With a rich background dating back to 1903, Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga has gone far from being a military base into an economic zone since it was reverted to Philippine government in 1991.
At present, occupying more than 30,000 hectares of land, the free port has become a premier hub for tourism, business, and aviation, strategically catering to nearby countries including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Korea.
Apart from the infrastructures that make it as the envisioned “Asia’s next investment hub” as stated in a recent media report, Clark is a standout tourist destination with its myriad of world-class attractions. These attractions are sure to fascinate the interest of every type of tourist whether for business or leisure — making it the perfect place for work-play balance.
As a testament to its success as a premier tourist destination, Clark saw an increase in arrivals for both international and local visitors in the past few years. In a 2017 news release by Clark Development Corp.’s Tourism Promotions Division, Clark registered a total of 1,916,700 tourists in 2016 compared with 1,874,078 in 2015.
It further stated that between 2015 and 2016, the number of arrivals to Clark International Airport rose from 423,332 to 457,283. Of the total tourist arrivals in 2015, 1,001,980 were hotel guests inside the free port, while 448,766 were same-day tourists. In 2016, 1,106,535 visitors registered as hotel guests, of which 352,882 were day tourists.
The same report also indicated that the free port is also a preferred venue for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. In fact, in 2017, it hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s 1st Senior Officials Meeting as well as the Association of South East Asian Nation’s Leaders’ Summit.
Clark Freeport Zone was also hailed as the “Sports Destination of the Year” in 2016 for hosting various sports tourism events headlined by the popular Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, which annually attracts more than a hundred thousand local and foreign tourists.
Moreover, historical landmarks and buildings including the US Memorial Cemetery, Barn Houses, Pres. Manuel Roxas Marker, Former Office of the Commander of the 13th US Air Force, and Kelly Theater; theme parks like Nayong Pilipino, Fontana Water Park, and Clark Nature Park; open spaces such as Bicentennial Park and K9 Cemetery; as well as educational tours at the Clark Museum and 4D Theater remain aspopular destinations for tourists.
Staying true to how Clark Freeport Zone was envisioned, more developments are under way including the new terminal of the Clark International Airport worth P12.5 billion. Bases Conversion and Development Authority stated in a news release that the development is set to be an “alternate global gateway in the country,” and “complement other projects in Central Luzon including the Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, Manila-Clark Railway, and the New Clark City.”
It is slated to be completed in 2020. The new terminal is set to increase Clark Airport’s existing capacity of four million annual passengers to 12 million. — Romsanne R. Ortiguero
