Cultural park, creative hub to rise in Parañaque City

What does a “nayon” (village) mean to you? How can it preserve a country’s history, art, culture and national heritage?

A world-class cultural park and creative hub in Parañaque City’s Entertainment City complex could soon provide answers to these questions, should plans by the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) and the Department of Tourism push through.

In an announcement on its Facebook page, NPF invited the public to participate this year in a series of consultations known as “Umpukan sa Nayon” as well as in the “Ang Ating Nayon” program, which will feature visual and literary artists expounding on the nayon’s significance and their aspirations for various communities.

The future site for the foundation’s cultural tourism and public education programs is the 9.57-hectare property at Entertainment City, a reclaimed land on Manila Bay in Parañaque.

The cultural hub is envisioned to be home to permanent and temporary exhibitions, performances, multimedia content and other activities that would highlight various facets of the country’s cultural heritage. The site will also feature an urban forest where visitors can learn about Philippine flora and fauna and “share meaningful conversations” in pocket gardens.

“It will be a place for enlivening the stories of our nation and nurturing our love of country … It will provide platforms for reimagining the nation,” NPF said.

Alleged irregularities

NPF drew controversy in 2018 over a lease contract it had with a Hong Kong-based firm to build a casino, resort, cultural park and indoor theme park on the Parañaque property.

However, the day after the complex was inaugurated, President Duterte fired the entire NPF board for alleged irregularities in the lease contract.

NPF currently operates Nayong Pilipino Clark at Clark Freeport Zone in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, which was inaugurated in 2007 at the site of the old Expo Pilipino.

The park now features Money Museum, Textile Museum, replicas of national landmarks, reconstructions of several indigenous villages, cultural performances and picnic grounds.

The original Nayong Pilipino Cultural Park was in Pasay City near Ninoy Aquino International Airport.