For younger generations, perhaps Nayong Pilipino does not sound familiar.
But for us of the older generation, who hasn’t heard of Nayong Pilipino?
Nayong Pilipino was the one place to go to by visiting Filipinos and foreigners who wanted a glimpse of the country’s popular tourist destinations especially during the years when social media was not readily available. It had a theme park of Filipino culture. It featured different geographical regions in the archipelago such as the Ilocos region, the Cordillera region, Bicol, Visayas, Mindanao, and even a Tagalog region. Also represented in Nayong Pilipino were miniature tourist attractions like the Mayon Volcano, Banaue Rice Terraces, Vigan’s historic houses, Chocolate Hills of Bohol, and Magellan’s Cross in Cebu. There was also an aviary, playground, a picnic area, and lagoon.
Nayong Pilipino started operations in the 1970s but would close its doors to tourists in the 2000s. Located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, it occupies 22.3 hectares of a 45.9 hectare-property where the Philippine Village Hotel was also situated. Nayong Pilipino was designed by Ildefonso Paez Santos, Jr., a National Artist of the Philippines in Architecture also known as the Father of Philippine Landscape Architecture.”
Recently, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) signed a lease agreement on 15 hectares of the Nayong Pilipino property in Pasay City. The lease is for 25 years.
Signatories were SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang (RSA) and PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco. As stipulated, a new building will be constructed by SMC to serve as PAGCOR’s corporate headquarters on a two-hectare area of the Nayong Pilipino property.
It is high time for PAGCOR to have its own office space. According to Tengco, PAGCOR has been operating from rented locations for many years.
The building will be fully financed and built by SMC at no cost to PAGCOR. The building is valued at Php2.45 billion and will span 40,000 square meters with an additional 15,000 square meters for fit-out space. Unused portions of the new office building will be rented out for additional revenues.
Under the lease agreement, 13 hectares of the Nayong Pilipino property is allocated for use by SMC’s development and rehabilitation efforts on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Checks amounting almost Php100 million was turned over to PAGCOR by SMC during the signing of agreement as advance rentals and security deposits.
The rentals will boost PAGCOR’s revenues which from January to September this year increased by 42 percent compared to the same period last year with its net income nearly double. In an earlier news released by PAGCOR, it stated that the notable performance was driven by the Electronics Ganes sector and the country’s licensed casinos and integrated resorts.
“Our third quarter performance is a strong indication that in spite of the President’s decision to ban offshore gaming operations in the country, we are still on track to meet our Php100 billion revenue target by yearend,” PAGCOR Chairman Tengco said.
Incidentally, there’s an interesting article in the online publication, Inside Asian Gaming, and the domestic land-based gaming operators may do well to learn a few fit-for-purpose tricks.
Quoting various experts, Inside Asian Gaming wrote in its December 2, 2024 issue that factors such as diversification, innovation and improved facilities as well as varied offerings may work to the operators’ advantage.
It said”: “Diversification of non-gaming offerings (is) key to the Philippines’ IRs (integrated resort operators) continuing to grow but opportunities persist for those who can successfully leverage these attractions alongside their gaming floors.
Inside Asian Gaming also gave some kudos to Pagcor chairman Alejandro Tengco for recognizing the potentials of remote gaming and thereafter lowering the license fees it imposes on the integrated resort (IR) operators to encourage competition and investments into the local scene.
“The online offerings from PAGCOR have shown a clear trend to what the potential market will be. Customers who would have frequented the land-based casino are now very comfortable foregoing that experience, which in the case of Solaire [Entertainment City] and Newport World Resorts has been offered for a decade. Markets become jaded, and the travel time to get to and from a land-based casino will never get easier or quicker. The online offering is just more compelling,” Inside Asian Gaming said.
Higher income for PAGCOR translates into more funds for nation-building. The GOCC earmarks earnings to fund the Universal Healthcare Law, contributes to the national treasury, provides incentives to athletes and coaches through the Philippine Sports Commission, remits corporate income taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, funds socio-civic projects undertaken by the Office of the President, and contributes to the LGUs that host branches of the Casino Filipino and the Renewable Energy Trust Fund, among others.
Allocating part of the Nayong Pilipino property for SMC’s use in the ongoing rehabilitation of the country’s premier airport is laudable. Infrastructure projects on the area will complement airport requirements.
“Our goal is to maximize the potential of this property for the public’s benefit, ensuring the success of our airport development,” RSA said.
SMC’s New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) which took over the operations and management of NAIA envisions a world-class international gateway. I have written in my previous column the changes that are now visible to travelers passing through NAIA. A new passenger terminal/concourse will be constructed by NNIC at the Nayong Pilipino property to further decongest NAIA.
Nayong Pilipino forms part of the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Entertainment City envisioned by PAGCOR in 2002.
This is not the first time a portion of Nayong Pilipino will be utilized for the country’s air transport infra project. On June 26, 2002 President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued EO 111 that authorized the transfer of an area in the property to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for the construction of an additional parallel taxiway and surface road connection between NAIA terminals 2 & 3. EO 58 dated September 29, 2011 issued by President Benigno S. Aquino III mandated the transfer of the Nayong Pilipino Pasay property to the MIAA “for the expansion of Terminal 2 to the north and the development of the New International Cargo Terminal Facility to support the operation of Terminal 3 to accommodate growth in the passenger and aircraft movement at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.”
Focused on doing their share in nation-building, SMC and PAGCOR are setting examples of how to help achieve a better and prosperous Philippines.
