Petrochemical Plant in Bataan seen economic boom

By Jason de Asis

BALANGA CITY, Bataan, February 7, 2011-Governor Enrique “Tet” Garcia said that  the Petrochemical Plant (Petrochem) here played a major role for the economic development of Bataan with the hundreds of millions of pesos it has contributed to government coffers in the form of taxes.

Garcia added that aside from the taxes it is paying, Petrochem is also giving thousands of employment to Bataenos, and furthered that the multi-national firm is expected to hire more workers and personnel in the coming years with the expected establishment of another big-time investor.

“A total of P200 million in the form of taxes are being paid yearly to the province coming from the Petrochem alone,” said Garcia, where he expressed optimism that an additional P85 million will be paid by the plant this year.

Petrochem provides 3,000 employments to the province and this will be increased once the other new company starts operation by next year which means additional income for the province and additional employment to the Bataenos,” Garcia explained.

Earlier, Garcia, then Representative of Bataan’s 2nd District, fought a landmark case all the way to Supreme Court (SC) just for the retention of the Petrochemical plant in Bataan after the President at that time asked him to let the plant be transferred to Batangas.

Garcia stood his ground to keep the plant even local leaders here led by then Gov. Ding Roman, the provincial board, Rep. Tong Payumo of 1st district, have agreed to move the establishment of the plant to Batangas. (Jason de Asis)