APRUBADO na sa Senado ang batas na lilkha ng Bulacan Special Economic Zone (BuZ) at Freeport na pinaniniwalaan makatutulong ng malaki sa ekonomiya ng lalawigan ng Bulacan.

Ayon kay Sen. Grace Poe na siyang may akda ng Senate Bill No. 2572 , kung saan ay maitatayo na ang Bulacan Ecozone na sinasabing magiging panghalili sa New Manila International Airport sa probinsya ng Bulacan.

Bukod kay Poe, ang kanyang co-sponsor o isa sa may akda ay si Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri kasama na rin ang ibang pang senador tilad nina Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, at Senators Pia S. Cayetano, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, gayundin si Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

“Throughout our collective brainstorming, we have crafted a vastly-improved bill that adheres to the constitutional provisions on land conversion, balances economic growth with environmental protection, and warrants greater local government unit (LGU) representation at its helm,” ani Poe matapos makakuha ng matinding suporta at pag sang ayon sa myembro ng mayorya sa senado.

“It will spur investments, create more jobs and will be a model, not just here in the Philippines, but all over Asia,” pahayag pa ni Poe.

Base sa pag-aaral tinatayang sasampa ng malaking halaga ang naturang proyekto at magdadala ng tagumpay sa ating ekonomiya sa pamamagitan ng iminungkahing Project BuZ na maaaring sumampa ang kita ng bayan hangang P130.9 billion at karagdagan kita na tinatayang P800,000 to 1.2 million na trabaho para sa maraming Pilipino.

Sa ilalim ng nasabing batas, ang BuZ ay magbubulas ng ibat ibang oportunidad tulad  aviation hub, industrial, commercial, trading, agro-industrial, tourism, retirement, banking, financial gayundin ng investment center, na kusang lalabas dahil sa natural na pag akyat ng ekonomiya bunga ng nasabing proyekto.

Ang nasabing korporasyon ay tatawagin na Bulacan Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (BEZA) ay siyang mangangasiwa at magbibigay ng kasiguruhan sa takbo at galaw ng proyekto sa ilalim ng BuZ. Samanatala ang BEZA naman ay direktang nasa pangangasiwa ng Office of the President.

“The BEZA shall have an authorized capital stock of P2 billion, the majority shares of which shall be subscribed and paid for by the national government and the local government units embracing the ecozone.”

“To ensure the efficient and sustainable development of the ecozone, the BEZA, in consultation with the National Economic and Development Authority, shall come up with a general framework for land use, planning, and development for the area covered by the proposed ecozone. The framework shall be consistent with the goals of the Philippine Development Plan.” Maliwanag na nakapaloob sa nasabing panuntunan.

Sinasabi rin na ang pagtakbo ng operasyon sa ilalim ng BuZ ay sama samang isasagawa ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno tulad ng national government agencies, regional development councils, at LGUs para sa transportasyon, telecommunications infrastructure at iba pang mahahalagang pasilidad.

Ang nasabing proyekto ay direktang pangangasiwaan ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources na siyang maniniguro sa pagpapatupad nito sa ilalim ng ecozone sa pamamagitan SBN 2572 na magbibigay incentibo sa mga investors sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang immigration laws, rules and regulations, at fiscal incentives.

“As for revenues, the BEZA and affected LGUs shall be entitled to a share in the special corporate income tax under Republic Act No. 8424, otherwise known as the “National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997” as amended, from all registered business enterprises within the ecozone. The corporate income tax collected shall be divided as follows: 40 percent to the national government; 20 percent to BEZA for infrastructure development; and 40 percent to the concerned LGUs.”

“Notwithstanding its autonomy, all transactions to be undertaken by the BEZA shall be subject to the audit mechanisms under Republic Act No. 10149, or the “GOCC Governance Act of 2011,” as well as the accounting and auditing rules of the Commission on Audit.” Malinaw na nakapaloob sa naturang batas

“With this measure, the Bulakenyos and the rest of the country can expect a world-class economic zone that we can be proud of,” giit ni Poe.