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Bill to expand Bataan Freeport coverage filed in Senate

Posted 5 years ago

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill amending the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) Act of 2009 aimed at encouraging higher migration of businesses and skilled workers into the province of Bataan, enhance its international positioning and competitiveness, and push greater contributions to national development.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee, sponsored last Monday Senate Bill 2133 designed to further strengthen the power and functions of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB).

Bill to expand Bataan Freeport coverage filed in Senate

Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian

The measure seeks to clarify and expand the FAB territory in order to create opportunities for more investment portfolios to come to Bataan, Gatchalian said.

At present, the FAB territory is over 1,600 hectares, although much of this is not ripe for development because of its mountainous nature. There are only 355 hectares of occupied areas within the 456 hectares considered developed, leaving only 101 hectares for further development.

Under the proposed amendment, the current FAB territory will now include the rest of the Municipality of Mariveles outside the former Bataan Economic Zone and its municipal waters, and would expand it to include alienable and disposable public lands and municipal waters of the expansion areas.

“Hindi ho masyadong malawak yung area for development because these are mountainous and rolling areas. Of these remaining areas, only 3 major parcels of land are zoned to receive industrial-related investments and these are not even contiguous. This is the reason why expanding the FAB territory is sorely needed,” Gatchalian said.

The bill will also allow AFAB to create the best model business center and one-stop shop for locators by giving AFAB certain powers within the FAB territory and unburdening other government agencies.

‘’This one-stop shop approach is designed to improve ease of doing business and lower bureaucratic burdens of investing and doing business within the FAB.’’ Gatchalian explained.

To balance the grant of additional powers to AFAB and as a good governance measure, the proposed measure provides for the separation of the roles of the Chairman and the Administrator of AFAB.

In filing the measure, Gatchalian noted the potential of FAB as an investment destination and in addressing the poverty rate in the area.

Source: news.mb.com.ph

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