CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga – The Clark Development Corporation has partnered with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to conduct a comprehensive cultural mapping inside Clark Freeport Zone.
The Memorandum of Understanding reaffirms CDC and NCCA’s shared commitment to preserve and promote Clark’s rich cultural and historical heritage, as well as deepen appreciation of its rich cultural assets.
This is part of CDC’s Arts, Culture, and Heritage Tourism Program, which was built on its initial Local Cultural Inventory submitted to the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property in February 2024.
Under the partnership, CDC and NCCA will conduct cultural mapping from June to December 2025.
The initiative will also include a five-day training for 25 to 30 community-based mappers, with technical framework and capacity-building support from NCCA.
After the mapping period, a local culture profile of Clark Freeport Zone will be made and submitted to the NCCA, the National Archives of the Philippines, and a designated local archive.
The findings from the project are expected to contribute to Clark’s growing heritage tourism portfolio and strengthen the role of culture in sustainable community development.
NCCA Executive Director Eric Zerrudo stressed that cultural mapping is one of the foundational programs of the commission, which identifies unique cultural, historical, and artistic elements in an area.
“Cultural mapping is vital because it provides the data and ingredients needed to promote local culture and arts effectively,” he said.
Zerrudo added that the NCCA is streamlining the process so that more local government units and institutions can generate actionable outputs.
“These mappings will also guide the development of tourism products, lesson plans for educators, and awareness campaigns across sectors,” he cited. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)