CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga (PIA) -- National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) signed a Deed of Usufruct for the establishment of a museum inside Clark Freeport Zone. 
 
The regional museum will showcase the natural and cultural heritage of Central Luzon, including the rich history of Clark. 
 
Under the deed, the museum, as well as NMP’s satellite office, will be built in the former Clark Airbase Hospital which has a land area of 5.2 hectares and the former Eldorado property with 1.3 hectares land. 
 
Said areas were approved for use by the CDC Board of Directors for 50 years, and is extendable for another 25 years. 
 
During the signing, NMP Chairperson Andoni Mendieta Aboitiz expressed hopes that the facility will boost tourism activity not only in the Freeport, but also in the region. 
 
“We are very happy and excited about this project because this will be a new venue for us to expand in Central Luzon… We would like to see this as a destination where people drive to Clark to see what the National Museum has to offer. For us, the success of this project, apart from the development, is also for tourism,” he said.
 
For her part, CDC President and CEO Agnes Devanadera said the project is a welcome development since the facility complements the state-owned firm’s vision for Clark. 
 
“Clark is very lucky that it has been chosen as the new home of the National Museum.  It will not just be a museum but it will also be home to the National Museum’s back office, warehouse, as well as the Planetarium. The architectural framework of the old Clark hospital goes well with the plan of the National Museum and we can say that this is going to be one of the grandest things that will happen in Clark,” she said.
 
Aside from showcasing the region's history, arts, and culture, the National Museum in Clark is also set to feature natural history, anthropology, and archaeology. 
 
It will also include educational, cultural, scientific, entertainment, and tourism activities. 
 
Concurrently, the facility will serve as an off-site location for NMP's central offices, national collection repositories, research, training, technical, and logistical operations among others. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)