Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) signed on Friday an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center for technical advisory services for the 62-hectare National Food Hub at the Clark civil aviation complex.
“This ceremonial signing marks a major step in the transaction advisory phase, ensuring technical expertise in the preparation, structuring, and procurement of the concessionaire for the National Food Hub Project,” said CIAC president Arrey Perez.
Under the agreement, ADB will provide comprehensive market-facing transaction advisory services and technical assistance, including the preparation of pre-tender documents, securing approvals and assisting with the tender process.
Perez stressed the value of partnering with international financial institutions like ADB and the PPP Center, saying their expertise would ensure technical excellence throughout the project’s development.
The PPP Center earlier granted $450,000 in funding support to CIAC for the project. It procured ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public-Private Partnership (OMDP) services through a negotiated procurement process.
The P8.5-billion National Food Hub Project involves developing, operating, and maintaining a wholesale food hub catering to a wide region, including the Clark Freeport Zone, New Clark City, Metro Manila, North, Central, and Southern Luzon.
Perez said the food hub would replicate the state-of-the-art agro-logistics systems from advanced Asian countries, elevating food safety standards and creating better opportunities for local farmers, fisherfolk and growers.
“The Clark hub will serve as a comprehensive solution for the distribution, storage, and processing of agricultural products, strengthening the national government’s food security measures—a key priority of the Marcos administration,” he said.
The timeline for the project includes the completion of ADB’s feasibility study and pre-tender documents by January 2025, the public release of tender documents in the first quarter of next year and the anticipated signing of the project concession agreement by January 2026.
