The House Special Committee on Bases Conversion chaired by Isabela 6th District Representative Inno Dy held initial deliberation on four measures seeking to strengthen the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) whose life span will expire in 2042.
These were: 1) House Bill 357 authored by Rep. Maria Angela Garcia (3rd District, Bataan), 2) HB 530 by Rep. Geraldine Roman (1st District, Bataan), 3) HB 1690 by Deputy Speaker Aurelio ‘Dong’ Gonzales, Jr., and 4) HB 5816, by former President now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Dy said that since Republic Act 7227 was enacted into law more than 30 years ago, the Bases Conversion Development Authority has been a partner of the government in converting military bases into assets as a source of additional economic and social benefits.
RA 7227 is “An Act accelerating the conversion of military reservations into other productive uses, creating the Bases Conversion and Development Authority for this purpose, providing funds therefore and for other purposes”.
“Ang mga naging premium districts gaya ng BGC, New Port City, McKinley Hill Subic, Clark at iba pa ay di lang naging pasyalan ng publiko at nakapagbigay ng trabaho sa marami kundi nakatulong pa sa income generation ng pamahalaan. The successes of these enterprises, mostly joint ventures, if not all, are entered into by the BCDA and private organizations. Which is why it is important that we tackle the measures that are with us today because the life span of BCDA is only until 2042,” the veteran legislator stressed.
The seasoned lawmaker said that as everyone knows, it is very difficult to start new negotiations with other business entities if the BCDA has only 20 years left.
Per his observations on the four bills, HBs 357 and 530 heavily touch on the local application of RA 7227, specifically with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), while HBs 1690 and 5816 aim to strengthen the BCDA.
“We intend to craft the seamless version of all these bills that will advance the legislative mill.”
“We intend to craft the seamless version of all these bills that will advance the legislative mill,” Dy assured.
Among the resource persons present in the hearing were BCDA Chairperson Delfin Lorenzana, BCDA President and CEO Aileen Zosa, Clark Development Corporation President and CEO Atty. Agnes Devanadera, Poro Point Management Corporation Atty Felix Racadio, and SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen Paulino.
In his comments on the bills, Lorenzana said that more than anything else, the organization of the BCDA should be strengthened.
“Going forward, we should strengthen the organization, that’s the way the management of the whole is better.”
“It was established 30 years. It was a simple authority. Isa lang siya (noon) wala pa siyang subsidiaries. But now, we have the John Hay Management Corporation, Poro Point, Clark Airport. Dumami na po ito. So I think going forward, we should strengthen the organization, that’s the way the management of the whole is better,” he said.
Lorenzana proposed that the BCDA would operate like how it is being done in the private sector.
“Katulad ng ginagawa sa private sector, meron silang holding company sa itaas, but meron silang maliliit na companies na mina-manage I suggest we go that way so that ung management ng BCDA will be better. It could also maximize its earnings in converting former military bases into productive business centers,” he stressed.
