Clark Freeport Zone: Hot Air Balloon Festival

Nayong Pilipino Clark is a 3.5-hectare cultural theme park designed to showcase the rich history, diverse culture, and distinct architectural heritage of the Philippines in a single destination.

Nayong Pilipino Clark serves as an immersive living museum where visitors can find scaled-down replicas of the country’s most iconic geographical landmarks, ancestral homes, and cultural heritage sites.

The park is structured into two main zones: the Colonial Plaza (Spanish-era theme) and the Pre-Colonial Plaza (indigenous history theme). The primary features inside the park include:

Colonial Plaza and Historical Shrines

• Barasoain Church Replica: This section features a scaled-down version of the historic church in Malolos, Bulacan.
• National Heroes’ Houses: This section features replicas of the ancestral homes of Dr. Jose Rizal (Calamba, Laguna), Apolinario Mabini (Tanauan, Batangas), and Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo (Kawit, Cavite).

  Dr. Jose Rizal (Calamba, Laguna)

  Apolinario Mabini (Tanauan, Batangas)

  Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo (Kawit, Cavite)

Pre-Colonial Plaza and Indigenous Villages

• Traditional Villages: This section features authentic replicas of houses and living setups of ethnic groups, including the Ifugao, Kalinga, Aeta, and Maranao (Torogan House) communities.

  Ifugao Village

  Kalinga Village

  Aeta Village

  Maranao Village

A timeline of the park’s history in Clark:

• Opening (2007): The cultural park was relocated to the Clark Expo site in Pampanga after the original Pasay City location was closed.
• Reopening (2014): Following redevelopment, the park operated for several years, featuring landmarks like the Banaue Rice Terraces, Barasoain Church, and Rizal’s house.
• Closure (2019): Closed in April 2019 in anticipation of the Southeast Asian Games, with plans to relaunch as “Nayon Clark Park” later that year.

Nayong Pilipino Clark officially closed in April 2019 and never officially reopened to the public because the Memorandum of Agreement for the lease at the Clark Freeport Zone expired and was not renewed.

By 2023, because the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) did not have a completed, permanent museum building to store and display its collection, the Provincial Government of Tarlac stepped in to offer space and a temporary housing arrangement was made.

Key milestones of the Tarlac venue include:

• March 2023 (The Offer): Tarlac Governor Susan Yap offered the use of a newly renovated building at no cost to house over 3,000 ethnographic artifacts.
• March 2024 (The Opening): The two-story Nayong Pilipino building was officially opened at the Capitol Guest House in Tarlac City, serving as an exhibition and research center. In late 2024, plans shifted to re-establish the Filipino cultural theme park in Metro Manila.
• June 2026 (The Closure): The Nayong Pilipino Tarlac venue was permanently closed on June 22, 2026, to facilitate the relocation of the artifacts to future long-term sites.

Currently, the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) is developing a 9.57-hectare Cultural Park and Creative Hub in Entertainment City, Parañaque, featuring a 70% green space and urban forest. While the grand cultural facility is being finalized, a partial open park is operational.

Hopefully, Nayong Pilipino’s new home would somehow still retain elements of its earlier designs, or even enhanced to more effectively showcase the Philippines’ rich history, vibrant culture, and unique architectural legacy.

To be continued ...

Clark Freeport Zone: Paradise Ranch