Coop to build 5-story hotel

DUMAGUETE CITY– A local cooperative will build a five-story hotel in this city in June 18 to prepare for the expected increase in tourists.

William Ablong board chairman of the Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative (DCCCO), said Dumaguete is the gateway to all tourist destinations in the province. “Based on statistics there are about 1,300 tourists’ arriving here daily and we need to respond to the need for good accommodations,” Ablong said.

The group has signed the memorandum of agreement with the GJ Uymatiao Construction, last Tuesday to build the 54-room hotel in a 4,598 square-meter property.

The groundbreaking will be on June 18 and the hotel is expected to be operational in two years, Ablong said.

He sees the hotel as boosting Dumaguete’s economy and generating employment. He said Dumaguete prides itself as a convention city, a center of education, and a retirement destination.

Many foreigners and guests come to Dumaguete to study and stay for days or months, but there are not enough rooms and facilities to accommodate them, Ablong said.

The cooperative is celebrating its 50th founding anniversary this year. It started with 49 members with R1,151 account.

Today the cooperative has 100,000 members with assets of R4 billion, Ablong said. (Minerva Bc Newman)