Finally, Mabalacat gets lawmakers’ nod to become a city

For many years since he first became mayor here in 1995, Marino Morales has been lobbying to upgrade this town’s status into a component city in pursuit of a dream.
To Morales, the only local politician who was able to serve as chief executive for 17 straight years, this town’s conversion into a component city is a long-time dream.
His efforts initially produced a glimmer of hope in March 2005 when the Department of Finance officially certified that Mabalacat, where most parts of the Clark Freeport is located, had met the annual average income of P100 million as one of the requirements to become a city.
The next step was for Morales and the municipal council to ask the provincial board to endorse this town’s cityhood bid to Congress. But some board members refused, citing the town’s failure to remit several millions of pesos in accumulated real property taxes over the years.
It took the board about three years to pass a resolution of endorsement to Congress.
Even the League of Cities of the Philippines, which had vigorously campaigned against the conversion of 16 towns in various parts of the country into component cities, did not object to Mabalacat’s bid.
Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, LCP president, earlier said Mabalacat had surpassed the requirements to become a component city, which include a locally generated average income of P100 million yearly for the past two consecutive years, a contiguous territory of at least 100 square kilometers, and a population of not less than 150,000.
Only Tarlac officials are opposed to the conversion due to a pending boundary dispute between Mabalacat and Bamban town in Tarlac.
In September 2007, Pampanga Rep. Carmelo Lazatin introduced House Bill No. 2350 (Mabalacat Cityhood Bill) in the House of Representatives. The bill, however, did not become a law until the 14th Congress adjourned in 2010.
Under the 15th Congress, it was an entirely different story.
On February 7, the Senate passed on third and final reading HB 4736 that seeks to convert this town into a component city. It was an echo of the House action on June 6 last year when 241 representatives approved Lazatin’s measure.
HB 4736 was sponsored by Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Miriam Defensor-Santiago in the Senate after considering Senator Manuel Lapid’s Senate Bill No. 2926, which also seeks to convert Mabalacat into a component city. Lapid served as governor of Pampanga before he was elected senator.
In his sponsorship speech, Marcos noted Mabalacat’s rise “to become one of the most progressive municipalities in Pampanga.”
Local officials expect the town’s current P500-million income, including Internal Revenue Allotment shares, to increase to around P800 million once it becomes a component city.
“After 300 years, Mabalacat will be a component city, complete with an international airport, a freeport zone and modern expressways,” Morales said.
Once the cityhood measure is signed by President Aquino, a plebiscite will be held within a month to allow Mabalacat residents to vote on it.
FAST FACTS:
MABALACAT
Land area: 83.18 sq km
Population: 203,307 (as of 2007 census)
Registered voters: 90,872 (as of 2010)
Barangays: 27
Income classification: 1st class
Source: NSCB, DBM

This Pampanga resort hotel is different from other hotels in Clark Philippines or hotel in Angeles City. This Clark Hotel has large outdoor space for children to play and adults to enjoy some peace and quiet in the picnic grounds near the lake. Guests like the Hotel’s café breakfast garden which serves the best breakfast in Pampanga. Clearwater Resort has nice ambience and wide space, much better than the other hotels in Angeles City and Manila Philippines.

Many guests like staying at Clearwater Family Inn Hotel Room in the picnic grounds of this resort in Clark Pampanga. Some like the trees in the resort camping grounds of this place of leisure. One can stay in other hotels in Angeles City but it is not often one finds amenities and ambience like Clark, not like Clearwater Resort in Angeles City Philippines.

Clearwater is a highly recommended place of leisure and a most frequently visited hotel resort in Pampanga. This Clark hotel is a famous private resort outside Manila for corporate planning because of its exclusivity. Although the function rooms for planning and meetings are simple and basic, the surrounding gardens and ambience more than make up for what it lacks in lavish interior decoration. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga. Although golf continues to be one of the reasons why visitors from Manila travel to Pampanga, residents of Angeles City, Subic and Bulacan travel to Clark not just to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga but also to relax and unwind in the best resort in Philippines.

Those who are lucky enough to get a room at this lake resort in Clark Philippines will be able to enjoy the magical sunrise across the lake of Clearwater Resort at dawn. This is the only hotel in Clark Pampanga that guests can really enjoy viewing sunrise.

For reservations, comments and inquiries,

Clearwater Resort & Country Club
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Getting to this hotel in Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Subic, Manila, Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along Clark’s main highway MA Roxas, passing Clark’s largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center on your right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, you will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on your right just 200m down. Traffic in Clark Philippines is light so it should be quite easy for get to this hotel in Clark Philippines.

For inquiries and bookings, click here to contact Clearwater Resort now

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

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While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

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