THE special government agency overseeing investment and economic activities in Central Luzon said that US Ambassador Frank Ricciardone wants the former Subic Naval Base promoted globally through one of Washington’s premier web sites.

Citing a recent meeting between the US ambassador and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chair, Felicito Payumo, the Presidential Commission for the Central Luzon Growth Corridor (PCCLGC) said that Ricciardone sought the present Subic freeport zone to be included in the US Embassy’s Foreign Commercial web site.

"This will definitely lure more potential American investors to know more about this bustling Philippine economic zone," the commission quoted Ricciardone as saying.

The PCCLGC added that the American ambassador expressed optimism that "more American investors (will) set up their businesses in Subic (because of its) great business and tourism potentials as an economic zone and a safe place for foreign investors."

According to the special government body, the inclusion of the ecozone in the US Embassy’s web site "will give Subic a high profile image in the minds of the Americans as a center for investment and tourism in Southeast Asia."

Payumo and Ricciardone met recently, as the former briefed the latter on the ongoing development of the Subic seaport, as well as the proposed Subic-Clark-Tarlac superhighway, which intends to synchronize the Subic, Clark and Cojuangco-owned Luisita economic zones.

The PCCLGC said that the American ambassador similarly supported the "Subic-Clark alliance" that will emerge from the superhighway’s construction, as Ricciardone agreed that it will indeed linkup the operations of the Subic port and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark.

"This (Subic-Clark-Tarlac highway) would generate more jobs and investments not only from the US but also from the other Asia-Pacific regions," said the commission.

SBMA records have it that the Subic ecozone continues to attract more investors, posting an impressive 50% increase in the first six months of the year with the approval of 67 new projects amounting to P1.58 billion, compared to the P1 billion investments reported on the same period last year.