THE state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Tuesday said it has recently broken ground with the Hann Foundation Inc. (HFI) of South Korean-led investment group Hann Philippines Inc. (HPI) for a 10-hectare multipurpose pavilion in New Clark City, Tarlac.
In March 2025, BCDA President Joshua Bingcang, HFI Executive Director Ana Christi Galura, and HPI Director of Corporate Finance Sheila Rivera signed an agreement to develop the property that will advance sustainable development to boost food security and create livelihood opportunities for Aeta communities.
The project, Ayta Ethno Botanical Center Pavilion, will scale up the agricultural capabilities of local farmers and fisherfolk, focusing on Aeta communities in Pampanga and Tarlac.
It will also serve as a model for food forests to be established in other green areas of New Clark City and maintain a healthy ecosystem, and improve climate resilience across the Clark area.
The project will consist of three phases.
Phase 1 will have the multipurpose pavilion, a ceremonial ground, a market, a coffee shop, a tamarind orchard, a coffee farm and a pond. Phase 2 will include a mango orchard, picnic areas and natural trails, while Phase 3 will add rice terraces, a bamboo grove, a dormitory and a viewing deck.
Hann Philippines has donated P5 million to help fund the project.
“I hope this will be a way for us to have space for sharing of knowledge and skills so that this can reach future generations,” Galura said, noting that economic progress and cultural preservation can move forward together to create sustainable and culturally grounded development.
“The BCDA will collaborate to allocate additional funding for the project. Through this initiative, products that build a strong foundation for the community will be showcased and promoted with pride, further driving the growth of the economies of Pampanga and Tarlac,” said Mark Torres, BCDA officer in charge for the Office of Senior Vice President for Conversion and Development Group.
HFI — the corporate social responsibility and social development arm of HPI and its integrated resort businesses under the Hann Resorts brand — institutionalizes the groups’ initiatives in health, the environment, education, cultural heritage and community development in Central Luzon.
