𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗚. 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮

As a young reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer in the 1990s, I walked the ash-strewn grounds of Clark Air Base, uncovering a story that still haunts me: the toxic waste left by the U.S. military.

Beneath the scars of Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption, chemicals, heavy metals, and unexploded ordnance poisoned Pampanga’s soil and water. Today, as Clark transforms into the Clark Freeport Zone and Clark International Airport, poised to become Asia’s next megahub, I fear we’re masking this unseen threat with superficial glitz.

As a Filipino, I want Clark to rise as a beacon of equity and sustainability, not an elitist playground where the wealthy exploit its promise while lowly paid workers and the environment suffer the cost of a buried past.

A Future That Faces Its Past
In 2025, with tensions escalating in the South China Sea and global trade routes under strain, Clark’s strategic location and modernized infrastructure make it a pivotal Indo-Pacific node. The 2023 rehabilitation of nearby Basa Air Base under the U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signals renewed military focus. Yet Clark’s civilian transformation, marked by its sleek new airport terminal and the ambitious New Clark City project, hints at a grander destiny. As I learned covering Clark’s toxic waste in the 1990s, progress built on unaddressed sins risks repeating history’s mistakes. Can Clark become a hub to rival Singapore or Dubai while confronting its environmental and social debts, or are we sweeping the toxic waste issue under a rug of shiny developments?

A Historical Burden
Founded in 1903 as Fort Stotsenburg, Clark became a U.S. Pacific stronghold, named after aviator Maj. Harold M. Clark. It survived Japanese occupation in World War II and served as a logistical hub during the Vietnam War. Its cultural impact, from the Far East Network’s broadcasts to Angeles City’s exploitative Fields Avenue, left deep scars. The 1991 Pinatubo eruption and the Philippine Senate’s rejection of a renewed U.S. lease ended this era, but not without a hidden cost. As I reported for the Inquirer, the U.S. left behind a toxic legacy: lead, aviation fuel, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated wells, soil, and rivers. A 1993 World Health Organization report confirmed unsafe levels at Clark, linked to cancers and reproductive disorders. A 1995 Philippine Department of Health study found oil and grease in Clark’s wells, and a 2000 Senate inquiry tied toxins to high rates of skin diseases, miscarriages, and leukemia among 500 families who sought refuge there post-eruption.

A Toxic Legacy Unresolved
In the 1990s, I interviewed Aeta families and workers, like those in nearby Subic, paid 30 cents a day to sort Navy waste, including asbestos, without protective gear. Villagers spoke of fainting from toxic fumes and losing loved ones to lung diseases resembling asbestosis. A 2004 study by the Philippine Environmental Management Bureau found chromium-6 in Subic’s rivers, linked to respiratory issues and tumors, while a 1998 health survey noted elevated reproductive and kidney disorders near Clark. Yet no comprehensive cleanup has occurred.

The U.S., absolved of responsibility in the 1991 agreement, spent only $17 million, just 1% of its domestic base cleanup budget, while the Philippines lacked resources to act. Lawsuits, like one filed in a U.S. court in 2003, were dismissed, and a 2000 Senate inquiry led nowhere.

Today, I see little progress. The Clark Development Corporation promotes eco-friendly plans, but reports of ongoing groundwater contamination persist. A 2005 statement by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines demanded action, citing moral obligations under international agreements like the Stockholm Declaration.

Yet, as Clark’s new terminal welcomed 2.4 million passengers in 2023 and a $150 million Lufthansa Technik hangar takes shape, the focus remains on economic shine, not remediation. Are we building a future on poisoned land, endangering workers and residents?

From Ruin to Redemption
Clark’s revival began in 1993 as a duty-free zone, drawing Asian investment. By 1995, under President Fidel V. Ramos, it became a commercial hub. Today, the Freeport hosts factories, casinos, and a budding tech scene, while Clark International Airport’s new terminal, managed by Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation, earns global praise.

The New Clark City project envisions a smart, sustainable urban center, with Chinese-backed rail links to Subic Bay and Huawei’s tech infrastructure. But as a Filipino, I worry these projects prioritize profits over people, echoing the exploitation of Clark’s military past, when low-wage labor and environmental neglect prevailed.

A Vision for Justice and Healing
Clark’s potential is immense. Its 80-kilometer proximity to Manila, linked by the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, positions it as a logistics and tourism powerhouse. I envision a Clark with high-speed rail, green skyscrapers, and an airport surpassing Manila’s congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport. But this future must confront its toxic past.

The government must fund comprehensive soil and water testing, prioritizing cleanup over cosmetic developments. Workers, from airport staff to construction crews, deserve living wages and safe conditions, not exploitation by corporations or foreign investors. Local voices, like museum guide Mark Felker, highlight practical needs like public transport within the Freeport, where jeepneys and tricycles are banned.

Geopolitically, Clark’s role in EDCA exercises, like 2023’s F-22 deployments, underscores its strategic value but risks entangling it in U.S.-China rivalries. We must balance economic partnerships with security priorities, ensuring Clark serves Filipinos first. Environmentally, renewable energy and green urban planning can protect the land, honoring the Aeta communities whose ancestral lands were taken. The toxic waste issue demands action—international pressure, perhaps through the U.N., to hold the U.S. accountable, alongside Philippine-led remediation.

Parting Words…
Clark’s journey, from U.S. stronghold to toxic wasteland to economic hub, mirrors our nation’s resilience. As a reporter, I saw the human cost of its neglected legacy; as a Filipino, I refuse to let history repeat. Clark can be the beating heart of a new Philippines, a global hub where ambition meets justice. But we must unearth the toxins beneath, not hide them under glitzy facades. Let’s build a Clark that heals its land and lifts its people, not one haunted by the ghosts of exploitation.