Pasay park to move to bigger site?

Nayong Pilipino Foundation, Inc. (NPFI) Executive Director Charito Planas said Tuesday that President Arroyo is considering the relocation of the Nayong Pilipino Cultural Park from its present site in Pasay City.

"Charito, you will be transferred to a bigger site," Planas quoted the President as telling her during a recent function.

But Planas added that the President’s announcement was purely verbal and nothing is concrete yet. "So, we’re following this up with Malacañang now," Planas said. She refused to say where the 31-year-old park would be transferred.

The cultural park, which was a showcase of miniature landmarks of the country was built in 1972 through the efforts of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. It was closed Tuesday to give way to the construction of a dual taxiway for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 3.

Planas has earlier shunned the idea of relocating the park, for historical reasons, and because of the huge amount it would require. The park was the first of its kind in the region and was copied by other countries such as China.

Because of the President’s idea to relocate the park, Planas said it is now uncertain whether the new Nayong Pilipino the NPFI plans to build, will open next year, as she had announced.

"This is also why we still don’t have any investors, because of the uncertainty," Planas said in Filipino.

She had invited investors to help build the new park on its remaining 38 hectares, citing the NPFI’s lack of funds.

The NPFI ceded 8.6 hectares of its land to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for the dual taxiway for P500-million.– Nikko Dizon