Jackie Chan to play soccer at Clark

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Hollywood Asian actor Jackie Chan will be among some 300 movie celebrities from Hong Kong to fly here next week on Cathay Pacific’s first flight to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), officials said.

Chan, who has a cult following in Hollywood for his body-twisting, comic-laced style of kung fu, leads the pack of entertainment personalities to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong Movie Star soccer team by playing football at the Air Force stadium here on Feb. 17, Clark Development Corp. president and chief executive officer Antonio Ng announced yesterday.

"They will arrive on a Cathay Pacific aircraft, the first time that the airlines will land at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport," Ng told The STAR.

Chan will arrive on Feb. 17 together with other well-known Hong Kong celebrities like Andy Lao and Allan Tam who are also members of the Hong Kong Movie Star soccer team.

They will play at the air force stadium here and take time out the next day for golf at the Mimosa Leisure and Resort Estate some two kilometers away.

At least 22 huge hot air balloons from various countries will also participate in the 10th Hot Air Balloon Festival starting today up to Saturday, said festival organizer Capt. Joy Roa.

The festival, to be opened to the public at the Omni aviation complex, will also feature airborne competitions involving no less than 70 light and ultra-light aircraft and kite-flying. Other activities include paper-plane making for children and dog shows.

Some 30 pilots from all over the world will fly to Clark this Saturday using small aircraft for the hot air balloon contest. They are also set to participate in the regional conference of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, International to be held at the Mimosa resort, Roa said.

"The pilots, many of them flying in from Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia, will then fly to the airport at Vigan City where they will be taken by calesa (horse drawn carriage) to the Vigan heritage area," he said.

In Vigan, they will get a taste of the famous Vigan longaniza and native chocolate beverage, Roa added.

Roa noted this year’s festival will be unique as two of the hot air balloons will be shaped like animals — a dog and a cat.

CDC executive vice president Jose Victor Luciano assured that CDC security personnel are prepared for the crowd expected at the festival.

Roa said "kite policemen" will be deployed in areas where the public could fly kites bought at the festival site to prevent them from being flown to altitudes that could affect participating aircraft during the festival.

Both the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force are also participating and will set up exhibits of aircraft and tanks at the venue.

"This festival is not just for fun. It is meant to develop interest, particularly among the youth, in the aviation field. That’s why there are activities that will teach children the basics of aerodynamics," he said.

Roa said that the festival was also meant to boost tourism in the Philippines, as he expressed hope that the country could one day be considered the hot air balloon capital of Asia.