Total Yuletide experience at Nayong Pilipino in Clark

MANILA, Philippines - Where in the world can one find a place to experience the holidays at their best and fullest?

The answer can be found in the Clark Freeport that hosts the Philippines’ only cultural park — Nayong Pilipino, which lures around 300,000 visitors yearly.

From the orchidarium, large golden tilapia breeding ponds and nature-inspired picnic groves to the park décor, Christmas lights, historical structures, souvenir shops, exhibits, festivals and famous cultural repertoire, Nayong Pilipino captures the spirit of Christmas in its totality for a multi-sensory and memorable experience.

“The NPF’s orchidarium also adds a nature-inspired dimension to the Christmas atmosphere in Nayong Pilipino, which offers a Yuletide experience at its finest and fullest,” said NPF executive director Apolonio Anota Jr.

“The orchidarium alone is a showcase of the world’s only orchid varieties bred and propagated by the NPF to engulf visitors in all the glory and magnificence of a blooming floral environment,” Anota said.

“Yet, these are just the first four NPF-created orchids — Phalaenopsis Nayong Pilipino I and II, and Dendrobium III and IV— which are one of its kind and can be seen only in Clark. These were developed by Nayong Pilipino through years of diligent cross-pollination and propagation,” Anota said. Nonetheless, there are also the cattleya and vanda varieties.

Their spectacular beauty are matched only by the equally unique and colorful musical extravaganza of the Nayong Pilipino Dance Troupe and Rondalla who will perform the Pastores Suite, a set of Filipino dances with a Christmas theme. There will be special shows on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, both at 11 a.m.

Vibrant tribal dance performances that go with melodious Philippine music also make the Nayong Pilipino Performing Arts among the country’s most lively. The performers wear actual ethnic costumes and perform authentic Filipino dances.

The performances are held every Wednesday to Sunday, at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

There are also annual cultural festivities such as the Santacruzan featuring a parade of Philippine beauty queens and the Flores de Mayo showcasing male and female models and the fashion creations of famous Filipino designers.

Just as colorful and unique are the gifts at the souvenir shops, with such hard-to-find items as indigenous weaves, woodcarvings and paintings arrayed in surprising abundance.

And as if the visitors have not seen enough of the Yuletide season, they get treated to brilliant Christmas decors highlighted by the “belen” or Nativity Scene made with indigenous materials and spectacularly heralding the cultural diversity of the local Christendom.

Still, the relaxing yet historically faithful and handsomely landscaped facilities at the park make it the perfect venue for Christmas parties and yuletide weddings, among others.

Another attraction is the “tramvia,” which takes the guests on a ride back to history.  The tramvia once dominated the streets for mass transport. Only a few of these remain, and Nayong Pilipino has one for both ride and exhibit. The park also has a fleet of jeepneys in their original designs.

The ride covers the six-hectare sprawl of landscaped picnic grounds and greenery dotted by a wide array of world-renowned Philippine scenery and historical landmarks — from north to south and from the pre-colonial past to the liberation era.

The historical tour also brings visitors to the exhibits of Kalinga weaves and musical instruments, Ifugao woodcarvings and day-to-day implements all the way to the famous works of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, among others.

The biggest of such tribal exhibits are the houses of the Ifugaos and the Kalingas themselves, which are built without nails and resistant to earthquakes and typhoons. The structures withstood Typhoon Santi.

The visitors may also bond with nature by feeding the golden tilapia, of which Nayong Pilipino is one of the largest breeders.

After all the amazing sights and sounds come the scent and taste of one of the country’s most-touted culinary delights, the Kapampangan cuisine, in the park’s food hub.

The Nayong Pilipino is located at the Centennial Road, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. Visitors coming from the NLEX may take the Dau exit and turn left to MacArthur Highway, then turn right to the Clark main gate. The park is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Ticket rates are P100 for adults and P50 for children.