ANSON-ROA BATS FOR EXPANSION OF INT'L AIRPORT AT CLARK February 12, 2004 SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Senatorial candidate Boots Anson-Roa plugged yesterday for the early rehabilitation and expansion of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the former military base in Clark here in order to hasten the nation’s economic development, more particularly in Central Luzon.. The multi-awarded movie and TV personality, who is running under the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) under the Fernando Poe Jr.-Loren Legarda presidential tandem, said she would fight any move to block or stall the DMIA’s expansion, calling such move “anti-development and counter-productive.” “If elected to the Senate in the forthcoming national election, I will oppose any move, either in Congress or from the executive department, to obstruct the modernization of the airport at Clark,” Anson-Roa declared. She pointed out that certain investors in the construction of Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were among the few throwing the monkey wrench into the DMIA expansion project. “In my view,” said Anson-Roa, once voted outstanding alumna of the University of the Philippines, “many economic benefits arising from the improvement of DMIA into a state-of-the-art airport will be lost if these economic obstructionists will have their way.” In her dialogue with local leaders, Anson-Roa said the DMIA could become the bridge that will bring industrialization to Central Luzon, triggering an economic boom that can create jobs, promote commerce and tourism, and enhance agriculture, among other things. Furthermore, the KNP senatorial bet said a modern airport in the Clark zone could bring many more opportunities to the people of Pampanga in the fields of livelihood projects and entrepreneurship.