P100-million resort to rise in Mati

A P100-million inland resort and convention center will rise in Mati City, Davao Oriental next year.

Davao Oriental Governor Danilo L. Dayanghirang announced on Tuesday afternoon, August 8 during the Asean landmark lantern lighting ceremony at the Mount Hamiguitan World Heritage Park in San Isidro, Davao Oriental that this tourism-related investment will strengthen the tourism industry in the city, and in the province as a whole.

The resort, which will be operated by the government, will rise behind Subangan Museum, an interactive, state-of-theart museum that features treasured relics, photos, videos, interactive visuals, documents, and textiles from the province.

“The first building is already completed, we target to launch the resort anytime next year,” Dayanghirang said in an interview with Sun Star Davao.

The six-hectare resort will be composed of a hotel, villas, swimming pool, and a convention center that can accommodate 800 persons at a time.

“We need these facilities to cater the growing visitors in the province,

especially in Mati City,” he said.

Presently, Mati has only limited DOT-accredited accommodation establishments.

“We have some 500 comfortable rooms. But excluded in the count are those lodges, inn, and other resorts which has yet to secure accreditation from the tourism department,” Mati City administrative officer Dashiel Indelible said in a previous report.

The city has nearly 20 operating resorts.

Admitting that the city is far from ready in terms of infrastructure and accommodation given the bulk of visitors, Department of Tourism regional director Roberto Alabado III, for his part, said the private players need to upgrade its facilities and invest in putting up more infrastructures.

In a recent report, local economic investments promotion officer Tanya Virginia RabatTan, bared five resort and hotel investors have expressed interest in the city. ASP