Report by\ Mandie Asejo | Layout by Angel Chogyomon
Did you know that the New Clark City Athletics Stadium stands as a beacon of Filipino innovation and architectural excellence? Breaking ground on April 25, 2018, this cutting-edge sports venue was completed ahead of schedule by October 12, 2019, just in time for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Designed by Budji Royal Architecture, the stadium, which holds up to 20,000 spectators, is IAAF Class 1 certified, emphasizing its world-class status.
The stadium’s design is an impressive blend of functionality and aesthetics. It incorporates lahar from Mount Pinatubo in its structure, with a roofline that mirrors a volcanic crater. This “useful luxury” approach is tailored to withstand the Philippines’ tropical climate and frequent seismic activity. The stadium has received international acclaim, earning a nomination as one of the top ten Stadiums of the Year in 2019 and recognition at the 2021 World Architecture Festival awards, solidifying its place as a premier athletics facility globally.
Several high-profile events have taken place at this venue. The New Clark City Sports Complex hosted the 11th Asian Swimming Championships from November 7 to 17, 2020, marking the first time the Philippines hosted this significant aquatic sports event. Athletes from 50 Asian countries participated in swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, and open water swimming competitions. Additionally, the event featured the General Congress of the Asian Amateur Swimming Federation (AASF), attended by the executive board of Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) and other top officials.
In January 2020, the stadium served as the main hub for the 10th ASEAN Para Games, held from the 18th to the 25th. This event marked the second time the Philippines hosted the ASEAN Para Games, drawing over 2,000 athletes from 11 ASEAN nations. Competitions included a range of sports, such as archery, athletics, badminton, boccia, chess, cycling, and wheelchair basketball.
The stadium also showcased its versatility during the New Clark City Triathlon on October 19-20, 2019, which featured events like the NCC TRI FULL, NCC TRI SPRINT, and a 5k Fun Run. Athletes from across the region participated in swimming, cycling, and running events, reinforcing the New Clark City Sports Complex’s role as a leading destination for sports in Southeast Asia.
Moreover, New Clark City Athletics Stadium is one of the best Filipino creations that is one of the marvels of the architectural world. The platform was created on the 25th of April in 2018. Fortunately, it was commissioned on October 12, 2019 before the 30th SEAG due to early finish. Budji Royal Architecture constructed this Auditorium with accommodation for 20,000 seated capacity and is an IAAF Class 1 certified sports stadium.
The architectural accomplishment of the structure is characterized by assimilation of materials obtained from the Lahar of Mount Pinatubo. Its roof terminates at the same upward and forward curved line that modeled the roofline of the volcanic crater. As is characteristic of the South African outlook on these areas, it has received international acclaim and, most recently, it was nominated as one of the top ten Stadiums of the Year in 2019 while it won awards at the 2021 World Architecture Festival.
However, behind those architectural achievements one can distinguish such social impacts. The building of the stadium forces hundreds of Aeta families and descendants who have been living in these territories for generations. Infrastructure installations done to link the stadium with the Clark International Airport compelled no less than half-a-thousand Aeta families, in 2019 only. These indigenous people then suffer the social deprivation of territory, of culture, of history and of living.
What seems to be more alarming with this situation is the relatively slack protection afforded to the Aeta people to own their ancestral land. On the legal level, there are already existing laws which should prevent as many development projects as possible to the indigenous territory. But, these very communities of Aetas could barely get their pieces of paper to allow these projects to go through the back door creating more favorable lanes for other projects or development to bother with these people.
While the stadium is a proud statement of the pride in nationhood and innovation, it yet stands as a dismal reminder of many complexities modernization brings forth. It raises questions that turn upon sorrow: does progress necessarily push away the marginalized, or could development have been done differently enough to actively ensure the continuation of the cultural socialistic trend of the people who have called this land home for so long?
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