NEWSFLASH

CONTROVERSIAL CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPO REVIVAL SET

Manila, June 27, 2000 - Malacañang has begun studies on how to revive the mothballed Centennial Filipino Expo in Clark Field, Pampanga without the government having to shoulder the cost for operating the facilities put up by the Ramos administration in 1998.

Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) Administrator Angelito Banayo said yesterday the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) has formed a committee that will conduct the studies on the order of President Estrada.

It will be recalled the President had ordered the temporary closure of the controversial Centennial Expo last year.

At the same time, Mr. Estrada vowed to re-activate the facilities as soon as the government decides whether to turn them over to private operators or offer them to foreign investors.

In a weekly breakfast forum of the South Metro Journalists Club at the Ayala Alabang Country Club, Banayo pointed out the PTA was one of the agencies involved in helping put the P1-billion Centennial Expo back on track.

"If we do not revive the facilities soon, they may simply rot over time," the PTA chief said. "The PMS will first try to find out how much more the government needs to spend since some of the facilities and structures have yet to be completed.

He said one of the possible operators would be the Nayong Filipino Foundation, which would lose its facilities at the Nayong Pilipino in Pasay City by next year to give way to the runway extension of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport III project.

Prior to its closure, the Centennial Expo was operated by the now defunct National Centennial Commission headed by former Vice President Salvador "Doy" Laurel.

Mr. Estrada had formed a fact-finding committee, chaired by former Sen. Renato Saguisag, to look into allegations of multimillion-peso kickbacks that went with the construction of the Centennial Expo.

The Saguisag Commission recommended the indictment of former President Fidel Ramos and Laurel for "command responsibility" in the Expo scandal. Several government officials were also indicted for allegedly making money from the project.