CLARK FREEPORT – Clark executives and government officials broke ground on Saturday for the construction of a world-class water theme park as part of a bigger P2.5-billion tourism project on the rolling hills of this freeport.
Irineo “Bong” Alvaro, president of BB International Leisure and Resort Development Corp., said the theme park would be at par with Hong Kong’s Disneyland, Singapore’s Universal Studios, and Malaysia’s Lego Land.
He said the water theme park is part of BB International’s P2.5-billion investment in Clark and will cover 10 hectares of a 120-hectare property it had leased from the state firm Clark Development Corp. (CDC) which manages this freeport. The project is located along the rolling hills of Clark’s Gate 14 and is expected to be completed in the next three years.
CDC President Arthur Tugade said the water theme park project will not only boost the employment statistics of the Clark Freeport but it will also give jobs to Aetas and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
“When I met with BBI officials to discuss the timeline of the project I emphasized that they should include Aetas and PWDs in their employment roster. The hiring of people from this sector is already institutionalized in Clark Freeport policies,” Tugade said.
Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Ronald Llamas, who was at the groundbreaking rites, described the event as historical for its parallelism with the political and economic situation of the country.
Mabalacat City Mayor Marino Morales also lauded BBI officials for the project, expressing confidence on its “trickledown” effect in nearby communities. “This means more development in the area; and more development means more jobs for the people,” Morales said.
The water theme park is a joint project of Eaglesky Technology Amusement and Gaming, Inc. and Central Summit International, all owned and operated by Taiwanese investors Jack Yam and Tony Wang.
Yam and Wang’s businesses here also include Hotel Midori Clark, a P2-billion project poised to be the Clark’s first five-star hotel.
