Integrated resort-casino to rise in Lapu-Lapu City

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) granted Udenna Development Corp. (UDC) – a group of companies engaged in petroleum, shipping, logistics and real estate – the provisional license to construct a $341-million integrated resort and casino in Cebu.

The UDC, which is owned by businessman Dennis Uy, will build the first integrated resort-casino outside Luzon. The 12.5-hectare attraction will be named Lapu-Lapu Leisure Mactan, as it will rise on a prime beachfront at Mactan Island in Lapu-Lapu City.

Once constructed, the resort-casino is set to make the Philippines at par with other premier regional destinations designed for leisure, gaming, MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) and other commercial and residential investments.

“We are grateful for the confidence and opportunity given to us by Pagcor. This approval is accepted with our commitment to the integrity and transparency demanded by the Duterte administration, our regulators, and the broader gaming industry. This significant event is only the beginning of our vision of a globally competitive leisure, residential and commercial destination in Central Visayas,” Uy said.

Lapu-Lapu Leisure Mactan is a six-kilometer, or 20-minute drive from the Mactan- Cebu International Airport, with views of Hilutungan Channel to the south and Magellan Bay to the north. The master-planned property will feature iconic modern buildings surround- ed by lush greens and infinity pools.

It will also have a skydiving center on a pier, a commercial retail complex, convention center, luxury hotels, condotels, villas and plush private residences.

The development is seen to give residents and guests access to the longest stretch of beachfront in Mactan, making it an ideal business and holiday destination of locals and guests.

“We’re very bullish on the tourism and hospitality prospects in the Philippines. As shown by the leadership of the President, it’s high time that we invest in tourism and gaming,” Uy noted.

He added that with the huge demand for human resources to be generated by the project, there will be employment opportunities for the locals.