Samal Resort eyes convention facility

DAVAO CITY- Pearl Farm Beach Resort is planning to build a convention facility which could accommodate about 300 people.

According to General Manager Josu Mikel Villaverde, the facility will be designed by renowned architectural firm Manosa and Associates. He added that the convention center can be divided for smaller functions. At present the resort has no indoor facility of its kind.

The convention center is part of a P200 to P300 million development plan of the resort which is located in Barangay Kaputian in the Island Garden City of Samal.

Aside from the convention center, the resort will be building more rooms, renovation of existing ones, expansion of the kitchen, a new floating restaurant and brand-new trimarans to transport guests from the Davao City mainland.

Villaverde said currently the Samal Houses are undergoing renovation and is 70% completed. The Samal Houses, which are modeled after tilt shelters of the sea-faring Samal tribes is a hit among foreign guests as they provide unobstructed view of the sea.

Also on the drawing board is a Badjao Floating Restaurant which offers grilled seafood specialties.

Villaverde said that he remains bullish about the business despite the recent kidnapping incident in Holiday Oceanview Resort in Barangay Camudmud in Samal where gunmen stormed the resort’s marina and abducted 3 foreigners and one Filipina.

The resort manager said they had six to seven cancellations after the incident. “ There were more cancellations because of the typhoon in Manila than because of the kidnapping incident.” Villaverde said.

He said that many of the resort’s guests are foreigners.  The resort currently has a 40 to 50% occupancy rate and they are expecting it to grow with the end of the lean season. (PIA/RG Alama)