ADCL core group. He believes that the expressway will also be a gateway to other northern provinces like Quirino, Cagayan and Isabela," Tayag said.

Tayag, also the ADCL co-chairman for infrastructure development, said since SCTEx will be open to the public in due time, it would be ideal to start building a new expressway that would cut down travel time to Aurora province.

Tayag also said in accordance with the National Government's plan to make Clark, Subic and the rest of Central Luzon a true logistics hub, it is important to develop the needed infrastructure linking these freeport zones to the country's east coast, that is in Aurora, where another seaport could be developed to accommodate cargo coming from the Pacific Ocean area, particularly United States and Canada.

The ADCL president explained the importance of linking the east coast (Pacific) and west coast (China Sea) using Aurora and Subic seaports. The Aurora Expressway, which will traverse from Aurora to Palayan City and Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija to Lapaz, Tarlac will connect to SCTEx. Travel time from Aurora to Tarlac will be cut down from eight hours to one hour at the minimum.

Tayag said the newly organized chapters of ADCL in Tarlac led by Bernardo Araneta, also the president of the Tarlac Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and in Nueva Ecija led by Vicky Gaetos, also the president of the NE Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will help to lobby for Tarlac-NE-Aurora Expressway.

Meanwhile, ADCL will have a separate meeting with Presidential assistant for North Luzon ReIly Fajardo on Monday to discuss the same project that would complete the W Growth Corridor or Global Gateways Development Program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"We believe that the National Government is taking a serious step in realizing the potentials of Central Luzon. ADCL has always been a champion of development in the region that is why we are strengthening our ranks and our chapters to help the National Government facilitate the realization of the W Growth Corridor Development Plan," Tayag said. The ADCL president added that when all of these infrastructures were put into place, Central Luzon will truly become a seat of economic activities and tourist destination. (MHD)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Presidential Assistant for Central Luzon Relly Fajardo recently vowed to work with the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) and the local government units concerned on the proposed Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Aurora Expressway.

Fajardo, a former mayor of Palayan City and an advocate for Central Luzon’s development, had a luncheon meet with the members of ADCL, particularly the ADCL-Nueva Ecija Chapter led by Vicky Gaetos, also the president of the Nueva Ecija Chamber of Commerce and Industry, last October 8 at the Herbs and Greens Restaurant in Telabastagan, City of San Fernando.

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After a brief presentation of the proposed expressway, Fajardo requested ADCL to seek endorsements and resolutions from the local government units and non-government organizations concerned so she could endorse the project to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo soon.

Fajardo said the expressway from Tarlac to Dingalan Bay in Aurora was already approved by the President based on the original design of the Global Gateways.

She, however, welcomed the new proposal to include the road component to Baler, Aurora so as to simultaneously develop Baler as a gateway to the North Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Quirino, Cagayan, Nueva Viscaya, Isabela and others.

Fajardo also said it would be better for ADCL to also support the full development of the Palayan City Airport which is inside Fort Magsaysay. This is on top of ADCL’s proposal to develop Baler airport and the seaports of Dingalan and Baler.

Gaetos, ADCL-Nueva Ecija chairman, said being the lead group advocating for this expressway, they will seek endorsement from the Nueva Ecija Provincial Board (PB) and will closely work with the team of Fajardo.

“This expressway is vital for the over-all development not only of Nueva Ecija but the whole of Central Luzon. We can promote Baler as a tourist destination and Dingalan as an economic hub,” Gaetos said

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Dec. 19 (PNA) -- Senator Edgardo Angara bared here recently that the 94-kilometer Subic Clark Tarlac Expressay (SCTex) will soon be extended up to Baler in Aurora. Angara arrived here when he led officials of the province of Aurora in formally opening its satellite office inside the Clark Freeport last Monday.

Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President Benigno N. Ricafort said the satellite office will serve as logistics for the promotion of tourism, agricultural and other export products coming from Aurora province. Earlier, CDC and Aurora authorities signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the establishment of satellite office inside the Clark Freeport Zone.

Angara witnessed the signing of the MOA between Ricafort and Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, who signed in behalf of Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo during a simple ceremony held at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City. The senator said the MOA signing “is timely because it will complement soon the declaration of the special economic zone in the province.”

He said the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) will soon be extended up to Baler in Aurora which will make the province some two hours away from Clark. Aurora province, located at the northeastern of Central Luzon, is more than three hours away from Clark.

The establishment of a satellite office for the province of Aurora is likewise necessary for future economic, trade and other forms of cooperation that will help in the growth of tourism in Clark. “If Clark boasts of a 10,800-hectare ‘Next Frontier,’ Aurora is also seen as the ‘next frontier’ in Central Luzon,” Angara said during the MOA signing. He said infrastructure to Aurora is also being readied by government leaders because of the heightened economic and tourism activities in the province.

The satellite office is located at the building 2083, which is one of Clark’s barn houses along Cardinal Santos Avenue. The barn houses are identified and approved by CDC for lease to government offices particularly the Local Government of Mabalacat, Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) which are deemed vital to the development thrust of the Clark Freeport Zone and Clark Special Economic Zone. (PNA)

nayki, please include the source of your articles in your posts.

^^Hi boybi, i tried to include the link of the sources but unfortunately i cannot since my post was still below 10 when i made the post.:)

Wow, sana matuloy ito. Baler is such a nice place.

One other thing they should do is to construct a coastal highway from Dingalan in Aurora, then to Baler, then to Infanta, all the way to Mauban and down to Alaminos. That would open up the area to trade and tourism. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nayki

^^Hi boybi, i tried to include the link of the sources but unfortunately i cannot since my post was still below 10 when i made the post.:)

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You may PM me the links/sources of your articles and I'll put it in your posts.