CLARK FIELD, Pampanga --- The president and chief executive officer of the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) has been named one of the most outstanding sons of the Province of Pampanga during the 438th celebration of the foundation of the province on December 11, 2009.
Named Most Outstanding Kapampangan in the field of Government Service was Victor Jose I. Luciano, president and CEO of CIAC, owner and operator of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), in the Clark Freeport Zone.
Luciano and his team at CIAC has been responsible for the growth and development of the DMIA which, from a fledgling airport a few years back, developed into one of the busiest airports in the country and has been named by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the country's premier international airport.
Luciano has been widely credited for the development of the airport that is now host to several domestic and international airlines, namely, Asiana Airlines of Korea, Air Asia Berhad of Malaysia, Tiger Airways of Singapore as well as domestic carriers Cebu Pacific that has Clark as its fourth hub in the country, Zest Air, and South East Asian Airlines (Seair).
Aside from attracting airlines to the DMIA, Luciano was also instrumental in inviting the SIA Engineering Company of Singapore, a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company for aircraft, to locate at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex.
These are on top of aviation-related locators that are also vital for the operation of an international airport that include the Miascor-Gate Gourmet in-flight catering service provider.
Luciano, along with Executive Vice-President Alexander Cauguiran, had also been successful in securing entitlements for the DMIA through the various air talks with more than 10 countries this year to ensure that airlines fly to the DMIA once the airport is ready.
The airport is currently undergoing expansion to provide more convenient service to the traveling public. The multi-million-peso expansion project includes the installation of two aerobridges for passengers and an expansion of the other facilities.
Under Luciano's leadership, the airport was named the Low Cost Airport of the Year in 2006 by the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation while in 2008, the airport received from international consulting firm Frost & Sullivan "The Airport of the Year Award" for airports below 15 million passengers during the 2008 Aerospace and Defense Awards in Singapore.
In December 2008, Luciano also received the Gawad Pampublikong Korporasyon Award from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC).
Luciano, who is from the town of Magalang, had earlier been awarded as an Outstanding Kapampangan by the Pampanga Press Club (PPC) for his exemplary performance in the field of Corporate Governance.
Also given the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award were:
Rafael Maniago for Arts and Culture; Estelita Garcia for Business and Entrepreneurship; Supt. Emmanuel Arrozal for Law Enforcement; Eloisa Canlas or more popularly known as "Lola Sela Bungangera" for Mass Media; Rodolfo Quiambao for Science and Technology; Dr. Luis Mariano Uy for Social Services; and, Paulo Bucud for outh Service.