Subic is the next Guam, says real estate mogul

Tagged as among Asia’s icons in real estate and business development, Ronald Wang, chairman of property developer Century 21 Subic Bay, said that the Subic Bay Freeport could be the next Guam.

Wang, who is also chairman and chief executive officer of Century 21 Taiwan, Century 21 Asia Pacific, and Fantai Real Estate Management Co., expressed high hopes for Subic as the next best thing in real estate business.

“Subic is the next Guam in terms of economic growth,” Wang said in a statement read here by Dr. Johnson Yang, chairman of the Subic-based Grand Pillar International Development, Inc.

Wang was the guest speaker in the groundbreaking ceremony for Grand Pillar’s Mi Casa Terrace, a P170 million three-storey commercial and office building project to be constructed in the Freeport.

Wang said that when he was invited by Dr. Yang to Subic several years ago, he felt the passion in Subic and the opportunity that awaited in terms of leisure and commercial development.

“This is the reason why when I attended the 10th Asian Real Estate Association of America Global Summit held in Hawaii in May [2013], I was inspired and had the confidence to present to all the delegates and participants of the summit that Subic could be the next Guam,” he said.

Guam is a tiny island in the Western Pacific, which attracts more than one million tourists annually from Asia and America because of its more than 20 luxury hotels, duty free shops, indoor aquarium, entertainment venues, and several golf courses in what is dubbed as the Pleasure Island District.

Subic is said to have the potential to replicate Guam’s real estate boom because of its natural attractions that include mountain forests and a bay.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Roberto V. Garcia, meanwhile, said that the proposed three-storey commercial building is another manifestation of the increasing demand for spaces intended for tourism-related businesses.

“There is now a continuous increase of tourist arrivals in the Freeport that investors see it as a good sign to start tourism-related businesses,” Garcia said.

He also noted that the Department of Tourism (DoT) cited the Subic Bay Freeport in December 2012 as “one of the top destinations in the country” due to the high influx of local and foreign tourists.

The DoT has also announced in October last year its choice of Subic as the “Premier Convention Capital of Central Luzon.”

Dr. Yang, for his part, lauded the SBMA chairman and other officials of the agency for the support they have given to Grand Pillar in setting another milestone for the real-estate company.

“I believe that Subic is in the right direction,” Yang said. “It is doing great business again,” he added. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA investment officer Kenneth Rementilla lowers a time capsule during the ground-breaking rites for the P170-million Mi Casa Terrace commercial building at the Subic Bay Freeport. With him are (from left): SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon O. Agregado, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia, and Grand Pillar chairman Dr. Johnson Yang.

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SBMA, Resom sign P20-billion tourism project

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently signed a contract with Korean-owned Resom Resort Phils. (Resom) for the development in the Freeport of a world-class tourism resort complex worth P20 billion.

In a simple ceremony held June 13 at the Freeport, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto V. Garcia and Resom Chairman Sang So Shin signed lease development agreements that would pave the way for the construction of this landmark tourism project.

The first phase of the project involves the development of a prime waterfront property previously known as the mini-golf course with a gross area of two hectares and a buildable area of 6,000 sqm.

Resom is committed to invest P1.2 billion for the construction in this area of a luxury hotel with around 300 rooms, convention facilities, pool, spa, restaurants and other support facilities. This project is being targeted to be ready to serve the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in November 2015.

The second phase of the project will cover the development of the Resom City tourism complex involving several properties in the Naval Magazine area amounting to around 300 hectares.

This will include the construction of a world-class resort complex that will have hotels, condominiums, a theme park, luxury pool villas, casino and gaming operations, a waterpark and spa, health and wellness center, duty free shopping, and a championship golf course.

This phase involves an investment commitment of around P19 billion and is expected to take around 4 years to complete.

According to Resom Chairman Shin, the Subic Resom City project will be their centerpiece development.

Resom presently owns and operates four world-class resorts namely, Ocean Castle, Resom Waterpark and Spa, and the Forest Villa resort all in Korea, and a championship golf course and resort in Weihai, China. Resom operates a time-share membership chain and certain of their facilities are open to the public as well.

During the contract signing, Chairman Shin said that he loves nature and that Resom always develops their resorts by keeping and preserving the environment as a main priority.

He said the natural beauty of the forests and waters in Subic are the main features that convinced him that Subic is the ideal choice for their centerpiece resort.

On the SBMA side, Chairman Garcia welcomed this world-class resort project as a great tourist attraction that would draw millions more of local and international visitors to the Subic Bay Freeport and establish it firmly as one of the country’s major tourism destinations.

“This hopefully will contribute substantially to the country’s tourism campaign,” Garcia added. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto Garcia and Resom Phils. Chairman Sang So sign an agreement for the construction of a P20-billion resort complex in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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Culinary school opens branch in Subic Freeport

Culinary enthusiasts and restaurateurs in the region now have a chance to hone their kitchen skills without having to go to Manila, as one of the country’s premier culinary schools opened its doors in this free port.

The Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS) recently opened a branch here — their fifth thus far — to address the rising demand for quality culinary education in Region 3.

CACS offers one-year professional diploma courses for Commercial Cooking National Certificate (NC)-IV, Commercial Cooking NC-III, Commercial Cooking NC-II, and Bread & Pastry Production NC-II certifications from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The school also offers basic skills program where the students will receive NC-II in commercial cooking, as well as one-day short courses.

Chef Gene Gonzalez, CACS president, said the school would complement Subic’s growth as a thriving tourism capital by filling in the demand for culinary professionals here.

He also said that the school would boost the local food and beverage industry.

“When we first branched out to Davao, immediately on the first year we saw growth in the restaurant industry there. Immediately, there were 60 restaurants that opened in that once sleepy city,” Gonzales said. “That is what we would like to happen here.”

He also said that he was very pleased with the warm welcome from residents of Olongapo City. “It’s enticing that they see a need for a highly professional school,” he added.

Gonzales added that they initially intended to offer only short courses for their Subic branch, but decided to open a one-year diploma program because a lot of local residents expressed interest in enrolling.

Chef Mark Bernardino, one of the school’s instructors, said that CACS would operate as a true school, and all of the students would receive quality training from their best instructors.

"You come here to learn to cook not for yourself, but for others,” he said.

He added that Subic’s location at a halfway point between Manila and North Luzon would make their school ideal to students from the Central and the North Luzon areas.

The CACS Subic branch has already started its first class for the professional course with eight students, most of whom are restaurant owners.

The school is also promoting Philippine cuisine and is gearing up for the “International Adobo Day” on June 12, when renowned chefs from all over the country will be here to judge the best in adobo cooking. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Chef Gene Gonzales, president of the Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS), explains cooking techniques to students at the opening of the culinary school branch in the Subic Bay Freeport.

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