Under the Administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
The Nayong Pilipino Foundation was created through Presidential Decree No. 37 issued on 6th of November 1972. It was mandated to initiate research and take on developmental projects in the field of social sciences and humanities.1 Alongside this, the purpose of the creation of the foundation was to establish parks and recreation centers for the promotion of tourism in the country.
On November 14, 2016, The National Economic and Development Board headed by President Rodrigo Duterte, approved the PhP 1.47- billion New Nayong Pilipino cultural park project through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The winning private partner of the project was set to build, operate and maintain the park for a 23 year period including the projected three-year construction.2 In the early months of 2018, the legislature of the City of Parañaque approved Landing International Development Ltd’s plan to develop and operate a casino resort at Entertainment City named Nayon Landing.3 In partnership with the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, the integrated leisure and resort casino was said to feature a Filipino theme park along with other entertainment facilities.
On August 7, 2018, a day after the groundbreaking rites for the Nayon Landing project, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the dismissal of the whole management and board of directors of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation. This is for allegedly approving a long-term lease and flawed contract with Landing International Development Ltd.5 Among the dismissed officials were Patricia Yvette Ocampo, the foundation chair; Caroline Lansang, Alicia Manuel, Elizabeth Mercado, Bishop Efraim Perez, Clarence Bringas, Rex Anthony Villegas, Marie Nino Gerald Medina and Maria Fema T. Duterte.6 As of this writing, they are facing graft and bribery charges for supposedly accepting free flights and accommodation during the negotiation period on a lease agreement with Landing International Development Ltd.7
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Nayong Pilipino Foundation Board Member, Maria Fema Duterte lodged charges at the Office of the Ombudsman against NPF Board of Trustees Chair Patricia Yvette Ocampo and seven other members in May 2018 . The charges were for alleged graft, dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, inefficiency and incompetence.4
1Presidential Decree No. 1414, s. 1978, (Republic of the Philippines, 1978). 2Emmie V. Abadilla, "Gov’t Approves P1.5-billion New Nayong Pilipino PPP | PPP CenterPPP Center," PPP Center | The Official Site Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines, last modified November 17, 2016 v https://ppp.gov.ph/in_the_news/govt-approves-p1-5-billion-new-nayong-pilipino-ppp/. 3Newsdesk, "Landing Int Gets Local Council Nod for Manila Casino Resort," GGRAsia, last modified May 2, 2018, https://www.ggrasia.com/landing-int-gets-local-council-nod-for-manila-casino-resort/. 4Philippine Daily Inquirer, "The Nayong Pilipino Puzzle," Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 26, 2018, https://opinion.inquirer.net/115637/nayong-pilipino-puzzle. 5 CNN Philippines Staff, "Duterte Fires All Nayong Pilipino Officers, Board Members," CNN, last modified August 7, 2018 https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/08/07/Duterte-Nayong-Pilipino-fired-corruption.html. 6 Julie M. Aurelio, "Duterte Fires Top Nayong Pilipino Officials," Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 8, 2018, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1018841/duterte-fires-top-nayong-pilipino-officials. 7Xave Gregorio and CNN Philippines, "Ex-Nayong Pilipino Officials Face Graft Charges over Free Flights, Accommodations in South Korea," CNN, last modified March 3, 2020, https://www.cnn.ph/news/2020/3/3/Nayong-Pilipino-graft-charges-free-flights.html.
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When asked to speak about his decision to dismiss Nayong Pilipino officials on August 8, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte said he had to fire the entire board of NPF upon learning the terms of the contract and emphasized that he does not want new casinos built in the Philippines. He stated “I hate gambling. I don’t want it. There will be no casinos outside what is existing. I’m not granting anything.” 8 Nearly four months after the dismissal of the entire Nayong Pilipino Foundation board and management, President Rodrigo Duterte signed on November 27, 2018 the appointment papers of Board of Trustees-members Ruth Marie Isip Equipaje and Cesar de Guzman Aljama. The appointees served the “unexpired term of office” of ex- officials Alicia Manuel and Caroline Ngsuy Lansang.9 Another member of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation Board of Trustees was appointed in December 2018 by President Rodrigo Duterte. New member Patricia Maria Santiago replaced Rex Anthony Villegas and served until July 2020.10 In the appointment papers, signed on January 15, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte named Michelle Aguilar-Ong and Lucille Karen E. Malilong-Isberto as new members of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation Board of Trustees.11 Michelle Aguilar-Ong was later elected as Executive Director of the Foundation12
In March 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Paolo Sotero Laurel, an Executive Assistant to the President of Lyceum of the Philippines University, as a new member of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation Board of Trustees. He replaced Gerald Valles Medina, ran the remainder of his term, and is still in position as of writing.15
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President Rodrigo Duterte expressed, once again, his dismay at the recently dismissed officials of Nayong Pilipino Foundation13 during his speech at the 2019 General Assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines on February 26, 2019. His exact words were, “Alam mo, Nayong Pilipino ‘yan. Do you understand the word Nayong Pilipino? Tapos lagyan mo ng sugal --- gambling house diyan? Tapos hindi mo pa pina-bid, you just went to award it.”14
