The place to be

EVERYTHING’S RIGHT in Mabalacat.
In the current of water-logged events swirling around a large part of Pampanga, Mabalacat makes the perfect place to be. For simply being flood-free, the town occupying the premium spot on the elevated plain called “Upper Pampanga” never inundated by floods from the heaviest of downpours.
Hence, last Monday’s invitation of Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales over station dwGV-FM for the perennially flood-stricken folk of the fourth district – the province’s catch basin – to consider relocation to his town made a most sound proposition.
Assuming even greater urgency with Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda saying: “It’s getting worse each year and we can’t go on like this. We must treat this problem in the way the government did during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.”
No diaspora – scattering of a people, but an exodus – flight from want and despair, is a move to Mabalacat. It is something like the Canaan to the Hebrews struggling their way through the desert from their slavery in Egypt.
The municipality – figuratively now – drips with milk and honey, that is in the fruits of development accruing from its first-class status.
Then there is the Clark Freeport Zone, some three-fifths of its land area belonging to Mabalacat, thereby giving the town the lion’s share not only in a percentage of the gross income earned from the locators and investors but also in the number of workers.
With the greatest of conviction and without any fear of contradiction – to plagiarize its mayor – Mabalacat offers the widest opportunity for employment, as a consequence to Clark.
With a land area already double that of Angeles City and further increased to the current 14,660.98 hectares as a result of Special Patent 3628, dated June 02, 2003, whereby some lands which were previously demarcated as part of the built-up area of Clark Air Base were reverted to the town, Mabalacat possesses truly premium real estate, be it for commercial, light-industrial and residential purposes.
Which puts the substance to Mabalacat’s billing as the “Next Makati North of Manila.” No matter its minting by the Asian Institute of Management-educated Mayor Boking.
Location. Location. Location. No other town or city in Pampanga is as much blessed as Mabalacat in topography, in geography.
“Gateway to North Philippines, Regional Center of Central Luzon and Champion of Good Urban Governance by 2015 and to use this vision as a platform to become a Global Gateway by 2020 and Habitat of Human Excellence by 2030.”
So the City of San Fernando prides itself to be and yet to become.
With due respect, and undue apology, methinks Mabalacat has the rightful claim to the “gateway” tag, at least.
For one, Mabalacat serves as the nexus of the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway which is being stretched further north to Pangasinan and La Union.
And two, the Clark Airport, otherwise known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, by necessity the emerging premier international gateway of the country, is sited in Mabalacat.
Where Mabalacat is a gateway then, the City of San Fernando is merely a crossroad. So I be damned by Mayor Oscar Rodriguez now!
Mabalacat is, for all intents and purposes, already a city. The final approval of House Bill 2509/4736 – which Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., chairman of the Committee on Local Government, himself said is a foregone conclusion – serves as a formal capping ceremony, so to speak.
But still, an official Mabalacat City makes yet another affirmation to its being not only the place, but the polis to be.
Everything’s right in Mabalacat, yeah. With Mayor Boking.