CLARK FREEPORT — The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) is eyeing the revival of the Nayon Pilipino Clark, rebranding it as ‘Nayon sa Clark’.
CDC President and Chief Executive Officer Agnes Devanadera announced the planned reopening of cultural theme park during the Meet the Press event held at the Textile Museum inside Nayon sa Clark last Friday, January 12, 2024.
“We would like to revive Nayon Pilipino but because Nayon Pilipino Foundation is no longer managing this area, we are now calling it Nayon sa Clark,” said Devanadera.
Relocated from its initial site adjacent to Ninoy Aquino International Airport 2 in Manila, Nayong Pilipino park was transferred to Clark in 2002 to accommodate the expansion needs of the airport.
Nayon Pilipino Clark then featured several smaller versions of cultural icons such as the Banaue Rice Terraces, Barasoain Church of Malolos, Bulacan, Dr. Jose Rizal’s house, and the Aguinaldo Shrine.
Village houses that represent some of the country’s tribal and indigenous peoples, and different museums and learning facilities were also found inside the park.
In 2007, then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo mandated the transfer of Nayong Pilipino from Clark to Paranaque City, which remained to be its current home.
Devanadera said the call to revive the themed park sparked during the holiday season, when hundreds of people were able to visit the area during the 'Simbang Gabi sa Nayon sa Clark’.
During the nine-day evening masses, Devanadera said they partnered with different hotels inside the freeport to offer traditional Filipino food sold during Christmas.
“Binuhay ulit natin ang Nayon sa Clark dahil nagkaroon tayo Simbang Gabi dito and we saw that people would want this to reopen. We were monitoring the sales sa food at nagkaubusan talaga. Ganun karami ang tao, they surpassed our projections and now there is a request to revive at least the church,” she said.
Devanadera said they are now in talks with local diocese for the holding of masses and weddings inside the Barasoain Church replica.
She disclosed about the proposals to revive the remaining portions of the themed park.
“More than the revenue that we will generate from here, what’s more important is the culture and the fact that this area is a representative of the different places in the country,” she said.