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Nestled in the remote Sacobia Valley within the fringes of Clarkfield, Pampanga is a new attraction called ZOOCOBIA. It is a 30 hectare theme park consisting of a mixture of a zoo and amusement rides. The first time I heard of Sacobia Valley was when my late mother had a rehabilitation housing project for Aetas spearheaded by a late general. It was right after the Pinatubo eruption where I had a first hand glimpse of Clark Airforce Base as a sprawling ghost town when the Americans left it. I had the scary opportunity of driving through the empty streets of the once restricted US Base fearing that I might be flagged down by security patrols or bandits that were rampantly ransacking empty buildings when they see an opportunity. Luckily I did not encounter such group otherwise I might have figured in a precarious situation. Anyway my mom left the project after the project hit a snag and after learning that it funding for the project figured in a controversy. That was way back then. Sacobia Valley has long recovered from the devastation and luckily due to the efforts of concerned people in helping improve the welfare of the indigenous people in the area, Zoocobia was developed to promote ecotourism and drive the place to a more progressive and sustainable future. |
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Our journey started all the way from Subic, Zamabales which was out first stop in an educational field trip of our school. We checked out of the Subic International Hotel which was a fine hotel for the busy traveler after we had concluded our visit to the Zoobic Safari and Ocean Adventure. It was a fine day for traveling. The weather was perfect and the ride was comfortable. We will be going to Sacobia Valley via the SCTEX which is short for Subic-Clark Toll Expressway which had just recently opened paving the way for easy access to areas nearer the summit of Mt. Pinatubo and other remote areas that were once inaccessible. |
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Travelling thru the SCTEX is a far cry from the usual Gapan-Olongapo Road which was a little congested due the the volume of traffic going in and out of Zambales and Bataan. The SCTEX also provided a more picturesque view of the countryside and Mt. Pinatubo that will make you wonder if such powerful eruption did took place because the beauty that you are witnessing now doesn't suggest it ever happened. Travel time was also cut very significantly although what really made this travel memorable is the price of the toll fee that you have to pay in order to reach Subic. It will make you feel that the SCTEX is one place you will figuratively say highway robbery. I learned recently though that a portion of this highway collapsed due to rains brought about by Habagat halfway this year. |
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When we turned left towards Sacobia Valley, we had to cross this bridge in order to reach our destination. This is just a newly constructed bridge therefore access to the place was very difficult when the SCTEX was not yet in existence. But as you will see, the place had indeed recovered and a significant sign of succession had indeed taken place as evidenced from the growth of the trees. I read from research that the man who developed the Zoocobia started with only 3 trees because of severe deforestation in the area and now the place is on its way to a more sustainable endeavor with the establishment of this Zoocobia together with the Paradise Ranch. |
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We finally arrived in our destination. The place is located in Barangay Calumpang which I found out to be part of Mabalacat City. We had to enter a dirt road going to the left and travel inland for about 1 kilometer before arriving in the actual site. Zoocobia and Paradise Ranch were both located in the same place so people plannignto go there won't need to travel from one place to another because all these come as a 2-in-1 pacakge. So here we are friends! The Zoobia Fun Zoo. Join me inside as we enjoy the latest attraction of Clarkfield Pampanga! |
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