MABALACAT, Pampanga – The mayor here joined First District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin in calling for the establishment of a Disneyland theme park at the Clark Freeport Zone.
Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales said the “brilliant idea” of Lazatin will not just bring more investments to Clark but generate employment and additional revenues for businesses here and nearby areas.
This came as Lazatin asked the Department of Tourism (DOT) to help him in his endeavor of convincing Disneyland to invest at Clark.
Morales said “Mabalacat which is now on the verge of becoming a city will be ready with new complementing establishments when Disneyland decided to invest at Clark.”
He also boasted that at least three entry points to Clark are in the town, including the two access points at the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCETx). The SCTEx is connected to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx).
“We have to give it to Congressman Tarzan. He doesn’t run out of ideas that will benefit his district. Tarzan is an excellent thinker, indeed,” said Morales.
Lazatin, in his recent letter to DOT Sec. Ramon Jimenez, said “this endeavor, if successful, would bring in more visitors to the country and make the Philippines as one of the best, if not the best, tourist destinations in the world.
The two-term solon said a Disneyland at Clark Freeport Zone would help boost the number of visitors in the country, thus strengthening the Tourism Department’s campaign to increase government revenue through tourism.
Recently, Jimenez launched “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, the Aquino government’s new tourism slogan and program aimed at increasing the number of tourist arrivals in the country.
In his letter, Lazatin informed Jimenez that he wrote to Thomas Staggs, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman, presenting Clark Freeport Zone as a viable location for a Disneyland theme park.
“In my letter, I informed the leadership of Walt Disney that Clark Freeport Zone is an ideal site for a Disneyland theme park with its 4,400 hectare main zone and 27,600-hectare subzone,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin informed the Walt Disney management that Clark Freeport Zone can be an attractive destination for Disneyland theme park because of the tax-free privileges given to locators.
“In addition, I notified them that Clark Freeport Zone also has its own world-class airport and hotels which can accommodate the influx of foreign and local tourists,” Lazatin’s letter stated.
The lawmaker informed Staggs that the Philippines is a favorite tourist destination in Southeast Asia, with an average arrival of four million foreign visitors a year and for 2012, the government is eyeing to hit the five-million mark.
“Together with our population of more than 90 million Filipinos, a Disneyland theme park in the Philippines could be a major income generating site for your company,” the lawmaker said in his letter to Staggs.
Currently, Walt Disney has theme parks in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
At the same time, Lazatin extended Jimenez his congratulations on the success and achievements the DOT has been reaping since taking the reins of the department.
“Allow me to congratulate you on the success and achievements that the Department of Tourism has been reaping under your leadership, especially the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign which has attracted millions of tourists to the Filipino since its inception,” Lazatin said.
