The state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the U.S. Embassy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalizes the pact between the Philippines and the United States on the upkeep of the Clark Veterans Cemetery in Pampanga. The seven-hectare cemetery was established in 1947 as a final resting place for American veterans and Filipino scouts. Under the agreement, the US will provide a $5 million fund for the rehabilitation of the cemetery, while the Philippine government, through the BCDA, maintains ownership of the land. BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova stressed the importance of the cemetery, saying that “it is but fitting and honorable to remember those who have fought for our freedom, our liberty and our democracy, [and] we are honored to stand side by side with the US government.” In photo: Casanova (left) and United States Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg (right) join hands after signing the MOU, as Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario looks on.
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