How hotel boom in Manila is giving hope to Philippine tourism

MANILA - Global hotel brands are helping Manila add a record number of rooms this year, lured by the growth prospects of its emerging gaming scene.

That will boost the underperforming Philippine tourism sector, although other infrastructure is needed before it can really take off.

First-timers in the Philippines, Accor Group's Novotel and MGallery, Hilton Worldwide's Conrad and Wyndham Worldwide Corp's Tryp will be contributing to the majority of the 4,612 rooms opening in Manila this year. That number is more than double the rooms added last year and four times the average increase in the last four years, according to Colliers International Philippines.

Manila is one of the most active locations in the region in new hotel openings, said Romeo Arahan, a research analyst at the real estate services firm.

Room additions are expected to exceed 3,500 annually in the next two years, mostly in Manila's integrated casino-resorts. The new rooms will help plug Manila's chronic shortage of quality accommodation. The imminent entry of Genting Singapore's Crockfords Tower, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts' Savoy and Hotel Okura's flagship brand will also help draw visitors accustomed to luxury travel.

Still, having more hotel rooms does not solve everything. The archipelago nation suffers from a lack of airports to serve travellers hopping from island to island.

Official data shows the country's 2014 foreign tourist arrivals were slightly below a target of 5 million, already low by Southeast Asian standards. An uptick in Chinese visitors was capped by a territorial dispute with the Philippines. The government expects overall visitors to reach 6 million in 2015.

Aileen Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines, said she expects 10 million foreign visitors next year, sticking to a target set by the government.

"Attracting tourists is a problem because you have a government that is very ambitious in targets but infrastructure is insufficient to accommodate the targets," Colliers' Arahan told Reuters.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Boracay sewer project to be completed by 2016

MANILA – Boracay Water is expecting to complete its new sewer project and sewer treatment plant in 2016, the company said on Monday.

Boracay Water, the water and used water service provider of Boracay Island, aims to expand used water coverage in the popular tourist spot to 75 percent from the current 31 percent with its Manocmanoc Sewer Network and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which has the capacity to treat 5 million liters per day (MLD).

The P298 million Manocmanoc Sewer Network project is composed of a 12-kilometer sewer line and 13 lift stations.

The P258 million 5 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant, meanwhile, will support the sewage process treatment such as debris and grit removal, biological treatment, conventional activated sludge, and disinfection.

“This will ensure that used water is safe for marine life and suitable for recreational activities when it goes back to the waters of Boracay, complying with the SB Standard of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” the company said in a statement.

The additional sewer system will serve 3,656 households or about 12,526 residents in Barangay Manocmanoc.

Boracay Water is a company formed through the partnership of Manila Water and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority in 2009.

The firm provides water and used water services in Boracay, Malay, Aklan, particularly in Manocmanoc, Balabag, and Yapak.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com