ON WEDNESDAY the Subic and Clark freeport zones took a giant stride in their unified bid to be more attractive to established and future investors.

At the offices of the Clark Development Corp. was formally launched the Manual for Immigration, Customs and Quarantine for the two current engines of economic development in the country.

The ICQ manual is seen to usher in a new period of policy synchronization that will greatly enhance the business climate in the two freeports and thus generate more investments.

The synergy between the once twin bastions of American imperial might in the Far East is expected to advance the development of the so-called Subic-Clark Corridor into a “competitive world-class logistics center in the Asia-pacific region.” This, pursuant to the vision of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Highlighted in the ICQ manual are the unified ICQ Systems and Procedures for Clark and Subic; the on-line single submission for import permit application, the reduced cost of application and processing, the time-reducing automation procedures, and the reduction of face-to-face transactions in the processing of documents and applications.

All these redounding to efficiency, effectiveness, and the pre-emption of opportunities for graft and corruption.

The manual likewise covers such other nuances as the granting of work permits and visas issued in the freeports with validity anywhere in the Philippines. That is with the proviso that the permit or visa holder shall not engage in any gainful employment outside the freeports.

Also embodied in the manual is the benchmarking of Subic and Clark freeport policies to the international standards of logistics hub partners in Taiwan, South Korea and the United States of America.

The ICQ manual is born out of the initiative of Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan, as chair of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council, to institute the necessary measures to actualize the President’s vision for Subic and Clark for national development.

Where development is needed, EdPam once again delivered.