8 Dharel Placido and ABS-CBN News, "'I Hate Gambling': Duterte Says No New Casinos in PH," ABS-CBN News, last modified August 8, 2018, https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/08/18/i-hate-gambling-duterte-says-no-new-casinos-in-ph. 9 Jelly Musico, "PRRD Appoints New Nayong Pilipino Board Members," Philippine News Agency, last modified November 29, 2018, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1055372. 10 Philippine Daily Inquirer, "News Briefs: New Nayong Pilipino board member named," INQUIRER.net, last modified December 28, 2018, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1067033/news-briefs-297. 11Neil Charm, "Palace Bares New Appointees," BusinessWorld | The Most Trusted Source of Philippine Business News and Analysis, last modified January 18, 2019, https://www.bworldonline.com/palace-bares-new-appointees/. 12Ashley Manabat, "Nayong Pilipino Gets New Executive Director," Punto! Central Luzon, January 24, 2019, https://punto.com.ph/nayong-pilipino-gets-new-executive-director-1/. 13 Dismissed officials for the long-term lease and flawed contract with Landing International Development Ltd as stated in: CNN Philippines Staff, "Duterte fires all Nayong Pilipino officers, board members," 14 The Manila Times, "Duterte Names New Member of Nayong Pilipino Board," The Manila Times, March 3, 2019, https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/03/03/news/latest-stories/duterte-names-new-member-of-nayong-pilipino-board/520079/. 15 The Manila Times, "Duterte Names New Member of Nayong Pilipino Board”
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President Rodrigo Duterte approved the “hybrid” privatization and development of the proposed park at the NPF Property on October 11, 2019. The President also expressed a directive that there should be no casinos within the development of the NPF property as it would be inconsistent with the purpose and intent of the park.16 Based on the Certificate of Assumption of Duties, the following were appointed as members of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation Board of Trustees on the following dates: Teresita Amansec - July 15, 2019 and Mariness Ledesma-Ciudadano - December 3, 2019. Nayong Pilipino Foundation Chairperson Edgar Frederick V. Generoso and Executive Director Lucille Karen E. Malilong- Isberto were both elected into position on August 22, 2019. Their assumption of duties began on September 1, 2019. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a quarantine facility was built on the Bagong Nayong Pilipino property in Parañaque City. Part of the government’s isolation strategy, the Bagong Nayong Pilipino Mega Quarantine Facility was constructed through the collaborative effort of the national government and private sector. It has a 600-bed capacity and will accommodate asymptomatic Covid-19 patients as well as individuals with mild symptoms.17 Nayong Pilipino organized a multi-sectoral consultation to convert the rest of the property into an interim park as a platform for citizen-led biodiversity conservation, titled Makakalikasang Nayon in an Umpukan held last October 10, 2020.
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At present, the Nayong Pilipino Foundation is revamping its programs, policies, and processes. It has three Programs: Research Institute, Cultural Leadership Institute, and Heritage Space.
16Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo, "Duterte Bans Casino at New Nayong Pilipino Park in Parañaque," Business Mirror, last modified October 17, 2019, https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/10/18/duterte-bans-casino-at-new-nayong-pilipino-park-in-paranaque/. 17 "‘Nayong Quarantine’ Reveals Story Behind NCR’s Biggest Facility," Philippine News Agency, last modified October 25, 2020, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119654.
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Bibliography Abadilla, Emmie V. "Gov’t Approves P1.5-billion New Nayong Pilipino PPP | PPP CenterPPP Center." PPP Center | The Official Site Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines. Last modified November 17, 2016. https://ppp.gov.ph/in_the_news/govt-approves-p1-5-billion-new-nayong-pilipino-ppp/. Arnaldo, Ma. Stella F. "Duterte Bans Casino at New Nayong Pilipino Park in Parañaque." Business Mirror. Last modified October 17, 2019. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/10/18/duterte-bans-casino-at-new-nayong-pilipino-park-in-paranaque/. Aurelio, Julie M. "Duterte Fires Top Nayong Pilipino Officials." Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 8, 2018. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1018841/duterte-fires-top-nayong-pilipino-officials. Charm, Neil. "Palace Bares New Appointees." BusinessWorld | The Most Trusted Source of Philippine Business News and Analysis. Last modified January 18, 2019 https://www.bworldonline.com/palace-bares-new-appointees/. CNN Philippines Staff. "Duterte Fires All Nayong Pilipino Officers, Board Members." CNN. Last modified August 7, 2018. https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/08/07/Duterte-Nayong-Pilipino-fired-corruption.html. Gregorio, Xave, and CNN Philippines. "Ex-Nayong Pilipino Officials Face Graft Charges over Free Flights, Accommodations in South Korea." CNN. Last modified March 3, 2020. https://www.cnn.ph/news/2020/3/3/Nayong-Pilipino-graft-charges-free-flights.html. Manabat, Ashley. "Nayong Pilipino Gets New Executive Director." Punto! Central Luzon, January 24, 2019. https://punto.com.ph/nayong-pilipino-gets-new-executive-director-1/.
Musico, Jelly. "PRRD Appoints New Nayong Pilipino Board Members." Philippine News Agency. Last modified November 29, 2018. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1055372. Newsdesk. "Landing Int Gets Local Council Nod for Manila Casino Resort." GGRAsia. Last modified May 2, 2018. https://www.ggrasia.com/landing-int-gets-local-council-nod-for-manila-casino-resort/. Philippine Daily Inquirer. "The Nayong Pilipino Puzzle." Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 26, 2018. https://opinion.inquirer.net/115637/nayong-pilipino-puzzle..
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The Manila Times. "Duterte Names New Member of Nayong Pilipino Board." The Manila Times, March 3, 2019. https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/03/03/news/latest-stories/duterte-names-new-member-ofnayong-pilipino-board/520079/.
Philippine Daily Inquirer. "News Briefs: New Nayong Pilipino board member named." INQUIRER.net. Last modified December 28, 2018 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1067033/news-briefs-297. Placido, Dharel, and ABS-CBN News. "'I Hate Gambling': Duterte Says No New Casinos in PH." ABS-CBN News. Last modified August 8, 2018. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/08/18/i-hate-gambling-duterte-says-no-new-casinos-in-ph. "‘Nayong Quarantine’ Reveals Story Behind NCR’s Biggest Facility." Philippine News Agency. Last modified October 25, 2020. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119654.
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