CDC President Benigno N. Ricafort said the state-owned corporation is planning to forge partnerships with government agencies like the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Bureau of Food and Drugs for the implementation of livelihood programs for Aetas in the Next Frontier area which is located in Clark’s Sacobia Valley.

Ricafort said the Next Frontier project is in consonance with the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) signed in December 6, 2007 by CDC, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and leaders of the Tribung Ayta, who have inherent rights over certain areas of the Sacobia Valley under the Ancestral Domain Claims.

“CDC will be pursuing programs and projects that are geared toward capacity-building, entrepreneurship, and cooperativism. These endeavors are aimed at building self-sufficiency among members of Tribung Ayta,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort said: “Foremost in the implementation of livelihood programs will be CDC’s assistance in packaging and marketing of various existing products that Aetas are known for like cultural crafts and root crops.”

The CDC president also said the state-run corporation will ask the assistance of BFAD for the processing of the Aeta farm produce or plants into food, soaps, and other similar products.

“We are making it a point that our activities and projects for the Next Frontier will nurture Aetas into entrepreneurship, and the building of cooperatives to make them self-sufficient, Ricafort said.”

Ricafort also said the CDC also aims to establish common service facilities for Aetas in their respective residential clusters that will be built in the Sacobia Valley.

“These facilities will serve as venues for training, orientation, and even as showcase for their various products,” Ricafort said.

Earlier, Ricafort announced that the CDC is optimistic on the speedy completion of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the JMA.

Ricafort cited the JMA as the prime ingredient of the Next Frontier project that aims to develop more than 2,000 hectares of forested area in the Sacobia Valley – the northern portion of this Freeport.

“The most important role of the JMA is that it ensures the recognition and promotion of the overall welfare of the Aeta tribes in the area aside from enabling the CDC to generate investment potentials in tourism, housing, commercial, institutional and light industry projects in the Sacobia Valley through the Next Frontier project,” Ricafort said.

Also, Ricafort reported that the CDC has trained 21 Aetas, 18 of which have been selected as tour guides after an extensive training spearheaded by the state-run corporation, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region III office last June 15 to 19, 2009.

The Aeta tour guides are now employed at the Clark Museum, Ricafort said, adding that during their training they were brought to various national museums “to benchmark and observe” the work of curators and guides.

Ricafort added that more than 100 Aetas and residents of the Sacobia Valley here have applied for security force for the Next Frontier.

Dubbed “Special Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary” (SCAA), the project is a recruitment of Ayta Security Detail for the Next Frontier that seeks more ways to provide livelihood programs for indigenous people in the area.

CLARK FREEPORT – Seven Clark firms received awards from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the Clark Freeport Recognition 2009 spearheaded by the state-owned Clark Development Corporation (CDC) held Monday, July 13, at the Stotsenberg Hotel here.

CDC President Benigno N. Ricafort said Ms. Arroyo was the guest of honor during the recognition rites where she bestowed various awards to top performing Clark investors.

Ms. Arroyo, who was in Porac, Pampanga on Monday to inspect various infrastructure projects, proceeded to Clark to personally give the awards the following investors: Clark Water Corp., Smart Shirts Philippines, Inc., Poongsan Microtech Philippines, Inc., L&T International Group Philippines, Nanox Philippines, Inc., Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc., and Texas Instruments Philippines.

Ricafort said Clark Water Corp. received the special recognition for “Outstanding Environment and Health Management” while Poongsan was cited for “Outstanding Investment Performance.”

He added that Smart Shirts received the “Outstanding Employment Performance and Human Resource Management” award while Texas Instruments was cited as “Outstanding New Investor.”

Meanwhile, the CDC bestowed the “Outstanding Recognition for Overall Performance” awards to the following locators: L&T, Nanox, and Yokohama.

Also, Ms. Arroyo gave special recognition awards to “Outstanding Clark Freeport Partners to the following: Bureau of Customs – Clark, Bureau of Immigration – Clark, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Department of Labor and Employment Region III, National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., Philippine Air Force 600th Air Base Wing, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA).

Ricafort said the CDC has launched the Clark Freeport Recognition 2009 “to recognize the valuable economic, social, development contributions as well as the notable business and people management practices and successes of Clark Freeport locators.”

“The awards program aims to recognize distinct enterprises inside the Clark Freeport which have objectively displayed management and leadership excellence in relevant areas or categories consistent and supportive of CDC’s vision and mission for Clark,” Ricafort said.

“The program also intends to encourage Clark investors to pursue such areas of excellence while serving as models of best practices for developing enterprises,” he added.